Nuclear Powered Aircraft Projects

[publiusr]

Didn't Popular Science have some art on some Thorium drone?

 

[F-2]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FXDMMreS8eY


I know nothing about nuclear power but I thought this was interesting

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.reddit.com/r/trains/comments/n4qu99

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/trains/comments/n4qu99/the_leadshielded_locomotive_a_unique_engine_used/

level 1
thegunnersdaughter
·1 yr. ago

This was used to push around large test/research reactors at the Idaho National Lab that were part of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion project in the 1950s. From https://inldigitallibrary.inl.gov/sites/sti/sti/3028280.pdf

To visualize the IET [Initial Engine Test area] layout, readers should imagine the railroad journey of a HTRE from the A&M building as if they were passengers inside the locomotive riding along with its two operators. The locomotive is heavily shielded, windows limited to the front and rear. It pulls the HTRE rig westward from the A&M building on a double-wide dolly toward the railroad turntable. Because of the extraordinary weight of the loaded dolly, the track has four rails. The locomotive travels only on the two center rails, while the dolly rides on all four. The journey is slow. The locomotive's top speed when burdened with the HTRE is3.5 miles per hour. However, it would be extremely inconvenient if any of the rails were to spread and cause a derailment, so the operator travels no faster than 2.5 mph. The locomotive remains in radio communication at all times with the IET control room and video-camera observers in the Hot Shop.

Plenty more in the doc - I have only skimmed a bit so far.

 

[hesham]

I found two Lockheed projects to start the topic

Source: Avion (magazine) January 1959

No more information given ???

Hi,

1958 document (ref lim 0492) Aviation: atomic airplane project 1 page | eBay

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[TsrJoe]

1953 Atomic Transport Passenger Wirplane Atlantic Nose 7x9 Vintage Press Photo | eBay

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[hesham]

Hi,

in NEPA program,Fairchild had been competed another 9 proposals from others
companies ?.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

in NEPA program,Fairchild had been competed another 9 proposals from others
companies ?.

We can imagine what were them,or from which companies,the competitors as I suggest;

- Fairchild
- Convair
- Boeing
- Douglas
- Lockheed
- Martin
- Bell
- Curtiss
- North American
- Northrop

 

[nugo]

Hi All!

"Fairchild had been competed another 9 proposals from others
companies ?"

What is the source of this information?

 

[nugo]

Maybe Northrop Model 34

 

[hesham]

We can imagine what were them,or from which companies,the competitors as I suggest;

- Fairchild
- Convair
- Boeing
- Douglas
- Lockheed
- Martin
- Bell
- Curtiss
- North American
- Northrop

Sorry my dear Nugo,

I miss understand,I wote the Info quickly and don't seen the whole article,there were nine companies involved in developing NEPA,but the weird thing is subscribing of Northrop in this one design ?!.

So we can consider these firms in my list were generally who submitted a proposals for Nuclear-powered aircraft.

American Aviation 1946.

 

[nugo]

Hi hesham!

Maybe, in this case Northrop participated as a developer of the propulsion system.

Maybe there was a competition for an atomic aircraft, in which won Fairchild.

or, during the course of consideration of various firms, Fairchild was chosen and in this case, Northrop suggested the N-34.

 

[royabulgaf]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FXDMMreS8eY


I know nothing about nuclear power but I thought this was interesting

All you need to know is that fusion is the energy of the future, and it would always be.

 

[hesham]

My dear Nugo,

I meant in all of the program,which began in 1946 and ended in late 1950s,not a particular
competition.

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane 1956,

here is a hypothetical design by Mr. L. Morgan,for 1000-seat atomic-powered flying boat project.

 

[moin1900]

Convair nuclear powered seaplane

Cockpit arrangements for nuclear powered aircraft – Aerospace Projects Review Blog

Escaping from a Nuclear Seaplane – Aerospace Projects Review Blog

 

[hesham]

Hi,

was there any known drawing to Lockheed CL-263 ?,I think that I saw it in a book,
but which one ?.

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane 23 August 1957,

what was this ?.

 

[moin1900]

NORAIR NUCLEAR POWERED AIRCRAFT GROUND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Google Books

WESTERN AVIATION
MISSILE AND SPACE INDUSTRIES
VOLUME 40
NUMBER 12
DECEMBER 1960
PAGE 6-7 and 38

Artist's concepts...
- "Flight testing team"
Convair NX-2 and Lockheed C-130 with radiation monitoring tow targets
- "Aerial fire truck" Douglas C-133
with air-droppable shielded nuclear emergency vehicles
- Nuclear engine handling trailer
- Engine seperation facility
- Shields on wheels
- tank-type nuclear emergency robot

 

[TomS]

NORAIR NUCLEAR POWERED AIRCRAFT GROUND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Google Books

WESTERN AVIATION
MISSILE AND SPACE INDUSTRIES
VOLUME 40
NUMBER 12
DECEMBER 1960
PAGE 6-7 and 38

Artist's concepts...
- "Flight testing team"
Convair NX-2 and Lockheed C-130 with radiation monitoring tow targets
- "Aerial fire truck" Douglas C-133
with air-droppable shielded nuclear emergency vehicles
- Nuclear engine handling trailer
- Engine seperation facility
- Shields on wheels
- tank-type nuclear emergency robot

That sounds like a fun job. When a nuclear-powered plane crashes, you get to parachute onto the scene with your portable radiation shields, roll up to a crash site with unknown damage to the reactor, then try to dismount the engines and use a robot tank to haul them onto a trailer and drive away. Where do I sign up?

 

[hesham]

From the same source.

A clearer views.

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane 1956.

 

[BAROBA]

I haven't checked the whole forum, but I think this is the best place to put this:

ANP Documents

leehite.org

A couple of free books on the earliest designs for nuclear planes.
And some articles.
Enjoy the read.

 

[hesham]

From L'Air 1950

 

[hesham]

Also from L'Air 1951.

 

[hesham]

Also,did we send this North American Atomic Bomber before ?,

Built NORTH-AMERICAN ATOMIC BOMBER Prototype Aircraft USAF Desktop Display Model | eBay

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www.ebay.com

 

[flateric]

We did in your own post at page one of the same thread in July of 2008
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/nuclear-powered-aircraft-projects.855/post-37757
I don't think those newly built low quality models worth posting.

 

[petebutt43@hotmail.com]

An interesting pic showing Crusader at rotate, with the crew door open! WAS it just doing fast taxis?

 

[hesham]

What was this,a Martin design or not ?.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/21/4c/fe214c50ac9527fef15c14df6ff02456.jpg

 

[hesham]

Looks like the Nuclear Princess (Convair).

I think that,you are right my dear Scott,

The Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess story

Bearing the crown of the largest all-metal flying-boat ever constructed, the Saunders-Roe SR.45 Princess carried hopes of luxury transatlantic travel in a post-war era. Pete London charts the dreams and realities of the ill-fated giant

www.key.aero