The SS United States was and newsworthy ocean liner of the post-Second World War era. The year 1952 will mark the seventieth year since her record-breaking maiden voyage between New York and England, sweeping the seas in three-and-a-half days and at extraordinary speeds of over 35 knots. She sailed at ninety per cent capacity for the next decade, but her passenger numbers slowly declined in the face of an even faster rival: the trans-ocean jet.