F-108 Rapier: the elusive Mach 3 interceptor.(Excerpt)(Cover Story)

From: Airpower | Date: September 1, 2004| Author: | Copyright information

INTRODUCTION: For a while during the 1950s, it seemed that all types of aircraft--fighters, bombers, airliners, and maybe even general aviation--were going to fly at three times the speed of sound in the near future. As it turned out, of course, Mach 3 was a lot harder than it first appeared. Of all the proposals, it seemed that an interceptor could most benefit from the additional speed, enabling it to shoot down enemy bombers further from their targets. The Air Force therefore embarked on an elusive search for a Mach 3 interceptor.

LRI-X

The F-108 can trace its roots to ...

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