Exotic Aircraft Propulsion Scheme

[dy031101]

Potential long-term bucket list entry here, but I think I'll try asking for some input now anyway.

Inspired by ElectrikBlue's Griffon III, I'm thinking of a variation, maybe set up in a parallel world where development of afterburners ran into snags or an alternative aviation fuel was adopted.

I'm having a hard time making a choice though.  Under the same theme I've already made a ramjet Typhoon and a coal-fired Eagle, and planned a jet-rocket scheme for my take on the Avro 729...... what else do I still have left for this?

Or maybe I can still use the turbo-ramjet scheme but place the engines differently from the scheme of the ramjet Typhoon in order to better suit the smaller fuselage of ElectrikBlue's base design...... can anyone make a suggestion, if this should prove interesting enough?

Thanks in advance.

[Radish]

I like the idea of coal power,and in fact begain a 1/48th F-4C Phantom years ago for a "Coal-Powered" Phantom of the Great Western Railway. I'd even bought the stokers and cut out the top of the fuselage. I lost interest though and it was binned in a clear out.

There's always aether-screw power though, the sort I use on aerial warships, steam yachts, etc....I might build something with a big screw.

[Hobbes]

You could install a fan driven by a piston engine.

Nuclear power is also possible, but unrealistic in a small aircraft. Unless you postulate a design that also includes electromagnetic shielding.

[The Rat]

You could install a fan driven by a piston engine.

There's an idea I've toyed with, as in 'what if the concept behind the Caproni Campini N.1 had worked?'

[lenny100]

coal fired is not that far away, back in the 1920 here in seaham there was a plant wich turned coal into oil but it was a low grade stuff that at the time was of little use, but a simmler type of grade stuff is now used as avation fuel.  the plant was abandond due to lack of money to continue working out the bugs, but the buildings were around untill 1995 when they were nocked down along with the 3 coal mines in the town!!!

[frank2056]

Nuclear power is also possible, but unrealistic in a small aircraft. Unless you postulate a design that also includes electromagnetic shielding.

If you go slightly into the controversial science realm, an induced gamma emission based engine would only require a tiny amount of radioactive material to produce thrust. Like this proposal. Just don't stand behind the operating jet (good advice for any jet engine).

[Radish]

Oars...the Vikings use oars.

[PR19_Kit]

Sails are where it's at!

If the America's Cup contestants can use aircraft wings to move their boats, why not use sails to move our aircraft?

And it'd be VERY environmental as well.........

[Steel Penguin]

use an orbital solar array, and beam down the power in the form of microwaves? good if your only doing flights in tightly controlled flight paths. 

[dy031101]

Ducted fan and/or motorjet...... then I'll have to derive EB's design into a trainer...... or a low-intensity "interceptor"   ?