Closed cycle water propellant airplane

[Spacescifi]

How viable is a sea plane that uses closed cycle nuclear water propulsion?

Since closed cycle nuclear is safe-ish, and if the plane goes down in the middle the ocean so what? Lot safer than over land.

It be the kind of airplane Batman would like LOL.

Theoretically it may be faster than a jet airliner for intercontinental travel, because it only has to refeuel using ocean water.

The main challenge is landing safely everytime.

I suppose it will be like a giant seaplane of sorts with huge wings.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Spacescifi

[kerbiloid]

It be a bad batman, irradiating everyone around, because it should anyway land water waterland splash do what hydroplanes do near a human depot, not in open ocean.

[YNM]

36 minutes ago, Spacescifi said:

Since closed cycle nuclear is safe-ish, and if the plane goes down in the middle the ocean so what? Lot safer than over land.

Have you heard about continents ?

[Spacescifi]

23 minutes ago, YNM said:

Have you heard about continents ?

 

Dock at seaports, don't fly overland.

[YNM]

8 minutes ago, Spacescifi said:

Dock at seaports, don't fly overland.

Tough luck.

[Spacescifi]

6 minutes ago, YNM said:

Tough luck.

 

Not really. Car can take you or train to nearest airport overland.

[YNM]

2 minutes ago, Spacescifi said:

Car can take you or train to nearest airport overland.

Takes 2000 km to a coast, then another 1500 km...

[kerbiloid]

53 minutes ago, YNM said:

Have you heard about continents ?

Just bigger islands.

***

A great map. Thanks.

[Starman4308]

It would almost certainly be cheaper and safer to have the nuclear power plant generate fuel on land (e.g. via the Fischer-Tropsch process), and run the aircraft on that fuel.

There might be tactical reasons to have a nuclear-powered military aircraft, e.g. to have a very long-endurance bomber, but midair refueling makes that much less important as well.

The big, expensive nuclear reactor with loads of radioactive fuel can power aircraft perfectly well without ever leaving the ground.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Starman4308