This is a classic article from New Scientist's archive, republished as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations
ENTHUSIASM for the nuclear-powered bomber project in the United States blows alternately hot and cold. Mr. R. E. Gross, chairman of Lockheed Aircraft, one of the two companies with contracts to develop the airframes (the other being Convair) has said recently that if the American government were to give the "go ahead signal", Lockheed could have an aircraft ready to make its first flight in the mid-1960s.
The type of aircraft the company has in mind would have the shielded crew cabin in the nose, the reactor in the tail as far from the crew as possible, a small tankage of conventional turbine fuel for take-off and landing so that the reactor was only at full power in the air and never near the ground, and thin straight wings free from the encumbrances ...
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