American Atomic-Powered Bomber (1955)On Feb. 7, 1955, LIFE Magazine featured a multi-page spread about the U.S. Air Force's program to build a long-range nuclear bomber powered by atomic energy. The article featured illustrations of such an aircraft as conceived by a group of aeronautical specialists the magazine assembled just for this feature story. The designers' concept was of a large delta-winged plane with a compact, egg-shaped atomic reactor situated just forward of the tail section. To protect the two-man crew from radiation, the cockpit was located at the end of an over-long, wild goose-like fuselage, which contained extra shielding just aft of the crew compartment.
Servicing of the aircraft was to be done in a mountainside hangar, the cockpit and aft sections separated by a thick, shielded wall. All maintenance of the nuclear reactor would be done by remote-controlled robotic devices.
In the article, experts speculated that the first atomic-powered bomber would be flown by the year 1960.
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