Quote from: Weaver on June 29, 2020, 02:56:33 AM

Quote from: zenrat on June 29, 2020, 02:51:10 AM
Alternatively, Pumped Fuel Reactor with molten Thorium salts piped directly from the reactor body through the engines.  Pumps etc powered by the reactor itself.
I have toyed with the idea of a mixed power aircraft.  Mainly because then I could have a reactor jettison hatch on the underside marked with yellow and black stripes (La Forge, prepare to dump the core...).
However, would a bit of radioactive exhaust at ones airfield be considered an issue?  Just tow the aircraft out to the boundary (the time taken could be used to get the reactor warmed up) and have them take off back towards the buildings.

Your reactor warm-up time had better be shorter than four minutes then...

Doesn't need to be.  Because with nuclear powered bombers indefinite endurance you can keep them constantly aloft ready to go.  Let's say they carry out one week duty cycles flying a figure eight pattern over the UK.  Two full crews on board with sleeping quarters aft of the cockpit.
<Terry Jones in drag voice> "Ooh look deary there's the six o'clock bomber going over.  You can set your watch by them you can..."
It would be cramped but Handley Page foresaw the Victomic being replaced within two years by the much larger and more powerful twin reactor, 18 crew, 250' wingspan Violator.

Fair enough. Poffling would have eaten the V-Force's airframe hours at a frightening rate, but then the Victomic would be stressed for those sort of load-cycle numbers on the drawing board.

Do you mind flying your figures of eight out over the North Sea though? We haven't really got the real-estate to spare for a 'Bay Of North Carolina' style oopsie...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Goldsboro_B-52_crash

Quote from: zenrat on June 29, 2020, 02:51:10 AM
La Forge, prepare to dump the core...

If La Forge is involved, I'm out! He was great at rolling under the dropping isolation door dramatically. Ejecting the core, not so much. How many times can the same engineer lose the same ship to the same cause.....? I digress.

QuoteHowever, would a bit of radioactive exhaust at ones airfield be considered an issue?

Depends where you are operating out of. As someone who currently lives not terribly far from a former V-Bomber base, I am gonna have to go with yes. The US (with Pluto) had vast tracts of empty space to play with. In the UK, not so much. You'll be hearing from my MP! 

Quote from: sideshowbob9 on June 29, 2020, 04:09:37 AM
...Depends where you are operating out of...

Opposition constituencies...

Quote from: zenrat on June 29, 2020, 04:41:01 AM

Quote from: sideshowbob9 on June 29, 2020, 04:09:37 AM
...Depends where you are operating out of...

Opposition constituencies...

So the patrol patterns change every four years then...

Quote from: Weaver on June 29, 2020, 05:20:17 AM

Quote from: zenrat on June 29, 2020, 04:41:01 AM

Quote from: sideshowbob9 on June 29, 2020, 04:09:37 AM
...Depends where you are operating out of...

Opposition constituencies...

So the patrol patterns change every four years then...

Not if the government hire zenrat industries to run the elections for them.

Quote from: sideshowbob9 on June 29, 2020, 04:09:37 AM

Depends where you are operating out of. As someone who currently lives not terribly far from a former V-Bomber base, I am gonna have to go with yes. The US (with Pluto) had vast tracts of empty space to play with. In the UK, not so much. You'll be hearing from my MP! 

The USAF didn't take too much notice of the lesser 'noise pollution' generated by B-36s, B-47s and B-52s going onto and out of Brize Norton, Fairford and Upper Heyford back in the 50s, so why would they care about a bit of fallout too? 

(says he who could watch the aforementioned USAF flights on approach from his front garden!  )

Quote

Opposition constituencies...

Lol! All I'm going to say is don't fit thrust reversers or you're gonna have serious crew retention issues!

QuoteSays he who could watch the aforementioned USAF flights on approach from his front garden!

Just had a F-15E 2-ship right over the house which happens all too infrequently these days. Not sure I'd be as happy to see them if they were nuclear! 

Quote from: Weaver on June 28, 2020, 09:30:59 PM

Downside: radioactive exhaust (this is basically Project Pluto)

Saves having a tail gunner   

Quote from: NARSES2 on June 29, 2020, 06:39:35 AM

Quote from: Weaver on June 28, 2020, 09:30:59 PM

Downside: radioactive exhaust (this is basically Project Pluto)

Saves having a tail gunner   

Maybe, if you can wait a week for the guy lining up his missile shot to die of radiation poisoning.

Could be a good, honorable role for people suffering from terminal diseases, instead of medical euthanasia - tail gunner on an atomic bomber. One week of active service defending your country, then off loaded in a lead-lined casket with full military honours.

I have a feeling the dark side of my sense of humour is showing.

Quote from: sideshowbob9 on June 29, 2020, 01:59:51 AM
I don't think the direct cycle would be greenlit post Windscale fire, unless you breeze that away in the backstory of course!

Windscale never happened, it was a cover-up to disguise the crash of a Victomic. 

Quote from: The Rat on June 30, 2020, 03:55:24 PM

Quote from: sideshowbob9 on June 29, 2020, 01:59:51 AM
I don't think the direct cycle would be greenlit post Windscale fire, unless you breeze that away in the backstory of course!

Windscale never happened, it was a cover-up to disguise the crash of a Victomic. 

Ooooh! Its all starting to make sense! Chernobyl must have actually been a crash of one of their Tu-95LAL Nucbears....

And likewise Three Mile Island was covering up the downing of an NB-1 Atomic Lancer.

I could have started today...


...but I didn't.  I did have a rummage through some of my collections of "interesting shape plastic things which might come in handy" and found some bits which might work as reshaped engine nacelles.
Actual building will commence at the weekend with the cockpit.  Anyone built a Matchbox Victor?  Who much is visible through the glazing?  Should I bother with a crew?  I have some PJ Productions crew members but I feel i would be wasting them if they can't be seen.

Quote from: zenrat on July 01, 2020, 03:01:23 AM

Anyone built a Matchbox Victor?  Who much is visible through the glazing?  Should I bother with a crew?  I have some PJ Productions crew members but I feel i would be wasting them if they can't be seen.

Total waste of good modelling time, as with all three V bombers in 1/72 scale.

The windows are so small you can't see ANYthing through them, and the framing on the Victor makes it even worse. Quite how Flightpath managed to sell so many of their cockpit upgrades I've no idea, the customers must have been well conned, me being one of them! 

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 01, 2020, 04:59:45 AM

Quote from: zenrat on July 01, 2020, 03:01:23 AM

Anyone built a Matchbox Victor?  Who much is visible through the glazing?  Should I bother with a crew?  I have some PJ Productions crew members but I feel i would be wasting them if they can't be seen.

Total waste of good modelling time, as with all three V bombers in 1/72 scale.

The windows are so small you can't see ANYthing through them, and the framing on the Victor makes it even worse. Quite how Flightpath managed to sell so many of their cockpit upgrades I've no idea, the customers must have been well conned, me being one of them! 

Thanks Kit.  OOB cockpit with the kit figures it is then.