The history of Ss United States The SS United States (also known as "The Big U") is an ocean liner built in 1952 for the United States Lines. At 53,329 gross tons, she is the largest ocean liner to date built entirely in the United States and still holds the record for the fastest westbound transatlantic crossing. In 1952, on her maiden voyage as the new flagship of the United States Lines, the United States captured the Blue Riband with the fastest eastbound and westbound transatlantic crossings on record (11 July"“15 July, 3 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes).The entry of the United States marked the first time since the Baltic a century earlier that a U.S.-flagged ship held the Blue Riband, surpassing European speed records which had stood for decades. The United States lost the eastbound record in 1990, but still holds the westbound record, and remains the fastest ocean liner to cross in either direction. The United States plied the transatlantic with passenger service until 1969, and she outlasted the demise of her original owners. The ship is currently docked in Philadelphia until a decision is made about her fateAbout the Ss United States model ship The SS United States,The Big U'', is an ocean liner built in 1952 for the United States Lines. At 53,329 gross tons, she is the largest ocean liner to date built entirely in the United States and still holds the record for the fastest westbound transatlantic crossing. Have it displayed beautifully in your home or office. Master craftsmen handcraft these highly detailed wood models from scratch using historical photographs, drawings and original plan. They are built to scale with high-grade wood such as: western red cedar, rosewood, and mahogany. They are 100% hand built individually using plank-on-frame construction method and are similar to the building of actual ships. Each model requires hundreds of hours to finish and must go through a demanding quality control process before leaving the workshop. Many details can be found on this model. The highly detailed chimney is painted in red, white, and black that is rigged across each other to the masts. Each life boat is meticulously handcrafted and painted in black and white. You can also see various other details on the deck such as metal ladders, metal winches, metal vents, wood crane, railings and so on. The model is secured tightly on a solid wooden base with a brass nameplate. It''ll make a perfect gift for home or office decorator, boat enthusiast, or passionate collector.