Although the Department of Defense does not appear to have records of the study's ultimate outcome, the design itself has nonetheless been cited in several sources.[2][3]
Design
The CL-1201 design project studied a nuclear-powered aircraft of extreme size, with a wingspan of 1,120 feet (340 m).[4] Had it been built, it would have had the largest wingspan of any airplane to date,[5] and certainly more than twice that of any aircraft of the 20th century.
A technical drawing of the nuclear power plant to be used on the CL-1201.
Power would be derived from the heat generated by a nuclear reactor and transferred to four jet engines near the rear, where it would superheat the air passing through to provide thrust. The craft would be capable of staying airborne for long periods of time, with an estimated endurance of 41 days. At low altitudes, the jets would burn conventional aviation fuel. In order to take off, the plane required 182 additional vertical lift engines. These were similar to the engines from the Boeing 747, which was new at the time.
Two variants were studied, a logistics support aircraft and an airborne aircraft carrier. There was a rumored third variant, but information on such a model has never been made public.
The logistics support variant would have a conventional heavy transport role, carrying hundreds of troops and their equipment at once.
The airborne aircraft carrier would have carried up to 22 fighter aircraft externally and would have an internal dock capable of handling two air-to-ground shuttle transport aircraft.
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