Atomic-powered plane!

[Vince]

Just walked by the magazine stand in B&N, the current issue of Popular Machanics feature an article on a test flight ready Global Hawk. Could it be real?

I didn't have time to read it. Could somebody take a look of the article?

[VF-19]

That sounds like the plan to have a plane fly around the world on a single jet engine. While it can be done, you'd have to be out of your mind to use nuclear powered jet engine... Way too much radiation would be pumped out of the back of that thing along with the thrust.

[Vince]

According to the article, the engine use electricity to fire a laser to produce super heated gas for exhaust. All I saw were a couple of pictures.

Because of the lack for flight knowledge, I'm asking if anyone read they article to share some thoughts.

And VF-19 are probably right too, I just feel that Popular Machinics would be serious about this.

NASA already developed an ion thrust engine for use in Mars mission, if they haven't already done so. I saw it on Discovery Channel, it would be interesting if it is real (????).

[VF-19]

According to the article, the engine use electricity to fire a laser to produce super heated gas for exhaust. All I saw were a couple of pictures.

Because of the lack for flight knowledge, I'm asking if anyone read they article to share some thoughts.

And VF-19 are probably right too, I just feel that Popular Machinics would be serious about this.

NASA already developed an ion thrust engine for use in Mars mission, if they haven't already done so. I saw it on Discovery Channel, it would be interesting if it is real (????).

Now that could work. However, to my knowledge, large sized, and powerful lasers aren't the most durable thing in the world. I'd rather make the round trip around the world with a durable jet engine.

If all else fails, that's what flapping your arms are for.

[Zentrandude]

i think i remember seeing something simular on a documentary on pbs. like in the mid 90s this guy at atlaska was testing lasers as thrusters using an old starwars era laser and a realy large bank of arc welding transformers. It was pretty cool that they explained when the laser hits the metal conical shaped target it refracts and strips the oxygen into hydrogen and ignite it causing it to propell it up. using a nuclear reactor would reduce the size and weight since they had like 20 arc welders linked up and a single one is very heavy considering its nothing more than a transformer and a couple of switches.

[Chindenathus]

The laser agitated reaction thrust concept is not new and can work.

BUT you would have to use a something like an isotope fuel source to produce enough electricity to run one and still be light enough to fly.

I think I will be stopping by BAM this afternoon.

Edited April 11, 2004 by Chindenathus

[Noyhauser]

There is one example of a nuclear plane.. well kinda

The Nb-36H program almost did it in the 1950s. That would have been a disaster if it crashed.

NB-36 link

[Southcross]

The color treatment and lighting arrangement of the interior surfaces were designed to help eliminate as much eye fatigue as possible. A gray color scheme used in the nuclear and flight engineers' compartments, proved unfavorable for the pilot and co-pilot's stations. Exterior light passing through the yellow windshield turned the light gray into an unfavorable color. By using lavender, in the pilot's and co-pilot's compartment, and illusion of gray is achieved.

woohooo lavender! so which MW member did the custom job for this one

[daeudi]

The Global Hawk is real.

They have one hanging from the ceiling at the Wright-Patt AFB USAF Museum. It is ugly as sin, and more of a very dark purple-gray than lavender.

On the board beneath, it states that it is capable of 24 hr flight, and traversing the globe. Flies too damn high, it might as well be a sattelite.

Edited April 13, 2004 by daeudi

[RichterX]

Finally they are using overtechnology!

Of course they will not admit it

[The_Major]

while we're on the subject of Propultions of all kinds, has anyone here heard of the VASMIR Plasma Drive Engine thats being worked on by NASA (i think its a Joint effort with another organization too)

[Vince]

I looked up some info on VASMIR Plasma Drive, although I don't understand most of how it work, I think it is really cool.

I've read the Atomic plane article, it is also very cool and closer to actual flight.

attached the cover.

[muswp1]

There is one example of a nuclear plane.. well kinda

The Nb-36H program almost did it in the 1950s. That would have been a disaster if it crashed.

NB-36 link

The NB-36H wasn't nuclear powered, it just carried a nuclear reactor in a section aft of the wings. The plane was quite successful for it's intended purpose, which was to demonstrate the effects of a live nuclear reactor being onboard a plane, not to mention the only plane big enough to actually carry a 1950's era reactor was the B-36 Peacemaker.

You're right that it would have been a diaster if it crashed. It probably would have been 10x the mess Chernobyl was.