U.S.N.S. Comet First Roll-on/Roll-off Cargo Vessel of Her Kind
C-3 Cargo Ship Had Stern Loading Ramp Allowing Vehicles to Load Under Their Own Power
First Deep-draft Ocean Going Cargo Vessel To Offer Self-Loading
The first of her kind, U.S.N.S. Comet was designed for roll-on/-off loading of wheeled cargo such as military vehicles. Her keel was laid May 15, 1956. The ship was launched July 31, 1957, and delivered January 24, 1958.
Built of riveted and welded steel, she was designed by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships and the Maritime Administration to carry fully-loaded self-propelled wheeled or tracked vehicles, and able to load and unload them through a ramp in her stern and four side loading ports. A series of internal ramps allowed the vehicles to be moved under their own power or towed into the holds.
More traditional kingposts and booms along the main deck also allowed additional loading through deck hatches.
U.S.N.S Comet was powered by two boilers generating steam to drive geared turbines that turned twin screws. A single deckhouse positioned nearly amidship comprised the entirety of the superstructure.
U.S.N.S. Comet was recorded by the Historic American Engineering Record under cosponsorship of the U.S. Maritime Administration. HAER Maritime Program Coordinator Todd A. Croteau supervised the project with MARAD historian Barbara Voulgaris. Architect Ashley T. Walker, photographer Jet Lowe, and historian Michael R. Harrison were the recording team.
[…] page of Free Plans of U.S.N.S. Comet includes body plan, sections, deck plans, and inboard and outboard […]
sorry to ask, but how can you print a plan to a scale, i would like 1/16 or as i should now say 1/200, can to get a paper plan, from model shipwright
Tony, The best way would be to download the plan, print a small section that includes the scale, and calculate from there the percentage you have to reduce it to reach the scale you desire. Once you know that, you can use a photo editing program to reduce the size of the file (save it first as a copy so you don’t lose the original size file). A copy shop can help with this if you don’t have photo-editing software.
[…] C-3 cargo vessel U.S.N.S. Comet was the first vessel of her kind. […]
[…] usmm.org full list of C3 vessels ss-african-mercury shipsnostalgia.com Mormacisle on shipspotting about thge C3 based USN Comet, first Ro-Ro (1957) USS Chandeleur on maritime.dot.gov May 1941 review of Hawaiian Merchant/Skipper Matson navigation […]