The Atom Plane And The Young Lieutenant

The story can now be told about the United States Air Force nuclear-powered bomber and the vital role provided by the Wright Air Development Division. The author was privileged to play an engineering role in the testing of critical components of the General Electric X-211 nuclear turbojet during his military service at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. Very little is known today about the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion project, which spanned 10 years and the expenditure of one billion dollars. This was a highly advanced technology program conducted during the 1950's Cold War to provide a continuous 30-day flying bomber ready to respond to any attack on the United States. The mission objectives presented an enormous engineering challenge since an airplane has a critical weight limitation, unlike a nuclear-powered submarine or aircraft carrier, which can accept heavy reactor shielding. High turbojet and reactor material temperatures combined with nuclear radiation led to the necessity for a major advancement in technology. Although the nuclear-powered bomber never became an operational weapon system the technology advancement was a major contribution to our nation's military and civilian air and space programs. Advanced propulsion concepts were also being pursued in the field of nuclear fusion and electro-propulsion for application to air and space missions. The author complements the story with several interesting experiences at Wright Patterson Air Force Base including aircraft and security incidents along with a flying saucer investigation. These were indeed adventurous years exploring the challenge of the unknown.