Buy Your Own Aircraft Carrier 518
Vodalian writes "Distinction as the last surviving Aircraft Carrier built in England for WW II and commissioned as the HMS Vengeance in late 1944, this unique vessel served the British then the Australian Navy as HMAS Vengeance prior to her sale to Brazil In 1956. Undergoing reconstruction and overhaul in Rotterdam from 1957 to 1960 she was commissioned as the Minas Gerais in December of that year. During her service with the Brazilian Navy she was overhauled from 1976 to 1980 completing a 5-year refit in 1981. She was decommissioned on the 16th of October 2001 and is currently for sale."
Build your own aircraft carrier... (Score:5, Funny)
Frist Psot?
Re:Build your own aircraft carrier... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Build your own aircraft carrier... (Score:3, Insightful)
Similar comments apply to cameras.
Re:European definition of "free" (Score:3, Troll)
Sadly, you completely misunderstand why Europeans don't like US policies. Europeans don't argue about whether it is the US or Europe that should "preserve Western civilization", they believe that any such undertaking is intrinsically flawed. That was a lesson painfully
build or buy ? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:build or buy ? (Score:2, Funny)
Aircraft carrier HOWTOs (Score:5, Funny)
Less Dense Water: the Bermuda Triangle (Score:5, Interesting)
Make its average density greater than water.
Alternately, make the water less dense:
Re:build or buy ? (Score:5, Interesting)
The original owner of this carrier is currently starting work on two really _big_ carriers as part of a scheme to switch from a military geared to fight World War 3 on the Rhine to a highly mobile force capable of dropping in on people at short notice and spoiling their day. Consequently, three Falklands-vintage carriers will soon be on the market for any dictator on good enough terms with London... So if anyone's planning to buy this carrier, do remember that in a couple of years your neighbour could be planning to buy a whole fleet ;-)
Re:build or buy ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Putting planes on it is even more expensive. Especially when you're talking about a flight deck dating from WWII. Unless you're planning to go back to piston-driven aircraft, this ship will more or less require either a major overhaul or a plane specifically built for it. Add in the cost for a shipload of AV8Bs and suddenly the price triples (at the very least).
"Consequently, three Falklands-vintage carriers will soon be on the market for any dictator on good
Hmmm (Score:2, Funny)
Put that baby on eBay !!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Put that baby on eBay !!! (Score:3, Interesting)
The problem is that for these types of items the sticker price is usually only a small part of the cost of actually owning and maintaining one.
Tor
Now all I want to now... (Score:3, Funny)
Bring idea! (Score:4, Funny)
Easier way (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Bring idea! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Bring idea! (Score:2)
I guess money is the only obstacle, after all, Disney managed to loophole its way into having its own goverment in Reedy Creek.
Bring good things to life (Score:5, Funny)
GE accounts for 1% of the US GDP and it's about the biggest F'ing company in the world (in terms of dollars and diversity) AND they make weapons systems.
So, I'd say 'No'.
Of course, they could kick France's ass, but then, so did Greenpeace.
Re:Bring good things to life (Score:3, Interesting)
(And let's not forget the British East India Company, which effectively owned the lower half of Asia for a while.)
Re:Bring good things to life (Score:3, Informative)
FYI: As of July 2000, according to Fortune Magazine, GE Corp. has the 40th largest economy [members.shaw.ca] in the world.
This is still smaller than Toyota, Exxon-Mobil, the big US Automobile makers, Wal Mart, Finland, Saudi Arabia and Poland.
But it is larger than Portugal, Venezuela, Iran, Israel, Egypt, IBM, Volkswagon and AT&T.
And GE is only 2.6X bigger than the
Re:Bring idea! (Score:3, Interesting)
reservations... (Score:2, Funny)
This story has a strange twist . . . (Score:2)
Also, popular literature supplies some great ideas [slashdot.org] for other applications.
Snowcrash (Score:2, Interesting)
Offshore computing center? (Score:2)
Reminds me of a Macross story...
Re:Offshore computing center? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Offshore computing center? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Snowcrash (Score:3, Funny)
Then the /. headline... (Score:5, Funny)
Perfect! (Score:5, Funny)
1. Change name ti L. Bob Rife
2. Create cable TV monopoly
3. Start own religion
4. Work on meta-virus
5. Buy aircraft carrier
6. Get residents of 3rd world country to do my bidding!
Sweet!
Re:Perfect! (Score:5, Informative)
1. Change name ti L. Bob Rife
2. Create cable TV monopoly
3. Start own religion
4. Work on meta-virus
5. Buy aircraft carrier
6. Get residents of 3rd world country to do my bidding!
To the people not getting the above reference, go read Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash", in were a decommissioned aircraft carrier is the center of "The Raft", a shitload of floating things, well, floating around, with "refus" (refugees), waiting to get close enough to North America to get ashore to start a new life.
Re:Perfect! (Score:3, Funny)
8. Profit!
Re:Perfect! (Score:3, Funny)
Hell of a dance floor (Score:4, Insightful)
Hope the weather is good tho.
Re:Hell of a dance floor (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Hell of a dance floor (Score:3, Informative)
Most people tend to pick somewhere like Panama for their flags of convenience. Liberia's popular too, as are a variety of island states.
Slow day? (Score:4, Funny)
Bass Boat (Score:2, Funny)
Nice Price (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Nice Price (Score:5, Insightful)
Chris Mattern
Re:Nice Price (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Nice Price (Score:3, Insightful)
Not to mention that it's going to have to have periodic dockings for maintenance and to take on supplies. Sorry, it just won't work.
Re:Nice Price (little footnote) (Score:5, Informative)
For whatever reason, durring construction its hull sat around for something like 5 years for budgetarty reasons. At least 2 or 3 of its sister hulls diddnt get out of the construction phase.
Re:Nice Price (Score:3, Funny)
offtopic, i know... (Score:5, Funny)
xao
Re:offtopic, i know... (Score:5, Funny)
Sorry dude, she was my ex-girlfriend, too.
It's already set up for soccer (Score:4, Funny)
Re:It's already set up for soccer (Score:2)
Big deal (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm in! (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, the LAN parties we could have on the SS
Re: (Score:3)
Re:I'm in! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm in! (Score:3, Informative)
Come on, Slashdot! (Score:2, Interesting)
Minas Gerais (Score:3, Funny)
that's cheap (Score:5, Interesting)
Seriously, that thing would make one hell of a house. You could just more it up to a dock. Barge on the Seine my butt. I want an aircraft carrier in New York Harbor.
On second thought that would make one hell of a target for terrorists. Better put it somewhere in New Jersey.
Re:that's cheap (Score:2)
$4.5 million USD! (Score:5, Insightful)
That's easily a half million rent a month! So living aboard, for a year, would generate $6 million, which covers the cost of upkeep and purchase in 2 years, and profitable in 3!
Re:$4.5 million USD! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:$4.5 million USD! (Score:5, Interesting)
Of course at one point we were even thinking of doing away with flight decks on carriers - there was an experimental sky hook system to catch a flying Harrier on a smaller ship. Thankfully abandoned due to sanity returning and the drugs wearing off
Re:$4.5 million USD! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:$4.5 million USD! (Score:4, Funny)
Or you keel-haul 'em. *ouch*
"Scrub the poop-deck? Where's that at - is it near the Lido deck?"
Someone call Larry Ellison! (Score:5, Funny)
weapon of mass destruction (Score:5, Funny)
Status! (Score:3, Funny)
(Showing my age, with apologies to de voice of John Bird, played by de honorable Idi Amin Esq.)
Apparently (Score:5, Funny)
Bin Laden gets sea sick
Linux? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Linux? (Score:2, Funny)
Cool, but... (Score:4, Funny)
1. Do you know how to drive an aircraft carrier? I don't think it has merely a gas/brake/steering wheel.
2. Which country was going to let you bring that monstrosity into their port again...?
3. Don't these things require a crew of 1000's? Or at least 100 people I'd imagine, more if something goes wrong!
4. It costs me $20 to fill my car up at the gas station...dear god, I don't even want to think of this!!!
But beyond that, a cool purchase to be sure. It would be even funnier if it were on ebay.
Follow the hyperlinks... (Score:3, Interesting)
A lot less interesting than the 'world domination' plans, but then, this carrier is outdated and wouldn't last 2 minutes against a modern navy, hence why it is for public sale.
Diamond Age.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Diamond Age.... (Score:3, Funny)
Cheap at the price! (Score:3, Funny)
Scrap Metal (Score:2)
Serious proposal... (Score:2, Funny)
What do you think about it ?
Re:Serious proposal... (Score:4, Informative)
HavenCo [havenco.com], operating Six miles off the Eastern shore of Britain [sealandgov.com], smarty pants.
So who? (Score:2)
Pirates ahoy! All hands to battle stations!
You think... (Score:5, Funny)
Thought not.
I'd go for something a little more fuel efficient (Score:5, Funny)
Endurance: 12,000 Nautical miles @ 14 Knots, 6,200 Nautical Miles @ 25 Knots
So that's roughtly 4 nm/ton city, 2 highway.
Great for running around town, but where would you park it?
Re:I'd go for something a little more fuel efficie (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I'd go for something a little more fuel efficie (Score:3, Funny)
42 gallons/bbl
20000 bbl/tankful
$25/bbl
==> an even half-million bucks to fillerup.
Do you think we'll have time to run in for a donut and a lottery ticket?
Brazilian navy still strong (Score:3, Funny)
They still have 1 (one) aircraft carrier remaining...The "São Paulo".
But, heck, who needs aircraft carriers when you can have this baby [mar.mil.br]?
LOL...and before the flame war starts...please understand this is just a joke. The list of other ships [mar.mil.br] still commissioned is quite impressive.
So... COOL! (Score:3, Interesting)
A way to make it profitable would be to go around the world and offer paying tours. Or even cruises (though that would require a lot of people...) Enough to supply the fuel, pay back the loan you took out to buy it and fit it with enough computers and a network to run it all from the bridge, but most of all, have the COOLEST HOUSE ON EARTH.
...so...COOL...
What's in YOUR wallet?! (Score:4, Insightful)
-Insurance (Ow.)
-Crew (you could get away with under a crew of thousand without aircraft and weapondry, I'm sure)
-Supplies
-Fuel (that's gonna kill ya)
-Licencing (I'm sure the government isn't just gonna let you run around with a spare carrier without some sort of tax)
-ATM fee
I don't care if it is only 4.5 mil. You're gonna have to have deeeep pockets just for upkeep, let alone taking it out for a spin... And you can stop with the Neal Stephenson jokes now. They've all been taken.
Re:What's in YOUR wallet?! (Score:3, Interesting)
Let's get an aircraft carrier! (Score:5, Funny)
"Shhh!"
"What are we going to do today, Brain?" (Score:5, Funny)
Aricraft *Carrirr*, not flyer (Score:3, Funny)
Buy it for Canada! (Score:5, Funny)
ttyl
Farrell
$4,500,000, 6 million Slashdot users - chip in! (Score:5, Funny)
Slashdot registered users: 6,000,000.
Online geek community with own aircraft carrier: Priceless.
Can I take it for a test drive? (Score:5, Funny)
Logical applications (Score:3, Insightful)
Application #2: Organizations such as Green Peace need boats in order to get around and block access. This is a big boat.
Application #3: Off shore power plant. Production of things like hydrogen or other fuels.
Man, you find some crazy stuff on E-Bay. (Score:3, Funny)
For Sale: special aluminium tubes for building a breeder reactor capable of creating weapon's grade materials, or perhaps just nice, shiny pipes for indoor plumbing.
Unique - mobile biological weapons laboratories of an ingenious design. Guaranteed to contain no trace of any biological weapons material. Needs work.
No Reserve! Blank Nigerian documents for Uranium exports, cheap. Great gag gift. No reserve!
Rare Collector's item: Nuclear warhead of North Korean design. Discount for unstable dictators.
First edition! "The Wit and Wisdom of George W. Bush". Mint condition. Buyer pays 37 cent postage.
Canadian boat better and cheaper (Score:3, Interesting)
The M.V. Cowichan
(pronounced) M V COW-ITCH-en
and affordable:
Reduced to $190,000(CDN) OBO
Boy, I guess it's safe to say they will never attack america.
Re:Only one small problem... (Score:5, Informative)
Wanna bet?
There is one aircraft that not only can take off and land on it, -but- is also the only aircraft that is permitted to take off and land while *any* aircraft carrier is docked in port.
Harrier Jump Jets are reasonably modern as I recall.
With the angled ramp as it is (or even perhaps angled a little bit more) the AV8-B would be able to take off with a minimal amount of fuel and without using the Catapults. If I'm not too terribly mistaken the British are doing that for thier light carrier fleet - harriers included.
Landings would be no problem - at least no more problem than a normal Carrier Landing (controled crash anyone?)
Phoenix
Re:Only one small problem... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Business Model - Already Done (Score:4, Interesting)
I just hope they got rid of those silly hyper-contaigious diseases that were going around. Some 409 surface cleaner should do it. Well, a lot actually.
Re:L. Bob Rife. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Floating Datacenter - Mock RIAA (Score:2)
Keeping a ship still in one place is an INCEDIBLY hard thing to do needing specialized engines pointing in all directions and a computer control. Sadly none of this is equiped on an aircraft carrier which is designed for exactly the opposite, keep moving fast to help planes take off and land.
Keeping a ship this big in a same spot is even harder beacause it sits quite high on the water and all that metal surfaces act as huge sails moving the ship.
Another idea c