Comments on: Episode 115: Alaska Special 2

By: Yvan

Yvan — Sat, 22 May 2010 10:54:25 +0000

what is the right solution for the pykrete? thanks

By: Jim Guthrie

Jim Guthrie — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:56:39 +0000

As noted above, the concept was tested in Jasper National Park in Canada. Churchill was especially enthusiastic about the idea. The test was technically satisfactory but the main rationale (to provide impregnable “stepping stones” to transfer aircraft between the UK and North America, and to provide bases for ASW and shipping convoy air cover) was overcome with the implementation of longer range bombers.
The remains of the test still remain at the bottom of the lake.

By: SchoolKid

SchoolKid — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:19:45 +0000

Thanks for the info guys as I need some on “super pykrete” for a school project. if you guys could provide some numbers and stats(tensile strength, density,crushing strength etc.) that would be great! Thanx

By: george park

george park — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:21:21 +0000

yes, you tried splitting the car at 70mph,but only the car was moving.even the car going at 70mph,it wouldn’t have near the energy that the snow plow would have at half the speed.mass (weight)is the main difference. mass x speed=force. so do it right guy’s most snow plow’s are usually driving at 45 to 50mph,and most car’s at 55 to 60mph.

By: dan

dan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:48:27 +0000

using real pulp not wood chips saw dust may improve results newspaper is not a viable sub also refrigeration and the thickness would help

By: Yhet

Yhet — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:41:49 +0000

If you watched the episode, they mentioned in the show that the car splitting myth happened in Alasaka not in Wisconsin

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:14:40 +0000

Does anyone know where in Wisconsin the car splitting myth took place?

By: tim

tim — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:56:40 +0000

The pykrete ship was actually built as an experiment(in a smaller scale), there was construction of a structure, 60 feet long by 30 feet wide and 19.5 feet high on a lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains – Patricia Lake in Jasper, Alberta

By: SuperSparky

SuperSparky — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:33:30 +0000

About the refrigeration units…

Not only were refrigeration units proposed, but the proposal stated super-cooling, not just to keep it frozen, but to keep it VERY frozen (several degrees below zero F). This would increase the strength and would minimize the melting issue. The ice would be so frozen it would be dry, even in the sun.

The main problem wasn’t the logistics of building such a ship, but powering the cooling system itself. It involved far too much fuel oil, which was counter intuitive as it would require large heat generating engines to generate the necessary power.

The feasibility of a pykrete ship is actually better today, due to nuclear power, and there are a lot of high-tech insulating materials available to insulate the crew and the elements (ocean/air) from the pykrete itself.

There’s even a possibility of better filler materials than wood product (sawdust, or paper).

However, there is a BIG BIG BIG problem. All you need to do is drop thermite on it and it’s a hydrogen fueled bomb. DOH!

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:53:47 +0000

They weren’t going to build a “boat” with Pykrete, the were going to build an artificial iceberg (with a 35 foot thick “hull”!) and use that as an aircraft carrier. The whole thing was going to be cooled with a network of galvanized iron pipes which would be pumping cold air all over the pykrete. So it would definitely have been viable ship. Slow and hard to maneuver yes…but it would have been hard to sink though. Probably have to use specialized thermal weapons to sink the thing…or damage the refrigeration units. Definitely plausible.