Re:Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion
by lostlogin on Saturday May 25, 2013 @11:37PM
(#5769929)
As a thought - time distance and shielding were the 3 features of my education on radiation safety. What if the plane was very large - such that the crew were a long way forward of the reactor? Would some kind of hydraulic movement to shift the cockpit forward once altitude was gained work? This sort of thing happens to wings, why not cockpit?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Distance will help, but I imagine the plane would have to be absurdly large. The reduction in radiation exposure from each additional foot of distance will go down the farther out you go, and at some point, the additional fuselage will weigh more than the equivalent shielding. It wouldn't surprise me if that point was not all that far out.