ATOMIC AIRCRAFT ENGINES.

The advantages and disadvantages found in nuclear aircraft engines are discussed. The advantages of atomic aircraft engines over conventional are multifold. Some are of extreme importance to further growth in aircraft developments. Nuclear power plants offer advantages in the following areas hugh quantities of nuclear fuel great concentration of energy in nuclear fuels possibility of simultaneous increase in range and speed greater power output by using one reactor for more than one engine convenient variance in power possibility of adapting vertical takeoffs to heavy aircraft. The preeminence of conventional aircraft engines will not be infringed upon any time soon because of the many short-comings inherent in nuclear engines. These can be summarized as follows require special materials for the reactor and its system difficulties encountered in reactor construction small thermal efficiency coefficient danger of radioactivity small specific energy for small power weak economic production effectiveness.