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Ever drive an aircraft carrier?

The 1992 Ford Club Wagon comes close in terms of size, though rather than planes, the vehicle is meant to handle large families, their luggage and even the boat or trailer they take with them to the vacation retreat.

The Club Wagon was designed to get you from Chicago to Orlando when you opt not to take the DC-10. Unlike the DC-10, the Club Wagon can be equipped with a bed should you decide to doze somewhere between Nashville and Disney World.

The `92 Club Wagon is offered in Custom, XLT and Chateau trim levels. We test drove the Chateau. It holds seven people, two up front in captain`s chairs, two behind them, and three on a bench in the last row.

The Club Wagon is so huge, you have room behind the third seat for enough Luggage for a two-week trip to Orlando or sufficient groceries for a visit to the northern reaches of Wisconsin for a month.

Should you have teenage daughters, make that enough luggage for a Week end, and if teenage sons, groceries for a couple days, which still gives you an idea of the capacity of this motorized home on wheels.

The Club Wagon is built on a 138-inch wheelbase and is 211.8 inches long. By comparison, a Dodge Caravan mini-van is built on a 112.3-inch wheelbase and is 175.9 inches long.

The Club Wagon was introduced in 1960 as a 1961 model. Until the `92 model year the platform had gone without major change since 1975 1/2. With the new model, the aerodynamics from automotive design have filtered down to trucks and utility vehicles.

For 1992, the Club Wagon sports new styling, which shows up mainly from a more F-Series truck-like front end. It remains rear drive with body-on-frame construction and twin I-beam front suspension. Loyalists may be upset that in keeping with the aero look, the side vent windows are gone.

When major styling changes are made on the outside, it allows engineers to make other revisionsinside and underneath. So, for 1992theClub Wagon features a driver-side air bag for the first time as well as rear-wheel anti- lock brakes.

The base engine is a 4.9-liter, 145-horsepower V-8 rated at 14 miles per gallon city/17 m.p.g. highway. A 5-liter, 185-h.p. and 5.8-liter, 200-h.p. V-8 are optional. Our test vehicle came with the more powerful 5.8-liter V-8, which increases the thirst for fuel. The 5.8 is rated at11 m.p.g.city/15 m.p.g. highway, not what you`d desire for everyday commuting.

The 5.8-liter V-8 means you can tow about 2,200 pounds, but it also means you better not rely on the standard 22-gallontank and should choose the optional 34-gallon one to extend driving range. Just keep in mind what the words “Fill`er up“ mean when ordering 34 gallons of fuel.

The 5.8 V-8 means very good response, and you`ll be a bit surprised how quickly you move from the light in such a massive vehicle. Despite the size, you`ll be pleasantly surprised at the ride and handling. On the open interstate with torrential rain and hefty winds the vehicle held the road well.

But the size does create some problems. For starters, when you look back through the rear-view mirror, the seat backs, rear seat shoulder straps and center pillars for the rear swing-out doors all obstruct the view. Tinted side windows provide some privacy, but they don`t aid nighttime visibility.

Parking becomes an adventure in a vehicle 211.8 inches long. Despite very limber power steering, you just don`t slip into and out from between those yellow lines at the mall.

The Club Wagon has everything that made the mini-van become so popular, from the huge size that makes parking a chore to the less than robust fuel economy that makes the cost of operation so expensive. You pay a hefty price for room and comfort. But as we said, to the regular long-distance traveler, that may be a small price to pay.

Base price of the Club Wagon is $23,963.

Standard equipment includes driver-side air bag, powerbrakes and steering, rear-wheel anti-lock brakes, tinted privacy glass, cruise control, tilt wheel, gas-filled shocks front and rear, front stabilizer bar, carpeting, 15-inch all-season tires, sunvisors with vanity mirrors, power mirrors, trailer towing package with heavy-duty engine and transmission cooling and wiring harness, AM/FM stereo with cassette and digital clock, seven-passenger seating with rear bed, cloth captain`s chairs, intermittent wipers, rear outboard shoulder belts, air conditioning with overhead ducts and separate rear-seat controls, power door locks, power windows, power driver`s seat, and swing-out side and rear doors.

Our test vehicle added the 5.8 liter V-8 at $937 and clearcoat paint at $171. Also add $560 for freight.

>> 1992 Ford Club Wagon Wheelbase: 138 inches Length: 211.8 inches Engine: 5.8 liter, 200 h.p. V-8 Transmission: 4-speed automatic Fuel economy: 11 m.p.g. city/15 m.p.g. highway. Base price: $23,963. Strong point: Motorhome like room and comfort. Ideal for mini van owners who need more capacity or long distance vacationers who want to carry the family and tow the boat or camper, too. Driver`s side air bag and ABS standard. Weak point: 11 m.p.g. city/15 m.p.g. highway. Before you say: “Fill`er up,“ check to see if you have the optional 34 gallon tank. Parking makes all open spaces seem very small. >>