USS Ronald Reagan was laid down on February 12, 1998; launched on March 4, 2001, christened by Nancy Reagan; and commissioned on July 12, 2003. She is the ninth and largest Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and the first ship of the United States Navy to be named after the late President Ronald Reagan. Her namesake was unable to attend the launch or the commissioning due to Alzheimer's disease. Ronald Reagan is part of the recently increasing number of ships in the Navy to be named after a person who was alive at the time of the christening.

The carrier is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall at 1,092 feet, and carries more than 5,500 sailors and over 80 aircraft. She displaces about 95,000 tons of water fully loaded, has a top speed of over 30 knots, and can sail for over 20 years before needing to refuel. She received the 2006 Battle “E” for West Coast carriers.

On January 4, 2006, Ronald Reagan began her maiden deployment and sailed to the western Pacific and Persian Gulf, where she took part in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and Exercise Valiant Shield 2006. On January 29, 2006, an F/A-18 Hornet attempting a night landing on the ship crashed into the ocean. There was no damage to the vessel and the pilot ejected safely, but the aircraft was unrecoverable. On December 15, 2007, Ronald Reagan answered a distress call from a cruise ship off the coast of Baja California. A teenager whose appendix had ruptured was airlifted by an SH-60 helicopter to the carrier, where an emergency appendectomy was performed by Navy medical personnel.

At Maritime Modelworks, we bring ordinary wood models to life. Each museum quality USS Ronald Reagan ship model is created step-by-step meticulously. No machines are involved in the process; everything is made by hand. Skilled craftsmen chip away at a piece of mahogany until a ship appears, which is then sanded and puttied. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts are also added. Gifted artists paint on the colors and all details, no matter how big or small. Afterwards, clear lacquer is applied for protection. Each model ship is complemented with a handsome display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. Products are always double-checked before being delivered to customers in sturdy wood crates via FedEx Next Day Air.