On 18 May 2004 13:44:45 GMT, (CVBreard) wrote in
Message-Id: :

I want a nuclear powered F33A Bonanza.

In the 1950s (1960s?), there was a serious USAF project/study to use a nuclear
reactor to power a B-36..

Talk about long range / flight endurance records!

It was serious stuff, folks.

Hasn't NASA built nuclear fueled Stirling engines? Here's a clue:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/tmsb/sti...ng_bckgrd.html
However, about this time NASA became interested in development of
free-piston Stirling engines for space power applications. These
engines use helium as the working fluid, drive linear alternators
to produce electricity and are hermetically sealed. These 12.5 kWe
per cylinder engines were intended for use with a nuclear reactor
power system; the Space Demonstrator Engine (or SPDE) was the
earliest 12.5 kWe per cylinder engine that was designed, built and
tested by MTI. A later engine of this size, the Component Test
Power Convertor (or CTPC), used a "Starfish" heat-pipe heater
head, instead of the pumped-loop used by the SPDE. Recently, in
the 1992-93 time period, this work was terminated due to the
termination of the related SP-100 nuclear power system work and
NASA's new emphasis on "better, faster, cheaper" systems and
missions.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/outerplanets-00a2.html
Europa Orbiter was replanned to use a new "Sterling" nuclear
generator design which would use less plutonium


http://www.cndyorks.gn.apc.org/yspac...heed_offer.htm

--

Irrational beliefs ultimately lead to irrational acts.
-- Larry Dighera,