USS United States: The Navy Supercarrier That Never Was

United States would have commemorated the venerable 44-gun frigate of the same name. For some reason, that United States didn't sail as fast as her sisters President and Constitution, and she was nicknamed 'The Covered Wagon'. Still, she did well enough to capture the Macedonian.

CV-58 would have specialized in nuclear attack. In the line drawing below,



it can be seen how the twin-engined bombers would have been brought to the flight deck and staged on the catapults.

Supposedly, Bunker Hill and Franklin, the heavily damaged in World War 2 Essex-class, were to be converted as she was constructed. They would have had an 'ultimate' Essex upgrade, and would have provided fighter cover and conventional strike to cover United States.

Another drawing



Also, it can be seen she was not quite a dual-angled-deck carrier, but the angles were for her midships/after catapults.

I think had she actually been built, she would have eventually been given a full angled deck and island, and would have taken her place as another USN super carrier. The nuclear strike mission air group would have been replaced with a conventional air group similar to the Forrestals or Kitty Hawks.

My thoughts,

Those aircraft in the first line drawing look to be AJ Savage bombers.     The Skywarrior had a similar wingspan, but as about 13 ft. longer than the Savage.    Though the Savage and the Skywarrrior did have one thing in common;  both had a tail that would fold down to fit in the hangar of an Essex or Midway class carrier. 





The interesting thing to me would be the use of the ramp on the port side to feed the forward port catapult.   

Regards,