The world's first commercial nuclear powered airplane?
World's first nuclear-powered airliner? Supersonic concept plane could fly from London to New York at 1,150mph in THREE hours using a mini-fusion reactorDesigner Oscar Vinals believes his lightweight aircraft could carry some 500 passengers and reach Mach 1.5. 'Magnavem', which can be charged extremely quickly, comes from the latin 'magna avem' meaning 'big bird' . The amazing aircraft will produce zero carbon emissions thanks to the compact fusion reactor that powers it Mr Vinals says around 10 to 15 years of advancements may be needed in order to build such a flying vesse
According to designer Oscar Vinals, the craft, which he hopes will revolutionise the aeronautic industry, will run primarily on a compact fusion reactor (CFR). This reactor, the plans say, would provide the Magavem with an incredible amount of electrical energy - all at no cost to the environment. Nuclear fusion is the process by which the sun works. Compact fusion reactors will mimic that process within a magnetic container and release energy from hydrogen in a controlled fashion to produce power we can use.
In total, Mr Vinals believes his lightweight aircraft could carry some 500 passengers, and due to the technologies he proposes using, the 'Magnavem' can be recharged extremely quickly.
he designs feature a CO2 cleaning system, adding to the environmental benefits of the craft. An internal AI system would optimize the craft's functions, while plasma actuators control the airflow to the wings and over the fuselage
When deuterium and tritium nuclei fuse, they form a helium nucleus, a neutron and a lot of energy. A reactor small enough to fit on a truck could provide enough power for a small city of up to 100,000 people. This is not the first time that nuclear power has been proposed as a fuel for flight, with one aircraft that flew in the West during the cold war actually came close to achieving this aim. During the early 1950s, a heavily modified Convair B-36 bomber built by the US Air Force called the NB-36H flew a total of 47 times, although the onboard reactor was only tested in the air and never to power the aircraft. The behemoth was further weighed down with 11 tonnes of shielding to keep radiation at bay.
