Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Buy Your Own Aircraft Carrier

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the you-know-you've-always-wanted-one dept.

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."

16 of 518 comments (clear)

  1. build or buy ? by Spacelord · · Score: 5, Funny

    For a second I thought it said *build* your own aircraft carrier .... now that would have been a feat :)

    1. Re:build or buy ? by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Seriously, if you're a minor country 'build or buy' is a serious issue. Building a carrier is bloody expensive, but if you do so you give at least one of your port cities a major employment boost and at the end of it you get a shiny modern carrier. Buying someone else's cast-offs is far cheaper, but you'll have to accept that it's a fixer-upper and pay for refits and awful maintenance bills.

      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 ;-)

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  2. Put that baby on eBay !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No reserve, I'll give em' $50 bucks. Buyer pays shipping

  3. Perfect! by Judg3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This goes along with my plans.
    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!

    --
    Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
  4. Nice Price by jspoon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    $4.5 million sounds like a steal. It probably costs more than that to keep it in port for a year, let alone what it would actually cost to operate.

  5. I'm in! by fadeaway · · Score: 5, Funny

    If 15,000 of us put in $300, we could get this baby.

    Oh, the LAN parties we could have on the SS /.!

    1. Re:I'm in! by aardwolf204 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Have you ever been to a LAN party? Every time I go to one of these "massive lanning events" (200+ gamers) I'm stuck next to leety mc'leet's clan of anti-deoderant counter-strikers. Now throw 15,000 of these guys in a boat and add some sea sickness and you've got a biohazard.

      --
      Im dreaming ofa big bndwdth, That can resist the /.crowd.May ur days b merry & bright & may al
  6. $4.5 million USD! by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So a complement of 1.300, each paying $400 a month rent...

    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!

    --

    GPL Deconstructed
  7. Someone call Larry Ellison! by Spacelord · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone call Larry Ellison! Would make a great addition to his MiG fighter jet.

  8. weapon of mass destruction by koi88 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe George W. should buy it and write "Saddamz aircraft carria" on it. That should convince the few unpatriotic people who still doubt the justification for attacking Iraq.

    --

    I don't need a signature.
  9. Apparently by Timesprout · · Score: 5, Funny

    De-Commissioned November 2001, Sold to Private concerns 2002, Sale did not complete.

    Bin Laden gets sea sick

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  10. Aircraft carrier HOWTOs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    How to build an aircraft carrier:
    1. Acquire necessary parts and materials.
    2. Assemble.
    How to turn any boat into an aircraft carrier:
    1. Place aircraft on boat.
    How to sink an aircraft carrier:
    1. Make its average density greater than water.
  11. I'd go for something a little more fuel efficient by blair1q · · Score: 5, Funny

    Capacity: 3,196 Tons ...
    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?

  12. Bring good things to life by baldass_newbie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is there a corporation rich enough to become a "super power"?

    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.

    --
    The opposite of progress is congress
  13. Re:offtopic, i know... by fobbman · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...and carries about as much seamen...

    Sorry dude, she was my ex-girlfriend, too.

  14. Re:Nice Price (little footnote) by T-Ranger · · Score: 5, Informative
    Both of the people who I have talked to who served abord Bonni' mentioned that it seemed to rust away while you watched when it was in service.

    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.