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Comments on Laser Aircraft Refueling: Power Transfer Beams?
Patent application provides hope that there will be air travel after the age of oil. (Read
the complete story)
| "I prefer laser guided popcorn popping like in Real Genius. :)" (Brandon 12/9/2008 8:32:30 AM) |
| "In "A Step Farther Out" by Jerry Pournelle, one chapter discusses something even better. It takes the concept that the Laser Launch system uses, (the one with the launch vehicles that look like little UFO's) but places it inside an "engine" with a transparent shell. When a laser (or Maser) is directed at the engine, it effectively turns it into a pulse-jet, using beamed power. The prototypes that were built only needed to carry fuel for take-off and landing, while using lasers from a ground base to provide power for flight in between. The design was originally for use with Solar Power Satelites, and their MASERs. Two small passenger planes could be powered by one SPS at the design sizes & power levels that were planned." (Ashley 12/9/2008 10:59:48 AM) |
| "Ashley - I also recall the laser cannon from Niven & Pournelle's 1974 novel The Mote in God's Eye." (Bill Christensen 12/9/2008 2:00:10 PM) |
| "Ashley - I think that was published in 1979; pretty good example. I also forgot to link to this article about the first flight of a laser powered airplane." (Bill Christensen 12/9/2008 8:05:02 PM) |
| "Ah. I read the 1981 version. (not much different, just a few extra bits and an extra foreword) Tho considering that the book was actually a collection of the transcripts of various lectures Dr. Pournelle had given, edited to fit in book form, that shouldn't matter much." (Ashley 12/10/2008 7:37:15 AM) |
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