Nuclear powered planes... again

[Marvel]

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160713-could-this-be-the-first-nuclear-powered-airliner

Nice aarticle with some history I didn't know.

Bruce

[twk123]

This is interesting. I think they will need to perfect cold fusion technology before it can become feasible at all though. As of now it takes the massive energy of a fission reaction to create fusion in a Hydrogen bomb.

[Marvel]

Cold fusion is a red herring. Fusion is fine and produces low level radiation.

Bruce

[DizRotus]

Bruce,

 

My late father was an engineer at GE in the late 50's - early 60s.  He worked in the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Department of the GE aircraft engine plant in Evendale (Cincy suburb).   According to my father, the concern was not so much crashes and resultant contamination.  They would not have been flying bombs.  The real problem was the "hot" exhaust, and he was not referring to thermal hot.  Radioactive exhaust was a problem.  

 

The termination of Federal funding killed the project.  According to my father, operable nuclear powered planes existed.  Like nuclear subs, the limiting factor was food for the crew.  Such a plane could stay aloft indefinitely, but a human crew could not.

ANPD.pdf

Edited July 17, 2016 by DizRotus

[Seadog]

In the 1980's I worked at the General Dynamics (Convair) plant in Fort Worth where the B-36 was built.  When the old timers first told me about the nuclear B-36 I thought they were trying to pull one over on a young engineer.  But it was real, and there was still a building there called the nuclear building where that work had been done.

[DizRotus]

My younger sister was conceived in the days when our father's gametes were undoubtedly subjected to radiation dosages at GE that would not be tolerated today. My other siblings and I feel that explains a lot about our little sister.  :-)

Edited July 17, 2016 by DizRotus

[Mallette]

I continue to follow the Skunk Works stellarator project.  I still see no reason to believe they'd have any reason to destroy credibility in Lockheed with a vaporware project.  Those usually don't have fixed timelines like theirs anyway.  I think the only reason public reaction is muted is the "giggle factor" of something being only less than 10 years away that will literally change everything.  Basically free, near infinite energy.  Takes too much to list the problems solved, but easy command of the solar system for ships of any type and size so large as to be breathtaking is just one.  Air travel cheaper than bus fare. 

 

Fusion has been 50 years away since over 50 years ago.  I believe there's an excellent change Lockheed is going to change that. 

 

Dave

[Paducah Home Theater]

My younger sister was conceived in the days when our father's gametes were undoubtedly subjected to radiation dosages at GE that would not be tolerated today.  My other siblings and I feel that explains a lot about our little sister,   :-)

 

I actually live where uranium hexafluoride was stored.  My wife's grandfather was the guy who sawed beryllium in half.  People around here used to bring mercury home from the nuke plant and play with it.  This whole area glows in the dark a little I believe.