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From: melkor@wpi.wpi.edu (The Lord of Mordor)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Nuclear Powered Planes: Feasibility?
Message-ID: <11153@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 6 Nov 89 05:03:46 GMT
References: <11113@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: melkor@wpi.wpi.edu (The Lord of Mordor)

In article <11113@cbnews.ATT.COM> miles@ms.uky.edu (Stephen D. Grant) writes:
>development is not possible, or cite any research that has been done with
>Nuclear Powered aircraft?

Back in the late 50's through the 60's the AF toyed with the idea of an
A-plane, but several problems, both technical and political stopped it's
development. Technically, they could not come up with a safe enough shielding
that could still takeoff. Secondly, political pressures and considerations,
(such as, "I don't want to be in office if radioactive stuff falls on my
constituents!"), not to mention non nuclear countries, (imagine the problems
we have with New Zealand and our nuke ships and other countries with our
warplanes), totally blackballed the project. There was a definitive article
on the A-plane in Scientific American a few years ago.


melkor@wpi.wpi.edu
(skippy sez:)"I DIDN'T SAY IT,          
IT WAS MY EVIL TWIN, GEORGE BUSH"