Replies

I worked on the guidance system for the proposed nuclear powered aircraft. No matter what design was proposed, the problem of shielding always killed it. Adequate shielding made the vehicle too heavy. Inadequate shielding brought problems, from neutron bombardment of the structure weakening it, to irradiation of the equipment (that was my concern), to irradiation of the crew. To illustrate the contortions the designers went through, one proposed design called for two vehicles: one would be a nuclear powered "tug," which would bring a conventionally powered bomber near the target, release it, and recover it later. The conventionally powered vehicle would be much faster than the "tug," and thus better able to penetrate enemy defenses. No matter how we sliced it, nuclear powered aircraft turned out to be a bad idea.