# Why just one Enterprise class aircraft carrier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-just-one-enterprise-class-aircraft-carrier/452623 "2008-06-11T21:37:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-just-one-enterprise-class-aircraft-carrier/452623/61 "2012-12-14T16:08:40Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So there will thankfully be a third Big “E”. CVN-65 was named for the most successful ship in USN history, [CV-6 the ship that did most to win the Pacific War in WWII](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUSS_Enterprise_(CV-6)&ei=sC_LUMj7C-rQ2QXfpYGYBw&usg=AFQjCNGkpUaqCK0F8qrlC9DB1ZSxnQpscg&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.b2I). Love the old CV-6 _Enterprise_; it’s a shame she was scrapped. Nitpick: There will be a third “Big E” if “Big E” applies to carriers (which are indeed big). However, there have been SIX _Enterprises_ in the US Navy, and _two more_ in the Continental Navy that immediately preceded the US Navy. [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise) (Wikipedia) There have been numerous other non-naval US vessels bearing the name, and two of those served in war: [ul] [li]_Enterprise_, a steamboat that participated in the Battle of New Orleans[/li] [li]_Enterprise_ (balloon), a balloon used by the Union Army during the American Civil War[/li][/ul] Note there’s also been a training ship temporarily named _Enterprise_ and even a building, of all things: > [@](#): > > USS _Enterprise_ (BLDG 7115), commissioned building (27 May 2005 – June 2011), this building was the orientation “ship” for students in Great Lakes but is currently scheduled for demolition. And that’s without counting any fictional spacecraft, of which a growing number seem to be named _Enterprise_. Truly a storied name. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-just-one-enterprise-class-aircraft-carrier/452623/62 "2012-12-14T16:17:33Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Love the old CV-6 _Enterprise_; it’s a shame she was scrapped. > > Nitpick: There will be a third “Big E” if “Big E” applies to carriers (which are indeed big). However, there have been SIX _Enterprises_ in the US Navy, and _two more_ in the Continental Navy that immediately preceded the US Navy. > [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise) (Wikipedia) > > There have been numerous other non-naval US vessels bearing the name, and two of those served in war: > [ul] > [li]_Enterprise_, a steamboat that participated in the Battle of New Orleans[/li][li]_Enterprise_ (balloon), a balloon used by the Union Army during the American Civil War[/li][/ul] > Note there’s also been a training ship temporarily named _Enterprise_ and even a building, of all things: > And that’s without counting any fictional spacecraft, of which a growing number seem to be named _Enterprise_. > > Truly a storied name. And don’t forget OV-101 [Space Shuttle Enterprise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Enterprise) which was originally intended to be retrofitted for actual use. (note: I spent two years on the Big E as an Aviation Ordnanceman in the early 1990s, very glad to hear CVN-80 will carry on the name) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-just-one-enterprise-class-aircraft-carrier/452623/63 "2012-12-14T16:30:12Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > …Note there’s also been a training ship temporarily named _Enterprise_ and even a building, of all things… The British Royal Navy does this quite a bit. Very odd: [Stone frigate - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_frigate) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-just-one-enterprise-class-aircraft-carrier/452623/64 "2012-12-14T17:13:56Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Love the old CV-6 _Enterprise_; it’s a shame she was scrapped. > > Nitpick: There will be a third “Big E” if “Big E” applies to carriers (which are indeed big). However, there have been SIX _Enterprises_ in the US Navy, and _two more_ in the Continental Navy that immediately preceded the US Navy. > > [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise) (Wikipedia) > > There have been numerous other non-naval US vessels bearing the name, and two of those served in war: > > [ul] > [li]_Enterprise_, a steamboat that participated in the Battle of New Orleans[/li][li]_Enterprise_ (balloon), a balloon used by the Union Army during the American Civil War[/li][/ul] > > Note there’s also been a training ship temporarily named _Enterprise_ and even a building, of all things: > > And that’s without counting any fictional spacecraft, of which a growing number seem to be named _Enterprise_. > > Truly a storied name. Well I did mean only the Carriers. I’m assuming CVN-80 will get the nickname and hopefully some artifacts from both CV-6 & CVN-65. I know CVN-65 carries some pieces from CV-6. But always worth noting the other ships of the name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-just-one-enterprise-class-aircraft-carrier/452623.md?page=3)