Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Deal To Develope Nuclear Rocket Engine Signed

This is topic Deal To Develope Nuclear Rocket Engine Signed in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-19-2003, 11:53 AM:

The Prez has recently signed this and it has been kept sort of quiet. If they are sucessful at doing this a trip to Mars might happen in the next decade and the trip would only take two months. Is this Star Trek or what????? Here is the link to the article....and it makes one think there might be something there that they are not telling us......
http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?0dm=C1CMT

Mark

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-19-2003, 12:32 PM:

The idea of developing nuclear-powered flight engines is not new: I remember several Popular Science and Mechanix Illustrated magazines from the mid to late 60's doing articles about in-development nuclear-powered engines for not only rockets but aircraft as well!

Then again these very same magazines were predicting at the peak of 'Wankel-Mania' that Detroit would be 100% converted to the Wankel engine by 1971! [Big Grin]

-Aaron

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 01-19-2003, 12:37 PM:

I owned a Mazda RX-2 in 1973. The Wankel engine was powerful, and thirsty. It drank gas. I put 35,000 miles on it, before it began drinking oil as fast as gas. Too bad. I sold it.

Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 01-19-2003, 01:58 PM:

According to the latest POPSCI Mazda has redesigned the "WANKEL" and it is supposed to be more reliable and efficient.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-19-2003, 05:48 PM:

A cousinb of mine had an RX-7 and never had problems with the rotoe seals, or drinking oil. I think by then that it was fixed. I think they ended up using either carbide, or tungsten seals on them.
Mark

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 01-19-2003, 06:18 PM:

There was nothing like the site of one of those early Mazda Wankels with blown rotor seals, cruising down the highway creating its own James Bond smokescreen & blinding other drivers. Some of those RX-7's smoked so bad they were a real road hazard. I understand Mazda later fixed the rotor seal problems, but what about improving the gas mileage?