From Atom Bombs To Nuclear Aircraft
Global Aviator|August 2020
A nuclear-powered aircraft is not a new concept – during the Cold War the rivalry between USA and Russia drove much of the interest in nuclear-powered flight, especially during the late 1950s and early ’60s as both conducted research into nuclear-powered bomber aircraft, the greater endurance of which could enhance nuclear deterrence, but neither country created any such operational aircraft. The intention was to produce a jet engine that would heat compressed air with heat from fission, instead of heat.
From Atom Bombs To Nuclear Aircraft

An experimental American airplane, the Convair NB-36H, carried a nuclear reactor that operated in flight, though it did not propel the aircraft, and Russia’s Tupolev Tu-119 operated in similar fashion but neither worked.

US programmes

In May 1946, the US Army Air Forces started the Nuclear Energy for the Propulsion of Aircraft (NEPA) project, which conducted studies until the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion (ANP) programme replaced NEPA in 1951. This programme included provisions for studying two different types of nuclear-powered jet engines: General Electric's Direct Air Cycle and Pratt & Whitney's Indirect Air Cycle. ANP planned for Convair to modify two B-36s under the MX-1589 project. One of the B-36s, the NB-36H, was to be used for studying shielding requirements for an airborne reactor, while the other was to be the X-6.

However, in 1961 the programme was cancelled before the X-6 was completed.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory researched and developed nuclear aircraft engines. Two shielded reactors powered two General Electric J87 turbojet engines to nearly full thrust.

Two experimental reactors, HTRE-2 with its turbojet engines intact, and HTRE-3 with its engines removed are on display at the EBR-1 facility south of the Idaho National Laboratory.

Airships

Several studies and proposals for nuclear-powered airships, and although a number of interesting and viable proposals were made, the idea of a nuclear-powered airship never really gained traction, possibly because of the Hindenburg disaster along with several other crashed.

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