http://www.neimanmarcus.com/category/cat56140885/c.cat?
“But wait, there’s more—as only Neiman Marcus could do. Outside, our Cobalt Valkyrie-X wears an exclusive rose-gold coating. Inside, the flight controls are rose gold, too, plated to perfection.”
Non-gold plated private airplane, now equals hacksaw.
I was debating taking flying lessons. This seals the deal for “yes”.
Sounds great, since composites and weight don’t play a role in an aircraft’s performance…
Does look like something from the Phantom Menace though.
The standard version only costs $600k in comparison to this one’s $1.5M.
Performance schmerformance, it’s all about looking good on the runway.
It’s true that if you had a 600 mph airplane or a 550 mph airplane, I wouldn’t know the difference. However, if you had a gold airplane, I would immediately look down on the poor people who only have normal airplanes.
I took flying lessons right after I finished Level 3 (as my reward.) Make sure you are dedicated to it; it is a perishable skill. I am now a rusty pilot. I haven’t flown in over a year. Super fun, but you are either in, or out.
Speed, range and maneuverability would suffer on a plane that is only likeable for those three things. If you really want style, then get a business jet, not the aircraft equivalent of a Mazda Miata with a gaudy ass coating that only Rajesh could love. Only a tool would think they’re going to buy a $1.5M airplane from a department store as a status symbol at a private airport that’s going to be chock full of $60M Gulfstreams.
My brother flew for American and has his instructor certification in a variety of aircraft types, including instrument and water landings. Quit to do a different career and hasn’t flown in years.
good point - I was debating whether to do flying lessons now or later. I’ll probably wait until I actually have time to fly regularly.
That’s looks like something a BSD would give to his mistress.
That actually would be 100% baller.
I want this! I’ll even get my license… even flying license
This is really gonna mess up my budget
isn’t a GPL close to 145k all in? Hefty outlay…
One wonders how durable the gold plating is: how long before the the friction of flight wears it through to the base (aluminum, most likely) metal.
Years ago I worked at a shop that made printed circuit boards; my job was to electroplate gold onto the contacts, cover the (copper) circuits with solder, then remove the excess solder in a (water-soluble) hot wax bath. As it turns out, gold and copper are metallurgically incompatible; you have to plate nickel onto the copper, then gold onto the nickel.
I don’t know whether aluminum and gold are metallurgically compatible, but I doubt it. (Aluminum’s quite finicky.) I’d love to know exactly how they get the rose gold skin on that plane.
(Note: I was 16 when I had that job. I applied for my first Visa card that year. On the application, under “Occupation”, I put _ electrochemical engineer _.)
Def not that expensive, not cheap tho. Depends on where you do it I’m sure.
NM says they will donate $200k to charity if you buy this? One has to wonder how much $$$ they are making on this…
Well, $600k, small airplane and $1.5M price, probably not much of that to actually coat it.
$600k is retail, right? I suspect NM gets a better price than that.
A gold plated Lamborghini Aventador was sold a few years ago for $50,000 over the price of a “normal” Aventador. The company that did it used gold foil. I suspect whoever NM contracts with uses better materials though.