PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Nuclear powered aircraft ?
View Single Post
Old 24th August 2005 | 16:19
  #7 (permalink)  
Wizofoz
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,835
Likes: 85
From: Boldly going where no split infinitive has gone before..
Was tried in the 1950s' by both America and the USSR. I believe the russians actually flew an aircraft with an experimental nuclear engine as well as conventional ones. I don't think the American effort got past the drawing board.

The main problems are the obvious ones. Radioactive exhaust, radiation shielding for the crew and passengers and flying around with an atomic reactor on board (imagine the first time one crashed!!).

Theoretically possible but with some HUGE hurdles.

Interesting article
HERE

Edited to say- read this realising the previous four replys crossed with mine!!!
Wizofoz is offline