Ancient Vessels
Tall Ships
Pirate Ships
Sailboats
Riverboats
Classic Boats
Classic Yachts
Modern Yachts
Half Hulls   
Ocean Liners   
Cruise Ships   
Merchantmen
Exploration
Tugboats
Civil War
Spanish War
Warships
Aircraft Carriers
Coast Guard
Metal Models
Submarines
Other Types
Large Models
Small  Models
 Clearance deals!
Display cases
Repair Service
Remote Control
COMMISSIONING

   website security

 Paypal payment
Guarantee
View Cart
Shipping
 About Us
Why Us
Contact Us
Work Opportunity

Feedback

News


   256-bit encryption
 $500,000 protection

    
 

 


USS LONG BEACH MODEL

USS Long Beach was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser in the United States Navy and the world's first nuclear-powered surface combatant. She was laid down 2 December 1957 and commissioned 9 September 1961. Propelled by two nuclear reactors, the ship could exceed 30 knots and had unlimited range. She was under the command of Captain Eugene Parks Wilkinson, who previously served as the first commanding officer of the world's first nuclear-powered vessel--the submarine USS Nautilus.

USS Long Beach was the sole member of the Long Beach-class, and the last cruiser built for the United States Navy to a cruiser design. All subsequent cruiser classes were built on destroyer hulls. Long Beach was the last cruiser built with a World War II-era cruiser hull style, as later new-build cruisers were built with different hull forms. As a cruiser, USS Long Beach had a flag bridge and quarters to carry an admiral and his staff. 

uss long beach model

At 721 feet long, over 17,000 tons displacement and a crew of over 1,100 sailors and marines, USS Long Beach looked like no other ship the world had ever seen before, having the highest bridge structure of any warship except an aircraft carrier.

The high box-like superstructure contained the SCANFAR system, consisting of the AN/SPS-32 and AN/SPS-33 phased array radars. USS Long Beach was an experimental platform for these radars, which were precursors to the AN/SPY-1 systems later installed on Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Photos taken at her commissioning and for some time thereafter, show that the taller, narrower AN/SPS-33 panels were not installed on the superstructure until a later date.

Another unique thing about that USS Long Beach was that she had an elevator that went from the main deck up to the 10 level (main bridge).

Packed with the latest and greatest gear America had to offer, USS Long Beach was the most enigmatic ships of the entire Cold War period. She had two twin rail launchers forward for Terrier missiles (and could carry over 100 of them), amidships she had an ASROC (anti-submarine rocket system) eight-cell launcher with reloading capability and two five-inch 38-caliber guns. Long Beach was originally designed without any guns and rumor has it that during sea trials someone asked one of the NAVSEA representatives what the ship would do if a patrol boat came up and shot at them and it was decided to install two five-inch guns.

On the fantail, USS Long Beach had the Talos missile system mounted to the stern. The Talos missiles could be nuclear armed. Talos missile system was later replaced by two box launchers for BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with each box containing four missiles.

In May 1964, Long Beach joined the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and the guided-missile frigate USS Bainbridge to form the all-nuclear-powered Task Force 1, the first such battle force group of its kind in the history of naval operations.

In 1966, the nuclear-powered cruiser USS Long Beach was deployed for her first tour of duty off Vietnam and was mainly stationed in the northern part of the Gulf of Tonkin. From that position, Long Beach maintained constant radar surveillance to ensure that the North Vietnamese aircraft couldn’t evade identification and attempt to confront U.S. aircraft. 

During her second deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin, Talos missiles fired from USS Long Beach destroyed two MiG-17s at a range of 70 miles. It was the first record use of naval SAMs in combat conditions.

The warship was updated in the late 1970s and later operated as part of the UN task force during Operation Desert Storm. Instead of receiving a third nuclear refueling and proposed upgrade, USS Long Beach was deactivated on May 1, 1995, after more than 33 years of operational service.

uss long beach

This primarily wood USS Long Beach model is 27" long x 11" tall x 4.5" wide.
$2,490  Shipping and insurance in the contiguous USA included. Other places: $300 flat rate.

Learn more about the USS Long Beach here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Long_Beach_(CGN-9)