Re: NUCLEAR POWERED AIRCRAFT

On Mon, 11 Feb 2002 09:10:21 -0600 (CST) DAWGFACE47@webtv.net wrote:

> way back in the 1950s and 1960s, the	USAF actually had one or two 
nuclear powered bombers. i think they were either B-29s or B-36s. <

Specifically, there was the NB-36, a modified Peacemaker used to test 
the shielding requirements (high!) for a genuine nuke-powered aircraft. 
The NB-36 carried a small reactor, but it was not hooked up to the 
a/c's systems and did _not_ provide any power -- especially not 
propulsion; that was handled by the usual "6 turnin', 4 burnin'" 
engines.

And that's as far as any (known) examples of flying nuclear power 
plants go; there have been lots of designs and proposals, but nothing 
else that I know of ever left the ground.

As for the documentary, I'd be interested to know more details about 
that; sounds interesting.

Phil
----
(Dr) P.A. Atcliffe
Senior Lecturer
Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
University of the West of England, Bristol
Phone: +44 (0)117 344 2496
Fax:   +44 (0)117 344 3800