Convair NX-2?

I was thumbimg through an aviation book catalog while waiting for a flight
today and saw a blurb about a book about the NX-2. Apparently Convair
designed it with the intention of using a nuclear reactor for thrust. Has
anyone read the book? How far did Convair and General Electric actually get
in the design and testing?

D.

Capt. Doug ) wrote:
: I was thumbimg through an aviation book catalog while waiting for a flight
: today and saw a blurb about a book about the NX-2. Apparently Convair
: designed it with the intention of using a nuclear reactor for thrust. Has
: anyone read the book? How far did Convair and General Electric actually get
: in the design and testing?
:

A B-36 was converted to carry an operational reactor:

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/resea...bers/b3-84.htm
Convair NB-36H - US Air Force Museum Bomber Virtual Aircraft Gallery



--Jerry Leslie (my opinions are strictly my own)
Note: is invalid for email

They flew the B-60 but never with the nuclear engines installed before
the plug was pulled. The engines used for test flights were normal
turbo jets.

There was an article on this beast in "Smithsonian Air & Space" a few months
back (which, by the way, is THE most fascinating aviation magazine out
there, IMHO). What a crazy idea!

This thing would have been an absolute catastrophe waiting to happen. It
was mercifully killed before it could prowl the skies.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Big John" wrote in message
...
They flew the B-60 but never with the nuclear engines installed before
the plug was pulled. The engines used for test flights were normal
turbo jets.

Big John


The B-60 was never designed to be nuclear powered. It was the direct
competitor to the B-52, and was similarly powered.

As previously stated, one B-36 was converted to house a functioning reactor.
The reactor's power was not used for propulsion...

KB

But it was flown more than a few times with an operating reactor.
Following missions the reactor was lowered out of the plane into a pit in
the ramp for safe keeping at the Convair plant in TX. Apparently the pit is
still there. FYI the cockpit shielding on this plane was about 10" thick
lead. Talk about nose weight! This is all covered in a great book titled
"The X-Planes."

--
Kevin McCue
KRYN
'47 Luscombe 8E
Rans S-17 (for sale)




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Originally Posted by Capt. Doug

NX-2
D.

An excellent, comprehensive book about the Nuclear Powered Aircraft program is NX-2: Convair Nuclear Propulsion Jet. The author is David M. Carpenter, published by Jet Pioneers of America, 2003. The ISBN is 0-9633387-9-X. I used it in writing my book about the C-133, because GE had the idea to use a C-133 as the test bed to fly GE's X211/J87 jet engine in a non-nuclear mode. That is one of the modifications I mention in that chapter of the book, which is entitled Remembering an Unsung Giant: The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster and Its People, which will be available in April 2006.

Cal Taylor
The C-133 Project