Plasma Wings?

[TJ McCaustland]

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 November 5, 2014 by TJ McCaustland

[elfmotat]

Maybe, but it sounds like it would be a terribly inefficient (and probably dangerous) way of doing things.

[swansont]

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.

[TJ McCaustland]

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

[swansont]

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?

[Greg H.]

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.

[pzkpfw]

An airliner built like this could give its passengers a free lunch.

[Delta1212]

An airliner built like this could give its passengers a free lunch.

There's no such thing as an airline lunch.

[John Cuthber]

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.

[TJ McCaustland]

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?

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.

[John Cuthber]

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

[Mordred]

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

Roflmao

[Endy0816]

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).