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Posted (edited)

Would it be possible with materials that can withstand it, to create plasma and propel and aircraft via superheated wings transforming gases into plasma and providing thrust through the expansion of those gases?

Edited by TJ McCaustland
Posted

Why would you get thrust and lift from the wing? How would you make the heating asymmetrical? Why would a wing be the best shape to do this? The closest analogue I can think of for this would be a rocket engine, and they are not anything like wings.

Posted
  On 11/5/2014 at 4:50 PM, TJ McCaustland said:

Well the reason why you would do this is because of the reason that you would not have to provide fuel.

 

How do you get the wings (or whatever) hot enough to form a plasma from the air, and maintain the temperature after you've transferred energy to the air in creating a plasma?

Posted
  On 11/5/2014 at 5:15 PM, swansont said:

How do you get the wings (or whatever) hot enough to form a plasma from the air, and maintain the temperature after you've transferred energy to the air in creating a plasma?

I am guessing you would need fuel.

Posted
  On 11/5/2014 at 3:57 PM, TJ McCaustland said:

Would it be possible with materials that can withstand it, to create plasma and propel and aircraft via superheated wings transforming gases into plasma and providing thrust through the expansion of those gases?

Yes, or you could just use an engine.

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted
  On 11/5/2014 at 5:18 PM, Greg H. said:

I am guessing you would need fuel.

True, but say we had a mythical fuel that did not vaporize the wings, and did not produce stupidly high levels of radiation, would this be possible, though terribly ineffective?

  On 12/4/2014 at 4:55 PM, TJ McCaustland said:

True, but say we had a mythical fuel that did not vaporize the wings, and did not produce stupidly high levels of radiation, would this be possible, though terribly ineffective?

Because I can see that on worlds like Venus, if we ever get there, this could be highly effective due to the dense atmosphere.

Posted
  On 12/4/2014 at 9:15 PM, John Cuthber said:

I wiser man than me once said something like- "jet packs are easy, it's fireproof pants that are the problem."

Roflmao

Posted

Wouldn't need it on Venus. Pressure is comparable to Earth's at greater heights. Winds could also be utilized to traverse almost the entire planet(at a reasonable height).

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