The North American XF-108 Rapier was a proposed long-range, high-speed interceptor aircraft designed by North American Aviation intended to defend the United States from supersonic Soviet strategic bombers.

The CFM International CFM56 (U.S. military designation F108) series is a Franco-American family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International (CFMI), with a thrust range of 18,500 to 34,000 lbf (82 to 150 kN).

It was going to be the biggest, fastest and most heavily armed fighter in the air. The North American F-108 Rapier, designed in response to a U.S. Air Force preliminary study of Oct. 11, 1955, was going to be the heaviest fighter of its era, weighing even more than the Soviet Union’s huge Tupolev Tu-128 “Fiddler.”

Jan 16, 2020 · At the time, North American stated that the F-108 would cruise and fight at Mach 3 speeds with a 1,000 nautical mile radius on internal fuel as well as having a combat ceiling in excess of 77,000 feet and zoom-climb ceiling over 100,000 feet.

Jul 5, 2021 · It was born out of a need to protect the U.S. against the threat of approaching Soviet bombers armed with nuclear weapons if a war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. ever broke out. As an interceptor, the XF-108 was designed for range and extremely high speeds, so it could greet and shoot down Soviet bombers long before they were over U.S. territory.

Nov 11, 2014 · North American Aviation’s XF-108 was probably the most advanced interceptor of the Cold War that never was. The early 1950s saw the introduction of a variety of new aircraft into military service- the 2nd generation of fighter aircraft and the inclusion of jet-powered intercontinental strategic bomber aircraft.

Feb 7, 2020 · Meant to be stop armageddon, getting to the Soviet bombers first, the XF-108 would be the only jet to be able to escort the Mach 3 XB-70 bomber. An artist's concept of the Mach 3 XF-108 interceptor. (U.S. Air Force)

Sep 8, 2020 · As told by Peter E. Davies in his book North American XB-70 Valkyrie, its main purpose was to climb to 81,000ft, reach Mach 3, and fly for up to 1,000 nautical miles to intercept incoming bombers using an automated fire-control system.

North American Aviation, builder of the F-86 Sabre and F-100 Super Sabre, won the competition for what would become the F-108 program in June 1957. It had competed hard since 1955 against Lockheed and Northrop for the program then known as the Long-Range Interceptor, Experimen-tal (LRI-X). follow-on order expected for 30 further prototypes.

Nov 7, 2015 · The North American F-108 Rapier was designed in 1957 as a modified-delta, twin-engined two-seat fighter larger by far than any previous fighter ever built. Its two crewmen were to wear pressure suits and ride inside individual ejection capsules.