Lenticular Reentry Vehicle

Seems that governments always have something to hide...in such, I was a bit amazed at finding this article on the LRV and its purpose.
I began to wonder at exactly how much technology and technology advancements is/are currently known versus what is not public knowledge.
I'm wondering also that if the US was using one of these or something similar to this back then, would this not explain some of the hype of UFO's? In other words....folks were actually seeing this craft or similar crafts versus seeing actual UFO's?

Article:
America's Nuclear Flying Saucer"
Link:
www.military.com...

Excerpt:
"In our July 1997 cover story, �Roswell Plus 50,� POPULAR MECHANICS detailed how Air Force interest in duplicating Nazi technology led to two American flying disc projects. Project Silver Bug sought to build a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Project Pye Wacket was to create small discs for use as air-to-air missiles. Documents declassified since then point to a third secret project, a 40-ft. �flying saucer� designed to rain nuclear destruction on the Soviet Union from 300 miles in space.

The official designation for America�s nuclear flying saucer was the Lenticular Reentry Vehicle (LRV). It was designed by engineers at the Los Angeles Division of North American Aviation, under a contract with the U.S. Air Force. The project was managed out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio, where German engineers who had worked on rocket plane and flying disc technology had been resettled.

The LRV escaped public scrutiny because it was hidden away as one of the Pentagon�s so-called �black budget� items -- that is, a secret project that is incorporated into some piece of nonclassified work. On Dec. 12, 1962, security officers at Wright-Patterson classified the LRV as secret because: �It describes an offensive weapon system.� The project remained classified until May 1999, when a congressionally mandated review of old documents changed the project�s status as a government secret, downgrading it to public information. The Department of Defense did, however, successfully seek to have the document�s distribution restricted to defense contractors. PM obtained its copy as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request...."

The article is a fascinating read and gives details and descriptions of the craft....inside and out.


Link:
www.military.com...


regards
seekerof

the most compelling evidence that the LRV, or a flying prototype, was actually built comes from Australia.

In 1966 a flying saucer aparently exploded over a secret Australian testing range where the British and Americans conducted some of their most secret atomic experiments. Honeycomb debris from the crash contained minerals commonly found in aircraft-grade fiberglass panels.

Inventor's World magazine did a brief report on a patent that was filed supposedly by British Aerospace having to do with a nuclear powered flying saucer craft.

Link:
easyweb.easynet.co.uk...

There's lots of info on the web about this LRV but check out Pop Mech site for more information:

Link to USAF Nuclear Powered Flying Saucer story:
Popular Mechanics - USAF's NUCLEAR FLYING SAUCER



[Edited on 12-12-2003 by intelgurl]


[Edited on 12-12-2003 by intelgurl]

I have the magazeen artical about this aircraft. In that artical it was refered to as "America's Nuclear Powered Flying Saucer" Wonder if it might be a secret spinoff of this craft that is resonsible for some of the UFO sightings.

Tim

The strangest thing is that we don't here of this project years after they were busy with them it seems that if it did work that they made more than one and that they made newer types.

Had working nuclear powered planes..

prototypes..

Of Tupolev 'Bear' type..

USA also had some planes that flew under nuclear power..
(i think that the type was B-36, but im not sure.. i have it on one of my books..)

I appreciate your responding John/Fulcrum.
Do you have more information that you would be willing to present on this Tu-95M.
I would be interested in hearing what you think and any other hard data on this aircraft.

Thanks


regards
seekerof

[Edited on 14-12-2003 by Seekerof]

Have seen this before, I remember reading that the technology was in the end ruled out as impractical.

But remember computer tech was limited in those days and there was no known way to stabilize such a craft.

With development of anti-grav tech and other advanced jet propulsion systems it is possible that this craft could be rehabilitated but it would have to be larger than the scale shown as it had little payload capability.

Project for a nuclear-powered bomber. One proposal was a derivative of the Tu-95 with conventional NK-12 outboard engines and nuclear NK-14 inboard engines. A reactor was flown on a modified Tu-95, but did not contribute to the propulsion.

lanned flying laboratory version of the Tu-95 with a nuclear reactor on board.
Not flown.

Fulcrum...

the Tu-95 was named Tu-119...

it also was just a project...

sorry but there is not to much info about this aircraft...

Originally posted by THENEO
Have seen this before, I remember reading that the technology was in the end ruled out as impractical.

please post the site where it says its impractical...

Lenticular Reentry Vehicle?

What do you think?

But:

The heavy and far-distance bombers with nuclear power unit
The project of heavy bomber with nuclear power unit on the base of heavy bombers 3M
The Tu-95LAP experimental aircraft (order "247")
The experimental aircraft "119" (Tu-119)
The project of heavy bomber with nuclear power unit OKB-156 (Test and Design Bureau)
The project of far-distance bomber "120"
The project of far-distance bomber M-30
The project of heavy strategic bomber M-60
The project of heavy strategic bomber M-62



(Tu-95 LAP aka TU-95 LAL?)

There is quite complete article series in AIR International in June, July and August issues of 2002.

And at the moment i can find only first 2.

But what is for sure is that couple of BEARs did fly under nuclear powers..

As did couple of US bombers..

Just can find the facts right now..

But this did happen..



*edit*

www.ufx.org...
www.fas.org...
www.abovetopsecret.com...
www.duotone.com...
www.atomicengines.com...
home.att.net...



Theres couple of links..

Nothing really good, but they do show that this was something that was worked on..



[Edited on 15-12-2003 by FULCRUM]

This is only a picture text..

But is most infomative..

From AIR International June 2002:

Unquestionably most radical modification of the Tu-95 was the Tu-95LAL (Lyetayushchaya Atomnaya Laboratoriya) airborne nuclear test-bed. The aircraft, converted to nuclear propulsion from a standard Tu-95M, using NK-14A (Atomny) engines, flew 34 sorties between May and August 1961 in connection with airborne nuclear powerplant research. Although generally successful and with radiation protection for the crew proving adequate, the flight tests releaved intolerably high costs for very little gain and it was decided to terminate the project.



This also features a high-quality picture of it..

Sadly i do not own a scanner..



But i hope that info i found proves useful or/and interesting..

thanks for the info Fulcrum...

as far as I know there hasn't been a plane thtat has been propelled by a nuclear engine only such that carried a nuclear reactor

and I tried with google but I can't find any info on that Tu-95LAL

Originally posted by vorazechul
as far as I know there hasn't been a plane thtat has been propelled by a nuclear engine only such that carried a nuclear reactor

and I tried with google but I can't find any info on that Tu-95LAL

Well,

Tu-95LAL (Lyetayushchaya Atomnaya Laboratoriya), was such.

Flew 34 sorties between May and August 1961.

flight tests releaved intolerably high costs for very little gain and it was decided to terminate the project.



And your right.

There isnt much info online.. (if any..)

But this is 100% truht.

Frocker did fly under nuclear power.

Originally posted by FULCRUM

Originally posted by vorazechul
as far as I know there hasn't been a plane thtat has been propelled by a nuclear engine only such that carried a nuclear reactor

and I tried with google but I can't find any info on that Tu-95LAL

Well,

Tu-95LAL (Lyetayushchaya Atomnaya Laboratoriya), was such.

Flew 34 sorties between May and August 1961.

flight tests releaved intolerably high costs for very little gain and it was decided to terminate the project.

And your right.

There isnt much info online.. (if any..)

But this is 100% truht.

Frocker did fly under nuclear power.

what is that Frocker a joke or what

Think about it, the LRV would have been the first space warship, which would have opened the door for all sorts of other space-based (albeit military) apps, such as interceptors, etc. One of the Salyut stations actually carried a cannon to fend off attacks from attacking Apollo spacecraft (!).

But there's been a lot of rumour that there's more to the US space arsenal than spy sats... 40 years ago they did have the technology to build such a thing (of course, with 10 years of R&D). So what's flying now? Are there manned vessels like this, I wonder?

hey guys, iv been following this thread and noticed that this ship/plane thingy looks like whats in this thread?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

That Looks Cool If It Actually Comes Out It Would Be Awesome

I am very intrigued by this project. I am trying to put together various possibly inter-related info that would support this and similar ships being mistaken as UFO's. Intelurl, thanks for that picture.

Just imagine durring the height of the Cold War that these craft or their prototypes were being tested. Losing one or more of these around civilian populated areas ... know where I am going with that?

Here's an associated fringe note that I'm am looking into as well. USAF Saucer Type Aircraft
This could be a connection/link between the Vought V-173 and the final LRV. I am fascinated by the cross of this subject with UFO sightings. I would love to get some animations going in support of a short documentary.

Any comments, suggestions, follow up would be great



Here's the original Popular Science image when it was posted on their site.