The world’s 46 aircraft carriers are between 88-250 feet tall, with the USS Gerald R. Ford being the tallest aircraft carrier in the world at 250 feet.
Aircraft carriers, which can weigh up to 110,000 tons, displace a massive volume of water, which lets them stay afloat.
Aircraft carriers impressive size naturally translates into requiring a huge investment to build and maintain them – costing between $8 to $10 billion to build and over $1 billion to operate annually.
NAM Atlântico: Height unknown but draught is 6.6m or 21 feet
4. China
Liaoning: Height is unknown but draught is 9.14m or 31 feet
Shandong: Rumored to be around 240 feet or 73 m
5. France
Charles De Gaulle: 218 feet or 66.5m
6. Egypt
ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser: 190 feet or 58m
ENS Anwar Al Sadat: 210 feet or 64.3m
7. India
INS Vikramaditya: 196.8 feet or 60m
INS Vikrant: 194 feet or 59m
8. Italy
Cavour: Height unknown but draught is 28.7 feet or 8.7m
Giuseppe Garibaldi: Height unknown but draught is 27 feet or 8.2 m
9. Japan
JS Izumo: height unknown but draught is 24.7 feet or 7.5m
JS Kaga: height unknown but draught is 24.7 feet or 7.5m
10. Russia
Admiral Kuznetsov: 211.6 feet or 64.5m
11. Spain
Juan Carlos 1: 190 feet 3 inches or 58m
12. Thailand
HTMS Chakri Naruebet: 240.3 feet or 73.3 m
13. United Kingdom
HMS Queen Elizabeth: 184 feet or 56m
HMS Prince of Wales: 184 feet or 56m
Interesting Aircraft Carrier Stats
Australia’s HMAS Adelaide is the world’s shortest aircraft carrier, with a height of 88.5 feet or 27 m.
The United States USS Gerald R. Ford is the world’s tallest aircraft carrier, standing at 250 feet or 76 m tall.
Aircraft carriers are between 7 and 25 stories tall. Most US aircraft carriers are over 20 stories tall.
On average, between 32-37 feet of an aircraft carrier is underwater. The USS Nimitz is 40 feet underwater at full load.
Most aircraft carriers travel at a speed of 30 knots. The USS Gerald R. Ford can travel as fast as 35 knots.
What Stops an Aircraft Carrier From Tipping Over?
Aircraft carriers float on water because the ship’s hull displaces a larger volume of water than the ship’s weight.
So the buoyant force of the displaced water is greater than the gravitational force of the aircraft carrier, which ensures the aircraft carrier stays afloat.
Aircraft carriers weigh anywhere between 27,000 to 110,000 tons.
Italy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi is the world’s lightest aircraft carrier, at 27,000 tons.
The world’s heaviest aircraft carrier is the U.S.S Gerald R. Ford, at 110,000 tons.
Aircraft Carriers Are Very Expensive
Building an aircraft carrier costs between $5 billion and $10 billion.
The exact price of an aircraft carrier depends on its size, type, intended role, and the country that manufactures it.
For example, the building cost of a US Nimitz Class carrier is $9.7 billion. In contrast, a Russian aircraft carrier costs close to $7 billion.
The average annual operating cost of an aircraft carrier is $1.18 billion. This figure translates to a daily maintenance cost of between $6 million and $8 million.
While the maintenance costs of aircraft carriers are not publicly released, it is estimated to be between $2 and $4 billion over a 32-month maintenance cycle.
In conclusion:
Aircraft carriers are between 88 and 250 feet tall (7 to 25 stories tall).
The world’s tallest aircraft carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford, which stands at 250 feet.
Aircraft carriers can weigh over 100,000 tons.
Aircraft carriers are able to float on water because their hulls displace a massive amount of water.
The buoyant force of the displaced water is greater than the gravitational force of the aircraft carrier, which keeps aircraft carriers from tipping over.
Aircraft carriers are also extremely expensive, costing upwards of $10 billion dollars to build and another $1.18 billion on average to operate annually.
Helen Krasner holds a PPL(A), with 15 years experience flying fixed-wing aircraft; a PPL(H), with 13 years experience flying helicopters; and a CPL(H), Helicopter Instructor Rating, with 12 years working as a helicopter instructor.
Helen is an accomplished aviation writer with 12 years of experience, having authored several books and published numerous articles while also serving as the Editor of the BWPA (British Women Pilots Association) newsletter, with her excellent work having been recognized with her nomination of the “Aviation Journalist of the Year” award.
Helen has won the “Dawn to Dusk” International Flying Competition, along with the best all-female competitors, three times with her copilot.
