Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Grace Lyles | Sailors assigned to the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)...... read more read more
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NORFOLK, Va. — The Hampton Roads Naval Museum hosted its Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding event in downtown Norfolk, Feb. 4, 2023. This year, the main feature was a replica of the first-in-class aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), recreated as a large scale LEGO model.
“It’s the newest, biggest, baddest ship out there now,” says Jett Starcher, the Ford model builder. “I wanted to build something special and cool.”
Starcher constructed the ship in two weeks and used about 40,000 LEGO pieces to complete the project. Because he always had a love for aircraft carriers and jets, Starcher said he knew immediately what he wanted to build when the museum asked him to build a display. Starcher originally planned to build a 25-foot model, but he scaled it down in order to move it more easily.
Laura Orr, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum director of education said she was excited to find out that Starcher was building the Ford because so many Ford Sailors came to volunteer this year.
Sailors assigned to Ford volunteered at the event and helped guests construct their own LEGO ship models. The museum is collaborating with Ford to bring more Sailors to volunteer in the future.
"When [visitors] come up, I say, 'this is the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship ever built,'" said Electronics Technician 1st Class Brandon Hanna, from San Antonio, assigned to Ford's combat systems department. "I get to show, [on the LEGO model], 'hey, this is where I work.'"
In addition to the Ford model, other LEGO ship models showcased the U.S. Navy's proud history. Veterans and service members provided guests with historical facts about each of the displays.
Ford is in port at Naval Station Norfolk for a continuous planned maintenance availability.
For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Instagram: @cvn78_grford, Twitter: @Warship_78, DVIDS www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2023 10:26 |
| Story ID: | 437900 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 295 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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