Problem: It's WWII. Our aircraft carriers are being sunk by German U-boats. Steel and aluminium are in short supply and required for other purposes. So whaddaya do?
Solution, according to British scientist Geoffrey Pyke: Build an aircraft carrier out of ice. Not just your standard iceberg, but it's going be to made of Pykrete, which is 20% sawdust and 80% ice. Result: A virtually unsinkable ship. Call this monstrosity Project Habakkuk.
After hearing the proposal, Churchill agreed enthusiastically, at which point a small prototype was built in Canada. Then they realized the project would cost at least $100 million for the first ship, not to mention there was the problem of keeping the ship frozen while keeping the sailors warm. Eventually, they scrapped the project and went with conventional metal. The refrigeration units on the prototype were turned off, and the hull was left in Patricia Lake, where it took three hot summers to melt.
==Links==
*An article.
*Another article.
*Wikipedia article.
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