USS Constellation (CV-64)
USS Constellation (CV-64) was a Kitty Hawk-class supercarrier and the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the "new constellation of stars" on the flag of the United States. One of the fastest ships in the Navy, as proven by her victory during a battlegroup race held in 1985, she was nicknamed "Connie" by her crew and officially as "America's Flagship".
USS Constellation in June 2003
Constellation under construction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in February 1960
Constellation during her 1964–1965 WESTPAC cruise
Constellation underway off Vietnam, 1971–1972
Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier
The Kitty Hawk-class supercarriers of the United States Navy were an incremental improvement on the Forrestal-class vessels. Three were built, all in the 1960s, Kitty Hawk (CV-63) (1961–2009), Constellation (CV-64) (1961–2003), and America (CV-66) (1965–1996), as well as the variant John F. Kennedy (CV-67) (1967–2007). All are now decommissioned.
USS Kitty Hawk conducting sea trials in the Western Pacific Ocean, May 2006
John F. Kennedy's smokestack tilts outboard to send stack gas away from the flight deck.
America's island in the mid 1970s, still equipped with AN/SPG-55 radar for Terrier.
Constellation's island in the early 1980s, note the different stack configuration from America and John F. Kennedy and alternate mounting of Terrier fire control radars
