The F-108 Rapier: A Dream That Never Took Flight
The F-108 Rapier was an experimental aircraft developed in the late 1950s by North American Aviation. It was designed to be a long-range, high-speed interceptor capable of defending the United States against Soviet bomber attacks. Despite its advanced technology and promising capabilities, the F-108 program was canceled in 1959 before any production aircraft were built.
Design and Development:
The F-108 was a large, delta-winged aircraft with a distinctive "cranked arrow" wing design. It was powered by two General Electric J93 turbojet engines, which were also used in the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber. The F-108 was designed to fly at speeds up to Mach 3 and have a range of over 2,000 miles.
The aircraft's primary weapon was the Hughes GAR-9 Falcon air-to-air missile, which was also intended for use on the XF-108. The GAR-9 was a long-range missile with a nuclear warhead designed to intercept Soviet bombers at a safe distance from their targets.
Cancellation:
The F-108 program was canceled in 1959 due to a combination of factors. One major factor was the changing nature of the Soviet threat. By the late 1950s, it was becoming clear that the primary threat to the United States was not long-range bombers but intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Another factor was the high cost of the F-108 program. The aircraft was estimated to cost over $100 million per unit in today's dollars, which was considered prohibitive at the time.
Finally, the F-108 program faced technical challenges. The development of the J93 engine was experiencing delays, and there were concerns about the aircraft's radar system and its ability to track and intercept high-speed targets.
Legacy
Despite its cancellation, the F-108 Rapier left a lasting legacy on aviation history. Its advanced design and technology influenced the development of later aircraft, such as the F-14 Tomcat and the B-1 Lancer. The F-108 also serves as a reminder of the Cold War arms race and the challenges of developing advanced military technology.

Also, learn about the XB-70 Valkyrie, including things You Might Now Know. The North American Supersonic Bomber That Never Was. A rare interview with General Fred Ascani, the person responsible for the XB-70 program for the Air Force, and a look at the history of the Boeing SST 2707, the supersonic airliner that was also prematurely scrapped.
The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the planned B-70 nuclear-armed, deep-penetration supersonic strategic bomber for the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command. Designed in the late 1950s by North American Aviation (NAA), the six-engined Valkyrie was capable of cruising for thousands of miles at Mach 3+ while flying at 70,000 feet (21,000 m).

By the mid-1950s, the United States had developed a state-of-the-art, all-jet-powered bomber force. The newly introduced Boeing B-52 Stratofortesss could reach the Soviet Union from just about anywhere in the world. The soon-to-be-introduced supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler could dash to supersonic speeds. Both aircraft were engineering marvels. But even so, they were expected to perform poorly over Soviet airspace. The B-52 flew too slowly to stand a chance against the latest generation of Soviet interceptors, while the supersonic B-58 lacked the required range and payload to be truly effective. The U.S. Air Force needed a next-generation bomber that would combine the capabilities of both these aircraft. A plane that could fly at supersonic speeds travel long distances and carry large payloads.

To meet their new bomber requirements, the Air Force contracted leading aerospace companies to explore radical new technologies, like nuclear-powered jet engines for extending aircraft range and high-energy ‘zip-fuels’ to increase aircraft performance. Boeing and North American Aviation would play a vital role in research. But given the limitations of technology, the most practical solution put forward was the ‘dash concept’, which detailed an enormous aircraft that would travel subsonically most of the way to its target before jettisoning outer portions of its wings and fuel tanks to make a supersonic dash. These concepts were studied in an era of extraordinary advances in aviation technology and engineering, and by 1957 it became apparent that it might be possible to build a large, long-range bomber that could fly supersonically over its entire mission.

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