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I came across the concept of nuclear aircrafts in New Scientist ... and got a bit intrigued by it. I've done some research on it, and will probably try to do a little bit of work on wikipedia about it. Here is the references I've found:
and related articles at:
tobixen 10:10, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Is it known who perpetrated the hoax? Was it Soviet disinformation, or a US ruse to acquire more funding for their own project, or a genuine misunderstanding or just mischief-making by Aviation Week? PhilUK ( talk) —Preceding undated comment added 12:01, 20 December 2009 (UTC).
The section's title needs to be changed. While the controversy over the alleged Soviet nuclear bomber is noteworthy, it's incorrect to call it a hoax because whether or not something is a hoax calls for a conclusion, and the article poses no grounds to draw that conclusion. As PhilUK suggested over a year ago, the story could have originated from sources who had no intentions of deceiving anyone. They could have been mistaken or misinterpreted what they saw. If credible references can be found to indicate that someone gave false information to AviationWeek with an intent to deceive (for whatever hidden agenda they might have had), then the word "hoax" would be appropriate. I'm thinking of a re-write or re-titling of the article section in question, but won't make any changes right now. JeffTracy ( talk) 21:24, 28 March 2011 (UTC)
A Discovery Channel video on Youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cnFtYuqXX8&feature=related) claims that the USSR carried out about 40 test flights with a nuclear-powered plane between 1961 and 1969. It was a 'Bear' bomber with conventional turbo-props, but had 2 additional jet engines powered by a direct cycle reactor. This had minimal shielding, therefore irradiating the crew and the surrounding airspace. Of the two aircrews, only 3 men survived. This information conflicts with that in the article and in other web sources I have looked at, which state that both the USA and the USSR discontinued research into nuclear-powered aircraft after 1961. Anyone know more about this? PhilUK ( talk) 20:37, 7 November 2010 (UTC)
A single NB-36 was built and flew in the USA between 1955 and 1957. It was a converted Convair B-36 Peacekeeper Bomber -- a truly huge aircraft. They did successfully prove the concept -- a bomber with essentially unlimited operational range in the 1950's!. This is referenced in this wiki article but only touched on and details are not provided. Advances in conventional bombers made the necessity for flying a nuclear reactor unnecessary. Military aircraft do, in fact, crash. Cleaning up crashes that involve crunched nuclear reactors was deemed -- something to be avoided. And so the concept never really "took off" so to speak. SunSw0rd ( talk) 02:35, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
Is the 2011 project worth a mention here?
http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/03/25/no-go-on-a-nuclear-powered-unmanned-aerial-vehicle/
Hcobb ( talk) 18:13, 25 March 2012 (UTC)
Logically , the chances that the Soviets, or the US, created secret programs for the development of unmanned , remotely piloted nuclear powered aircraft is quite high as the advantages of such a machine in nuclear war are incredible . The Soviets created unmanned moon exploring craft , and tested manned nuclear craft , so we know they had the technology . Shouldn't Wikipedia always consider the possibility that secret aircraft can exists and avoid statements like 'Neither country created any operational nuclear aircraft.' , in favor of statements like 'Neither country are known to have created any operational nuclear aircraft.' ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.210.130.114 ( talk) 20:02, 12 April 2013 (UTC)
Over at Quehanna_Wild_Area they say that Curtiss-Wright made experiments towards nuclear jet-engines in these Pennsylvania woods from 1955 to 1960. I guess some note about these projects should be inserted into the article if that's true. -- BjKa ( talk) 14:24, 21 October 2016 (UTC)
Given that the primary product of a nuclear reactor is heat energy, how does that translate into thrust for an aircraft? Steam turbines? If so, then is there a condensate recovery system on board or are they total-loss systems? Water tanks would need to be refilled otherwise.. The article doesn't seem to discuss the actual mechanics. -- Hooperbloob ( talk) 21:04, 1 December 2017 (UTC)
I reverted an IP editor who deleted this section a couple days ago because the edit summary was completely wrong. The edit summary of Wtshymanski was also not very good. The fusion reactors under development today (ITER, Wendelstein 7-X, and the Lockheed Martin CFR) have nothing to do with the physically impossible technology (for example, warp drive) that is the basis of Star Trek.
The Lockheed Martin CFR is a notable technology under development. Lockheed Martin clearly intends for it to ultimately be used in aircraft and spacecraft (and elsewhere). It is not the job of Wikipedia editors to decide whether a developing technology will succeed or not.
I don't see any problem with a section on fusion-powered aircraft with a link to the Lockheed Martin CFR article. It should probably note that the project is behind schedule (as fusion reactor projects usually are). Jrheller1 ( talk) 00:31, 29 March 2019 (UTC)
Going thru old items of my grandfather's I came across photos and other documents re: HTRE 1,2 AND 3 from GE when he was a model maker. Is anyone interested in this material for archive or museum purposes? Contact me @ dgeminied@yahoo.com. My name is David 166.181.251.138 ( talk) 22:29, 8 February 2022 (UTC)
Would an RTG powered aircraft fit the scope of this article? 2001:A62:1494:C902:2934:81FD:9C3D:4AC6 ( talk) 09:39, 24 June 2024 (UTC)
![]() | This article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
I came across the concept of nuclear aircrafts in New Scientist ... and got a bit intrigued by it. I've done some research on it, and will probably try to do a little bit of work on wikipedia about it. Here is the references I've found:
and related articles at:
tobixen 10:10, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Is it known who perpetrated the hoax? Was it Soviet disinformation, or a US ruse to acquire more funding for their own project, or a genuine misunderstanding or just mischief-making by Aviation Week? PhilUK ( talk) —Preceding undated comment added 12:01, 20 December 2009 (UTC).
The section's title needs to be changed. While the controversy over the alleged Soviet nuclear bomber is noteworthy, it's incorrect to call it a hoax because whether or not something is a hoax calls for a conclusion, and the article poses no grounds to draw that conclusion. As PhilUK suggested over a year ago, the story could have originated from sources who had no intentions of deceiving anyone. They could have been mistaken or misinterpreted what they saw. If credible references can be found to indicate that someone gave false information to AviationWeek with an intent to deceive (for whatever hidden agenda they might have had), then the word "hoax" would be appropriate. I'm thinking of a re-write or re-titling of the article section in question, but won't make any changes right now. JeffTracy ( talk) 21:24, 28 March 2011 (UTC)
A Discovery Channel video on Youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cnFtYuqXX8&feature=related) claims that the USSR carried out about 40 test flights with a nuclear-powered plane between 1961 and 1969. It was a 'Bear' bomber with conventional turbo-props, but had 2 additional jet engines powered by a direct cycle reactor. This had minimal shielding, therefore irradiating the crew and the surrounding airspace. Of the two aircrews, only 3 men survived. This information conflicts with that in the article and in other web sources I have looked at, which state that both the USA and the USSR discontinued research into nuclear-powered aircraft after 1961. Anyone know more about this? PhilUK ( talk) 20:37, 7 November 2010 (UTC)
A single NB-36 was built and flew in the USA between 1955 and 1957. It was a converted Convair B-36 Peacekeeper Bomber -- a truly huge aircraft. They did successfully prove the concept -- a bomber with essentially unlimited operational range in the 1950's!. This is referenced in this wiki article but only touched on and details are not provided. Advances in conventional bombers made the necessity for flying a nuclear reactor unnecessary. Military aircraft do, in fact, crash. Cleaning up crashes that involve crunched nuclear reactors was deemed -- something to be avoided. And so the concept never really "took off" so to speak. SunSw0rd ( talk) 02:35, 13 November 2010 (UTC)
Is the 2011 project worth a mention here?
http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/03/25/no-go-on-a-nuclear-powered-unmanned-aerial-vehicle/
Hcobb ( talk) 18:13, 25 March 2012 (UTC)
Logically , the chances that the Soviets, or the US, created secret programs for the development of unmanned , remotely piloted nuclear powered aircraft is quite high as the advantages of such a machine in nuclear war are incredible . The Soviets created unmanned moon exploring craft , and tested manned nuclear craft , so we know they had the technology . Shouldn't Wikipedia always consider the possibility that secret aircraft can exists and avoid statements like 'Neither country created any operational nuclear aircraft.' , in favor of statements like 'Neither country are known to have created any operational nuclear aircraft.' ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.210.130.114 ( talk) 20:02, 12 April 2013 (UTC)
Over at Quehanna_Wild_Area they say that Curtiss-Wright made experiments towards nuclear jet-engines in these Pennsylvania woods from 1955 to 1960. I guess some note about these projects should be inserted into the article if that's true. -- BjKa ( talk) 14:24, 21 October 2016 (UTC)
Given that the primary product of a nuclear reactor is heat energy, how does that translate into thrust for an aircraft? Steam turbines? If so, then is there a condensate recovery system on board or are they total-loss systems? Water tanks would need to be refilled otherwise.. The article doesn't seem to discuss the actual mechanics. -- Hooperbloob ( talk) 21:04, 1 December 2017 (UTC)
I reverted an IP editor who deleted this section a couple days ago because the edit summary was completely wrong. The edit summary of Wtshymanski was also not very good. The fusion reactors under development today (ITER, Wendelstein 7-X, and the Lockheed Martin CFR) have nothing to do with the physically impossible technology (for example, warp drive) that is the basis of Star Trek.
The Lockheed Martin CFR is a notable technology under development. Lockheed Martin clearly intends for it to ultimately be used in aircraft and spacecraft (and elsewhere). It is not the job of Wikipedia editors to decide whether a developing technology will succeed or not.
I don't see any problem with a section on fusion-powered aircraft with a link to the Lockheed Martin CFR article. It should probably note that the project is behind schedule (as fusion reactor projects usually are). Jrheller1 ( talk) 00:31, 29 March 2019 (UTC)
Going thru old items of my grandfather's I came across photos and other documents re: HTRE 1,2 AND 3 from GE when he was a model maker. Is anyone interested in this material for archive or museum purposes? Contact me @ dgeminied@yahoo.com. My name is David 166.181.251.138 ( talk) 22:29, 8 February 2022 (UTC)
Would an RTG powered aircraft fit the scope of this article? 2001:A62:1494:C902:2934:81FD:9C3D:4AC6 ( talk) 09:39, 24 June 2024 (UTC)