Convair NX2 / Model 54 CAMAL Nuclear Bomber

[Orionblamblam]

CONVAIR NX-2 CAMAL, The Story Of The Secret Post WW2 Atomic Powered Bomber Plane

That video appears to be cobbled together from several other documentaries, including one from The Military Channel.

And the first one? It included, without apparent attribution, diagrams *I* made.

Bah.

 

[Orionblamblam]

What's especially galling is that the diagrams were modified to *remove* my ID...

 

[Vitzenhauzer]

And the whole lot. Basically: what Pratt (= CANEL) did with the indirect cycle, post 1961 ANP cancellation (besides the SNAP-50 spaceborne reactor, but that's another story)

For the record: Convair NX-2 was to fly with 4 nuclear J58s grouped in a package called the NJ-18A propulsion system.

Hello,
I am working on a performance analysis of the JTN11 engine and these sources are an incredible find. Is it possible you could tell me where you got these scans and/or where to find more P&W reports/studies? All that I've been able to find is just from osti.gov.

 

[Archibald]

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/aircraft-nuclear-propulsion-program-manned-aircraft-progress-report-1956-1958-video.45325/

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Model 54 was earlier than NX2.

https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc837431/m2/1/high_res_d/1048124.pdf

A new objective was provided by the Air Force on October 28, 1958, as Systems Operation Requirement No, 172 for "a Continuous airborne missile launcher and low level weapons system" (CAMAL). The CAMAL mission retained the extended cruise and low-level penetration of SOR 81 but substituted the use of long-range, air-to-ground ballistic missiles for the high altitude supersonic portion of the flight regime. The XMA-1 development was redirected toward the CAMAL objective. First flight in 1963 was assumed as a target date using an early model of the power plant, the XMA-IA with a reactor of the type tested in HTRE-3. An improved model, the XMA-IC, using an advanced metallic or ceramic reactor was placed in preliminary design. The proposed Convair Model 54 aircraft was considered to be the flight vehicle.

SUBSONIC MISSILE-LAUNCHING AND PENETRATION AIRCRAFT
Application studies were performed in 1959 to develop the aircraft and power plant characteristics required to meet the Department of Defense guidance for cruise at Mach 0.8 to 0.9 at 35,000 feet. Aircraft characteristics were based on the Convair Model 54. An advanced Convair Model 54 aircraft using four direct-air-cycle nuclear engines is shown in Figure 6.1.

Air launch ballistic missiles were to be carried under the wings; an additional bomb load was to be carried in the fuselage. The Model 54 could cruise at continuous airborne alert for approximately 5 days, could launch ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads from outside the target area, and could penetrate the target area at sea level and high subsonic speed at altitude for reconnaissance or to drop additional weapons.

Both three-engine and four-engine aircraft were examined in the application study. Aircraft optimized for the cruise condition, as well as others optimized for low level penetration were considered. Power plant performance was based on the single- and dual-engine data developed in the Advanced Configuration Study (section 4). The aircraft performance using the P140B is summarized in Table 6.1. Aircraft takeoff was assumed to be entirely
on chemical power using both chemical interburning and afterburning in the nuclear engines. Additional takeoff thrust was provided by two wing mounted chemical turbojets which were not used in flight. As an alternative, water-alcohol injection could be used to augment the chemically powered takeoff thrust of the nuclear engines. This reduced the aircraft weight, but increased the critical field length by approximately 4000 feet for the three-engine aircraft and 2000 feet for the four-engine aircraft. This was still within the 15, 000-foot limitation.

This study was instrumental in selecting the three-engine aircraft and the P140B powerplant configuration to meet the Department of Defense guidance. The auxiliary turbojet engines were adopted for takeoff augmentation in preference to water-alcohol injection because of the added flexibility. The aircraft was designated the "NX2" and the power plant the XNJ140E. The NX2 aircraft is shown in Figure 1.2

Figure 6.2 shows three XNJ140E engines installed In the NX2 aircraft. Flight conditions are given in section 4, Details of the NX2 and generic Model 54 aircraft may be obtained from Convair reports.


A study was performed of a B-52G aircraft as a flight test bed to evaluate and further develop the XNJ140E-1 nuclear engine prior to availability of the Convair NX2 aircraft. The aircraft would carry the engine in an external nacelle, side-mounted on the aft fuselage as in the Sabreliner and Caravelle configurations. The study indicated that the B-52G could be used for this purpose.

 

[Stargazer]

Model 54 was earlier than NX2.

Very interesting, thanks.
Isn't it possible that NX-2 may have been an iteration of the original Model 54 but could also have been part designated under the same Model Number? I'm not going to write it as a proper designation to avoid giving it a life of its own on the web, but the first iteration could very well have been the nuclear experimental number one.)

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Yes it could possibly still be Model 54.