Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z

---

Astroplane

---

Status: Design 1961.

A nuclear Aerospaceplane proposed by Martin in 1961. The enormous aircraft would be five times larger than the XB-70 bomber and be equipped with extendible, flexible wings to provide optimal aerodynamics at all speed ranges - from take-off to orbit and then landing. It was to be equipped with a magnetohydrodynamic engine using liquid nitrogen, liquefied from the atmosphere, and accelerated using electromagnetic force to provide net thrust at all flight regimes. The exhaust would not be contaminated as in other nuclear-aircraft schemes, since it was used to power the MHD accelerator rather than heat air directly.