As you watch a single ice cube bob about in your scotch, you realize that you have the perfect fill for the lull that has descended on your conversation. Remember that it’s all about quick switches. Lucky for you, you know about the iceberg aircraft carrier, and, better yet, you can effortlessly parlay from what you’ve already been saying…
As it turns out, concrete has a very peculiar relative called pykrete, which is made from sawdust and ice. What’s that? You think you can build structures from ice alone? Sure you could build an igloo or a hotel, but could you build an aircraft carrier out of it? You see, WWII played host to some of the most significant advancements in human history (both in terms of unbridled savagery and technological innovation). It gave us jet aircraft (the ME 262), the precursor to the modern computer (Alan Turing’s Bombe), and atomic energy, to name a few. It also led to some spectacular attempts to do a lot with very little. Enter Project Habbakuk.
Donatello's Habbakuk...nothing to do with airplanes
The Allies had a problem in 1942: German U Boats were sinking ships faster than shipyards could build them. That put a strain on the US’s effort to supply England, and it caused huge shortages in the amount of steel available for industrial use. Geoffrey Pyke (notice the British spelling) proposed building an aircraft carrier out his favorite material named after himself. This stuff was immensely strong, and if it got damaged, well, boats are surrounded by water, which, conveniently, is what you need to repair ice! The US and Canada got behind the plan, and built a scale model in Canada. However, Pyke’s grand idea came to naught do to a number of technical problems (for instance, turning the damn thing was nigh on impossible). Here, have a go:
The Pykrete Habbakuk...nothing to do with Old Testament prophecy
“You know, this loony Brit tried to build an aircraft carrier out of a concrete analogue called ‘Pykrete’ – made out of ice and wood pulp back in WWII. It was basically a man made iceberg, which would have been pretty hard to sink…just look at the Titanic. It’s too bad that it ended up being impractical. I’ve always wanted my own iceberg, though I’d prefer mine to come equipped with penguins and walruses.”
