USS Enterprise (CVN-65) is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Nicknamed the “Big E”, she is the longest naval vessel in the world at 1,123 feet, and the second heaviest supercarrier at 93,500 tons. She was launched on September 24, 1960 and commissioned on November 25, 1961. On January 12, 1962, she began her maiden voyage with a three-month shakedown cruise. Enterprise is currently homeported at Norfolk, Virginia. Being one of the oldest carriers in the fleet, she is scheduled for decommissioning between 2013 and 2015.

Scale 1/800
Length 16.5"
Width 5"
Height 3.8"

Enterprise was intended to be the first of a class of six, but due to increased construction costs the remaining vessels were never laid down, resulting in her being the only ship of her class. Because of her expense, she was launched without weapon systems but was later fitted with armament. She is the only aircraft carrier to house more than two nuclear reactors, and the only carrier to be fitted with four rudders. Though she can hold up to 90 aircraft, Enterprise carries approximately 66, including the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, E-2C Hawkeye, S-3 Viking and SH-60 Seahawk.

In October 1962, Enterprise was dispatched to her first international crisis during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In a televised address to the nation, President John F. Kennedy announced that US reconnaissance flights had revealed a Soviet buildup of offensive missiles on the island of Cuba. As part of the presidentially imposed blockade of Cuba, Enterprise and other ships from the Second Fleet were mobilized. Supported by carriers Independence, Essex and Randolph, and backed by shore-based aircraft, Enterprise commenced with the blockade.

On September 11, 2001, Enterprise was just beginning her voyage home from the Arabian Gulf. Watching a US morning news show live, the crew saw the terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda against New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Enterprise immediately turned around and headed back to the waters off Southwest Asia. On October 7, 2001, the United States launched air attacks against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and Taliban military installations in Afghanistan. For approximately the next three weeks, aircraft from Enterprise flew nearly 700 missions in Afghanistan and dropped hundreds of thousands of pounds of ordnance.

Bring any empty space to life with the USS Enterprise wooden ship model. From planning to packaging, each step is performed with utmost care; everything is done by hand. Master craftsmen become magicians as they turn simple pieces of mahogany into ship replicas. After the wood is sanded and puttied, talented artists duplicate every single detail with extraordinary accuracy. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts complete the ship. A final coat of clear lacquer provides lasting protection for the product. Each model ship comes on a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate, and undergoes various stages of quality control. A double-lined box with high density foam ensures the safe arrival of each item.