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Nameless Bob · 07-22-09, 11:01 AM

Q. Well, a magnetic torpedo might have a problem. Still, from the shotgun test, an impact torpedo hit would have been devastating. And what kind of repair procedures do you use on ice?

A. Well a torpedo would have been bad but let's remember the original design for 50 foot thick hull top to bottom and you can bet they had plans to reinforce the waterline for torpedo attacks.The British navy test showed that a torpedo would only penetrate 3'.40' was considered to be torpedo proof.You would have to make multiple shots in the same hole to even begin to penetrate the hull and as you said magnetic detonators are useless(not that they weren't allready).Imagine trying to sink the yamato that way(impact pistol at waterline),It would take everything you have and it still might not rollover or go down.Let's think about steel for a moment.It has no flotation and is very heavy.Ice is heavy but has flotation especially when mixed as pykrete.Now for a BB to have a equal hull thickness and strength would make design impossible due to weight and lack of flotation.If you could build a ship with a hull like that and did manage to get it to float god help you if you start to take on water because it wouldn't take much to drag you down.Secondly being made of ice and having your own redundant refrigeration system throughout the ship would make the ship essentially self repairable using seawater and more sawdust.You are floating in your building materials.They specifically designed the refrigation units for this to be done anywhere on the ship for repair.The idea of using the ice system as a weapon was a sort of weird side benefit.With a metal hull if you get damaged enough you can only patch it up and limp home for repairs.Nobody is going to fix it for you at sea and you can't grow more steel.As far as the u-boats or the german aircraft go you must remember that this was no ordinary ship.It would have carried a large amount of fighters, long range bombers, torpedo bombers as well as alot of flak guns.It would have also carried escorts as well(elco or bigger) so it would have had it's own ASW force as well as a large fighter screen.As far as the melting goes as long as the referiagation works no problem in the north atlantic.The test boat they built in the article lasted all summer without melting.When they abandon the project they left the boat where it was with the refrigation removed and it took 3 years for it to finally melt completely and sink.That's 1095 days.If anything I would think they would have problems with ice build up on the hull.You definitely would not be taking this thing on a cruise to the bahamas of course,the trick was for the referiagation to be able to outrun the amount of heat the hull absorbs so that the ice stays frozen.That sample of pykrete they showed in the video was only about 1' square and it didn't shatter until shot with a doublebarrel shotgun with slugs.And if I remember in the video the sample of pykrete when shot with a high powered rifle didn't let the bullet penetrate.He tried to dig it out and couldn't so they blasted it apart with slugs.Now picture that with a 50' x 50' chunk.You'll need a bigger gun.I also would think they have the mother of all ice cream makers on board and lots of coats because I'm guessing most of the ship is not heated.:rotfl:

07-22-09, 11:01 AM	#3
Nameless Bob Watch Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 22 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	Q. Well, a magnetic torpedo might have a problem. Still, from the shotgun test, an impact torpedo hit would have been devastating. And what kind of repair procedures do you use on ice? A. Well a torpedo would have been bad but let's remember the original design for 50 foot thick hull top to bottom and you can bet they had plans to reinforce the waterline for torpedo attacks.The British navy test showed that a torpedo would only penetrate 3'.40' was considered to be torpedo proof.You would have to make multiple shots in the same hole to even begin to penetrate the hull and as you said magnetic detonators are useless(not that they weren't allready).Imagine trying to sink the yamato that way(impact pistol at waterline),It would take everything you have and it still might not rollover or go down.Let's think about steel for a moment.It has no flotation and is very heavy.Ice is heavy but has flotation especially when mixed as pykrete.Now for a BB to have a equal hull thickness and strength would make design impossible due to weight and lack of flotation.If you could build a ship with a hull like that and did manage to get it to float god help you if you start to take on water because it wouldn't take much to drag you down.Secondly being made of ice and having your own redundant refrigeration system throughout the ship would make the ship essentially self repairable using seawater and more sawdust.You are floating in your building materials.They specifically designed the refrigation units for this to be done anywhere on the ship for repair.The idea of using the ice system as a weapon was a sort of weird side benefit.With a metal hull if you get damaged enough you can only patch it up and limp home for repairs.Nobody is going to fix it for you at sea and you can't grow more steel.As far as the u-boats or the german aircraft go you must remember that this was no ordinary ship.It would have carried a large amount of fighters, long range bombers, torpedo bombers as well as alot of flak guns.It would have also carried escorts as well(elco or bigger) so it would have had it's own ASW force as well as a large fighter screen.As far as the melting goes as long as the referiagation works no problem in the north atlantic.The test boat they built in the article lasted all summer without melting.When they abandon the project they left the boat where it was with the refrigation removed and it took 3 years for it to finally melt completely and sink.That's 1095 days.If anything I would think they would have problems with ice build up on the hull.You definitely would not be taking this thing on a cruise to the bahamas of course,the trick was for the referiagation to be able to outrun the amount of heat the hull absorbs so that the ice stays frozen.That sample of pykrete they showed in the video was only about 1' square and it didn't shatter until shot with a doublebarrel shotgun with slugs.And if I remember in the video the sample of pykrete when shot with a high powered rifle didn't let the bullet penetrate.He tried to dig it out and couldn't so they blasted it apart with slugs.Now picture that with a 50' x 50' chunk.You'll need a bigger gun.I also would think they have the mother of all ice cream makers on board and lots of coats because I'm guessing most of the ship is not heated.:rotfl: Last edited by Nameless Bob; 07-25-09 at 04:22 AM.