Pluto: Well, it wasn't actually designed to "salt" anything with fallout, but that's the effect, yes. I'm glad they didn't build it, except as a test device.
I am glad they tested it. You don't find out whether a research idea is any good, until you try it out "for real" in development work. This particular one turned out to be a very bad idea.
That's not to say the basic nuclear ramjet idea couldn't be made to work more appropriately. Just not with 1960-ish technology.
One of the few good uses for solid rocket motors
-
GW Johnson
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:14 pm
- Location: McGregor, TX USA
- Contact:
Sooner or later, you've got to actually build something. The modern-day locomotive is a far cry from the early wood-burners, but we couldn't have gotten to it without the crude early ones... which were seen as the height of technology of the times.
When opinion and reality conflict - guess which one is going to win in the long run.
-
GW Johnson
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:14 pm
- Location: McGregor, TX USA
- Contact:
Oh yes, I quite agree. I got to ride in the locomotive cab of a steam engine back in July, first time I had been in one since 1952.
Old number 201 on the Texas State Railroad near Palestine. She was originally a wood burner, built 109 years ago. She burns fuel oils now, which makes the fireman's job easier. This is standard gage stuff, not narrow gage.
I rode both ways with the crew. Think I could probably drive or fire the thing now. It takes two, one man cannot safely do both jobs at once.
Old number 201 on the Texas State Railroad near Palestine. She was originally a wood burner, built 109 years ago. She burns fuel oils now, which makes the fireman's job easier. This is standard gage stuff, not narrow gage.
I rode both ways with the crew. Think I could probably drive or fire the thing now. It takes two, one man cannot safely do both jobs at once.
GW Johnson
McGregor, Texas
McGregor, Texas