Atomic Aircraft

Kev wrote:
Yep, when I was a kid, I remember building a (Revell?) model of a
prototype atomic bomber. We were so convinced back then that we'd
have atomic-powered everything... both automobiles and rocket ships to
the moon.

Circa 1960 I built two different atomic-powered bomber models. One was
by Aurora and had a single engine and a parasitic fighter for defense;
the other, by Hawk, had two engines on the wingtips, canard stabilators
and a pair of parasitic fighters. The closest anyone came to building
a real one was when a working reactor was flown in the bomb-bay of a
B-36 in 1955 to test the feasibility of a lightweight reactor with
minimal shielding. That was when little was known about the long-term
effects of even low radiation doses; atomic bombs were also being
considered for use in massive excavation projects such as dams and
canals. Imagine the fallout!