Is Lockheed Martin working on a nuclear fusion-powered fighter jet?

[Gomig-21]

It wouldn't produce afterburner, but could super cruise to more than Mach 1.

What form of drive mechanism or even propulsion would it be? It can't create any kind of combustion that produces emissions on any level, unless it's contained to powering some form of drive mechanism that produces enough thrust to push a platform that weighs roughly 250 tons for example. The only thing I can think of is some type of propulsion system, but even those create significant emissions because of obvious reasons.

What are we talking about, a series of specifically designed fan blades powered by a contained drive shaft that eventually produce enough push to reach mach speed?

Good for bombers but not for fighters.

Even though they did mention fighters were on the table, if the concept is to create a nuke-powered fanned engine, if we look at the A380's RR GP7000 for example, one of them alone weighs 7 tons and look at the size of it lol. One of the many reasons why it's hard to

imagine.

 

[Oldman1]

What form of drive mechanism or even propulsion would it be? It can't create any kind of combustion that produces emissions on any level, unless it's contained to powering some form of drive mechanism that produces enough thrust to push a platform that weighs roughly 250 tons for example. The only thing I can think of is some type of propulsion system, but even those create significant emissions because of obvious reasons.

What are we talking about, a series of specifically designed fan blades powered by a contained drive shaft that eventually produce enough push to reach mach speed?



Even though they did mention fighters were on the table, if the concept is to create a nuke-powered fanned engine, if we look at the A380's RR GP7000 for example, one of them alone weighs 7 tons and look at the size of it lol. One of the many reasons why it's hard to

imagine.

Here's how they would do it.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_Nuclear_Propulsion

Sure engines are big. Heck you seen the new GE engine for the 777X?

 

[YeBeWarned]

Would be very risky .. imagine a nuclear powered plane crashed in some residential area ..

 

[Oldman1]

Would be very risky .. imagine a nuclear powered plane crashed in some residential area ..

I would support nuclear power on naval ships and future spacecraft. Not planes.

 

[Human One]

What form of drive mechanism or even propulsion would it be?

Like this, from http://aviadejavu.ru/Site/Crafts/Craft34560.htm

 

[untitled]

One thing to put a reactor in a sub or a carrier, another thing to put it in an aircraft that has a much higher risk of hitting the ground and kaboom.

An incident has already happened when the Soviet nuclear powered satellite came crashing down in Canada

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954

 

[Gomig-21]

Like this, from http://aviadejavu.ru/Site/Crafts/Craft34560.htm

The question will be whether the air that is heated by the reactor core and flows back out the nozzle will have the adequate pressure to create enough thrust. Knowing that contained, thermal combustion that produces pressurized hot air is what really creates terrific thrust and is what has been the conventional method of jet engines for the last 7 decades makes it a very difficult proposition, even for conventional aircraft.

The engine itself will need to produce enough power for take-offs and landings and not have separate engines just for those two tasks because now you're creating way too much area for the propulsion system. Having both might've been good during the experimental times of this technology, but I think today it would need to do the entire job or it won't really be efficient enough.

Then there's also the issue of down-sizing the reactor and shielding it and keeping its weight down AND making it accident safe. Huge challenges.

It will be amazing if they pull it off though. Thanks for that diagram.

An incident has already happened when the Soviet nuclear powered satellite came crashing down in Canada

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954

And we definitely don't want a bunch of those flying around all over the world!

 

[Human One]

The question will be whether the air that is heated by the reactor core and flows back out the nozzle will have the adequate pressure to create enough thrust. Knowing that contained, thermal combustion that produces pressurized hot air is what really creates terrific thrust and is what has been the conventional method of jet engines for the last 7 decades makes it a very difficult proposition, even for conventional aircraft.

The engine itself will need to produce enough power for take-offs and landings and not have separate engines just for those two tasks because now you're creating way too much area for the propulsion system. Having both might've been good during the experimental times of this technology, but I think today it would need to do the entire job or it won't really be efficient enough.

Then there's also the issue of down-sizing the reactor and shielding it and keeping its weight down AND making it accident safe. Huge challenges.

It will be amazing if they pull it off though. Thanks for that diagram.

That's a good analysis. It seems that nuclear propulsion is only suitable for very large aircraft and even then, only with airports or airbases that are specially prepared for them.