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Wings Over the World
Jun. 5th, 2008 11:13 amA bit of nuclear history that's on the rebound. Nuclear powered aircraft.
Flying on Nuclear, The American Effort to Built a Nuclear Powered Bomber - Aviation History
"In the end, after expending no less than $469,350,000 on the nuclear powered program and having a concept aircraft flying, the U.S. Air Force shelf the program in the late 1960s, thus ending any major attempt by the United States to utilizing nuclear propulsion to impulse an aircraft in combat."
Nuclear-Powered Drone Aircraft on Drawing Board - New Scientist - 19 Feb 2003
"The US Air Force is examining the feasibility of a nuclear-powered version of an unmanned aircraft. The USAF hopes that such a vehicle will be able to 'loiter' in the air for months without refuelling, striking at will when a target comes into its sights."
Nuclear-Powered Aircraft (more on the drone) - Tribune (India) - 08 Oct 04
"The hafnium fuelled reactor technology has numerous advantages over the fission reactor technology. Since it produces gamma radiation only and no neutrons, therefore, less thick shielding is required. As no destructive cascade energy is released, then the power generation can be tightly controlled. In case an accident occurs, there is less environmental concern than with fission as hafnium-178 has half life of ~ 31 years compared to thousands of years for fission reactors. Thus, the depleted hafnium-178 will pose no serious long term disposal problems of nuclear waste. Unlike uranium or plutonium, hafnium-178 cannot support chain reaction, therefore, it cannot be smuggled to make any rogue nuclear weapons."
Flying on Nuclear, The American Effort to Built a Nuclear Powered Bomber - Aviation History
"In the end, after expending no less than $469,350,000 on the nuclear powered program and having a concept aircraft flying, the U.S. Air Force shelf the program in the late 1960s, thus ending any major attempt by the United States to utilizing nuclear propulsion to impulse an aircraft in combat."
Nuclear-Powered Drone Aircraft on Drawing Board - New Scientist - 19 Feb 2003
"The US Air Force is examining the feasibility of a nuclear-powered version of an unmanned aircraft. The USAF hopes that such a vehicle will be able to 'loiter' in the air for months without refuelling, striking at will when a target comes into its sights."
Nuclear-Powered Aircraft (more on the drone) - Tribune (India) - 08 Oct 04
"The hafnium fuelled reactor technology has numerous advantages over the fission reactor technology. Since it produces gamma radiation only and no neutrons, therefore, less thick shielding is required. As no destructive cascade energy is released, then the power generation can be tightly controlled. In case an accident occurs, there is less environmental concern than with fission as hafnium-178 has half life of ~ 31 years compared to thousands of years for fission reactors. Thus, the depleted hafnium-178 will pose no serious long term disposal problems of nuclear waste. Unlike uranium or plutonium, hafnium-178 cannot support chain reaction, therefore, it cannot be smuggled to make any rogue nuclear weapons."
