(Christian bale batman voice). You called?
I don't have too much time, so a few tidbits (until tomorrow, I want to see where this leads)
Caveat, I am cur rely working on some thorium systems. (and thus can't go into some details due to NDA material)
1. Thorium isn't fissile (with thermal neutrons), it's fertile (excess neutrons from a normal chain reaction of fissile stuff can turn it into a fissile material) you need to irradiate (to make u-233) before it is fissile, so all thorium reactors use a "startup" fuel of conventional uranium or plutonium
2. Thorium eliminates nearly all proliferation aspects except for the aforementioned startup fuel)
3. The nuclear airplane wouldn't (and didn't) use thorium, (both for reason number 1, and the fact that a thorium system needs more fuel per unit power, but generates more energy per unit fuel)
4. Uranium was the main first choice because of the fertile/fissile aspect--the bomb part was secondary (the first reactor was uranium, even though thorium was easier to get)--basically, neutrons are precious (especially in inefficient designs) so you need every last one to keep the fissile chain reaction going ("critical") and can't spare any to make new fuel.
5. Uranium/plutonium breeder reactors (uses initial startup of uranium to turn depleted uranium into plutonium which is then consumed, similar to the thorium/uranium-233 way) are more efficient and more compact...but have the P word...hence, the current fascination with thorium
6. Google THTR--the Germans built a BIG thorium reactor in the 70's/80's that yielded most (along with AVR) of the current thorium fuel information
Okay, that's all for now, more tomorrow after I see where this leads.