GreatYuran
New Member
Hey the other day i heard something on tv about a nuclear aircraft program back during the 50s. Does anyone have any information about this?
Nuclear Powered Airplanes
- Thread starter GreatYuran
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Probably just some research in the early days of nuclear power when everything seemed possible. Do you have anything more specific? What country was studying this, the US? Was it a strategic bomber (it got to have been BIG if they would have fitted a early nuclear reactor into it)?
All I have ever heard of is project orion--a nuclear powered rocket propulsion. I believe the research was done in the 50's and 60's. It would have shot mini nukes out the back end in very quick succession. The force of the explosion underneath the vehicle would propulse it upwards. Of course it would have to have been massively reinforced and have some sort of shock absorbing mechanism. Anyway, I heard about it on the radio, NPR, a few years back.
MIGleader said:u know, this kind of project is exatcly what we need. if the u.s can make nuclear aircraft, nuclear powered cars are not so far off.
uranium: $1 a gallon
if you want to make everything nuclear then this world is perfect for terrorist, they dont even need car bombs anymore when they can just drive a nuclear car and park it in front (backside or side) of the whitehouse...
nuclear fusion might be handy (hydrogen power cars) but fission? we only have a limited ammount of uranium in this world and what are they going to do with the nuclear waste after the reactor dies?? bury it and let the future ppl figure it out?
the way i see it, when the world supply of oil runs out, fighter will be obsolete and people will try and go for bigger "ships" (fighters) that can be a space based fighter and explorer...
MIGleader
Banned Idiot
as for powering a plane by nuclear means, do they mean fusion or fission? fusion would almost be impossible due to the amount of coolant, uranium, and the wieght of the rods used. fusion would almost never be achieved sine there is now way they can create a heat source on a plane hot enough to start the fusion. so this programs a dud...
FriedRiceNSpice
Captain
swimmerXC said:if you want to make everything nuclear then this world is perfect for terrorist, they dont even need car bombs anymore when they can just drive a nuclear car and park it in front (backside or side) of the whitehouse...
nuclear fusion might be handy (hydrogen power cars) but fission? we only have a limited ammount of uranium in this world and what are they going to do with the nuclear waste after the reactor dies?? bury it and let the future ppl figure it out?
the way i see it, when the world supply of oil runs out, fighter will be obsolete and people will try and go for bigger "ships" (fighters) that can be a space based fighter and explorer...
Hydrogen cars don't use fussion. It combines the hydrogen with oxygen to create heat and watervapor to generate power. It would be impossible to use fussion, and also fission, to power something as small as a car.
MIGleader said:as for powering a plane by nuclear means, do they mean fusion or fission? fusion would almost be impossible due to the amount of coolant, uranium, and the wieght of the rods used. fusion would almost never be achieved sine there is now way they can create a heat source on a plane hot enough to start the fusion. so this programs a dud...
they meant fission because nuclear fusion has been achieved on earth in the form of an H-bomb or reactors that eat more energy than they produce, hence the reactors were fission reactors like all conventional nuclear reactors today. Also, are you sure about the heat source? I don't think heat is what's required to start a nuclear chain reaction, or did i miss something in physics class?
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MIGleader
Banned Idiot
walter said:
a huge heat source is needed to begin fusion. usually suplied in the form of a fission reaction. the russians actually have a very interesting fusion harnessing plant project. but unless cold fusion is proven possible, it will be too large.
fission requires a large tank of enriched uranium, special tungsten rods, plently of coolant, and an entire section that actully converts it to electricity to be used. far to large for any airplane to hold. besides, it would kill the pilot. DU armor has already caused some sicknesses in m1 tankers, som imagine the effect of a nuclear generator right behind u.