Nuclear Powered Aircraft

I'm pretty sure nuclear drones are viable. As far as I've been able to find out they're not yet in serious development. Radiation shielding and cooling are relatively challenging problems to solve.

Lots and lots of maths needed to work out the details though. Maths I haven't worked out how to solve yet. Ask again in twenty years or so :)
 
Using nuclear fission reactors to power aircraft seems a big issue... What about Nuclear Fusion??

Surely once we get there, it might be a massive success... Especially if you factor in that the temperature of plasma during fusion would be so high that we could get insane speeds out of it.

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Although I cant seem to understand where they propose to get energy needed to power microwave antenna.
 
areksnumbr1sxylady said:
Although I cant seem to understand where they propose to get energy needed to power microwave antenna.
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well wouldnt you just use an APU for initial start up of the first antenna? or are we talking silly frequencies here?

that said how would you electrically power the aircraft from that set up I cant see where you could stick a few blades to power a generator without it getting melted by plasma or irratiated (same goes for bleeding some air off to start the other engines)? and would it be variable enough to use on aircraft for the different power requirements you need during flight?

oh and sticking great hulking magnets on an aircraft would surely mess up the onboard electronics?

and finally.... currently if you are in jet flux you currently just get warm.... wouldn't this leave trails of radiation everywhere and create a engine that would be neigh on impossible to maintain with humans?
 
A slight aside there I a proposed micro fusion spacecraft engine where a magnetic field is used to crush tiny packets of fusion fuel. The resulting reaction creates a plasma from the packet casing which gives a delta v.
 
Amp34 said:
But solar will solve that in a couple of years. We already have solar planes that can stay up almost indefinitely.
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Tey that over rochdale the drone would be out of fuel and crash in about 20 minutes.

Solar might be okay if you are fighting in the desert. ..not so much if the target is under constant cloud and rain...
 
We don't really know if it was safe. Call me a conspiracy theorist or some **** but this. Then you have this. What I'm saying is **** the MOD and the US Government.
 
Amp34 said:
But solar will solve that in a couple of years. We already have solar planes that can stay up almost indefinitely.
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Unfortunately those craft are just about only capable of getting themselves into the air let alone payload and have to fly at very restricted speeds on a set course to receive sufficient sun light.

Also if memory serves isn't the record about 700 miles before the aircraft snapped under it's own weight?
 
The Running Man said:
Tey that over rochdale the drone would be out of fuel and crash in about 20 minutes.

Solar might be okay if you are fighting in the desert. ..not so much if the target is under constant cloud and rain...
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The plane was flying round the world. You can still get plenty of power even through cloud. Alternatively it can rise above the clout, recharge and continue monitoring.

Better than dropping a nucleat reactor over a war zone... That could go two ways, nuclear war or a nation/terrorist organisation getting hold of enough to make a dirty bomb...
 
dalin80 said:
Unfortunately those craft are just about only capable of getting themselves into the air let alone payload and have to fly at very restricted speeds on a set course to receive sufficient sun light.

Also if memory serves isn't the record about 700 miles before the aircraft snapped under it's own weight?
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And how long before a nuclear capable craft would fly with research started today? ;) the point is that's the way the research is going now. It's far less dangerous, much cheaper and will probably be useable in drones in the next 5-10 years.
 
Amp34 said:
The plane was flying round the world. You can still get plenty of power even through cloud. Alternatively it can rise above the clout, recharge and continue monitoring.

Better than dropping a nucleat reactor over a war zone... That could go two ways, nuclear war or a nation/terrorist organisation getting hold of enough to make a dirty bomb...
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If solar power can be harvested so efficiently through cloud why does no one use solar in the north of the country?

Nuclear reactor? Hows about phosphorus gas or uranium enriched warheads? The US dabble in both it seems. ..a self destruct mechanism should suffice plus anyone who gets close enough to scavenge it might get contaminated anyway. Bonus. .
 
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