Bombs In The Sky???

[pappag]

After more than six decades of research, the first atom-powered airplane is cleared for takeoff. Although details of the project remain classified, a description of this remarkable aircraft has begun to emerge from technical conferences and declassified engineering studies. The plane will be both familiar and unique. Familiar in that it will resemble a Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, the bulbous-nosed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that the U.S. Air Force has used to track enemy movements in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unique because its nuclear reactor is unlike any other. Rather than split heavy elements or fuse light atoms--as in fission and fusion reactors--it will use what is known as a triggered isomer reaction. If this new powerplant, called a quantum nucleonic reactor, performs as scientists expect, its effect on the aircraft industry may prove as revolutionary as the introduction of the jet engine.

check   http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/av...ngs/index.phtml                    

[TrinireturnofGamez]

very good.. this means alot less pollution...... and possibly this technology can be adapted to be used in theorized ramjet spacecraft... all we need now is a 1000 mile wide magnetic field..... or some way to launch the craft to near light speeds, and a 10 mile magnetic field.                    

[pappag]

sure and mabye we can have atomic powered cars too....and we'll know in town when there's an accident in south BOOM!                    

[TrinireturnofGamez]

hmmmm.... possibly these reactors might be xtra safe because they do not emit radiation unless there is an Xray focused on the hafnium, so in the case of an accident, as long as the reactor shuts down, there won't be much radiation leakage. and terrorists can't use hafnium in nuclear bombs, very very good...                    

[coldstorm]

these reactors will proberly never be used to transport humans they mit gamma ray if u know u phyiscs u need some serious protection to stop them . Any plane to carry human would be too expensive and heavy to do anything . Any car will be too big and would need maglev to be practicle since it uses super heat air as trust                    

[coledraft]

these reactors will proberly never be used to transport humans they mit gamma ray if u know u phyiscs u need some serious protection to stop them . Any plane to carry human would be too expensive and heavy to do anything . Any car will be too big and would need maglev to be practicle since it uses super heat air as trust

easy remidy....just use lead isolating walls around the emitting body to reduce the magnitude of gamma radiation reaching the person/s...of course only for the case of ground vehicles and not aircrafts                    

[TrinireturnofGamez]

of course the gamma rays will have some effect on our bodies, but its not as bad as you think, drinking cofee does more towards cancer than a pile of weakish gamma rays.... so its no big prob... the radiation emited by nuclear stuff that is VERY dangerous are flying neutrons .. they can hit cells in our body , making some atoms in them unstable, if those atoms are part of our genetic code.. we can get cancer........


 if u think about it alot of the stuff we use throws out all  kinds of radiation... the distant stars and supernovas shoot out lots of radiation that is passing through us all now.... .. its gonna be alot more dangerous to hold a laptop's bottom with bare skin than to go for a flight in one of these .. [ if a fairly reasonable amount of shielding is available] .

 i'm sure in a few decades we will accept it as common place. And all this talk will be looked upon as a bunch of backward ancient ppl looking on a new invention with fear....

FEAR THE AIRPLANES ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!                    

[coldstorm]

6 inches of lead is need to reduce gamma radiation to 1/2 it's strength rethink ur idea . As for star we have ozone layer that kills off most of it also van allen radiation belts stop a good bit too so does earth magnetic                    

[coledraft]

well then use twelve inches...hey I never said that it would be small and space efficient.                    

[pappag]

of course the gamma rays will have some effect on our bodies, but its not as bad as you think,


sure tell that to Bruce Banner                    

[Rommel]

might be able to make "nukes" out of them but "dirty bombs can spread the nuclear material

mass radiation poisoning                    

[coldstorm]

can't they work off a principal  of bombarding the material with xray and then they release gamma ray to  super heat air to provide . Half life of 31 years ain't too bad but if it crashed their is  nuclear material to be vapourized into dust forming a nuclear dust cloud small one but still one.                    

[TrinireturnofGamez]

did he say the magic word? HALF LIFE!!!!!!!!


all in all this is GOOD.. even if we can't use it for transportation HERE .. it might have some application in space... and it might replace other sources of power and help pollution.....                    

[Rommel]

space exploration is a very real possibility

but nuclear power while utilized in a significant amount in the US (20% of their power comes from nuclear power plants) is by and large not a success and isn't popular as the risks are quite frankly too much as there are other sources of power available for terrestrial use that are way safer and possible cheaper (no disasters too clean up)                    

[Crixx_Creww]

wow
ive seen some nice science here and then some insano people here as well.

Lol at lead to stop gamma radiaton ahaha
lol at 12 inches of lead to pfft ahahaha.

Even worse was that horrendous idea of using the gamma discharge to heat the exhaust as a means of propulsion, you sicko! you trying to release super heater gamma radiation into the air? Wow, what a terrorist.