| WS-125 | |
|---|---|
 A cutaway drawing of the proposed WS-125 testbed aircraft | |
| General information | |
| Project for | Long-rangeNuclear-powered aircraftstrategic bomber |
| Issued by | United States Air Force |
| Requirement | WS-125 |
TheWS-125 was an American super-long-rangestrategic bomber project during theCold War to develop anuclear-powered aircraft.
In 1954, theUnited States Air Force (USAF) issued a weapons system requirement for a nuclear-powered bomber, designated WS-125. In 1956,General Electric teamed up withConvair (X211 program) andPratt & Whitney withLockheed in competitive engine/airframe development to address the requirement.[1]
In 1956, the USAF decided that the proposed WS-125 bomber was unfeasible as an operational strategic aircraft. Finally, after spending more than $1 billion, the project was cancelled on March 28, 1961.[citation needed]
TwoGeneral Electric J87 turbojet engines were successfully powered to nearly full thrust using two shielded reactors. Two experimental engines complete with reactor systems (HTRE-3 andHTRE-1, which was modified and renamedHTRE-2) are located at theEBR-1 facility south of theIdaho National Laboratory.
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