Originally Posted by
MD10PLT
The AF tried nuclear in the past. It's not real hard to do; just take some substance and superheat it (nuclear does this real well), then squirt it out a nozzle. People just thought a crash might be the equivalent of a dirty bomb. I'm sure when the need arises people may be more receptive.
The USAF project produced fission engines which were the size and weight of railway locomotives. I have seen them up close.
The ultimately proved unfeasible...the shielding needed to keep the crew alive would have made the airplane too heavy to fly.
Also, ANY used reactor core is by definition a dirty bomb. It would be very difficult to build a crash-proof housing, and it would also weigh too much to get off the ground.