F-108 Rapier

[MartG]

I can't remember what the armament was intended to be .

3 x AIM-47 ( precursor of the Phoenix ) in an internal weapons bay 

[Weaver]

God that looks good! 

It might be a hell of a big aircraft, but it also looks like it's got a lot of wing for it's size: I wonder how maneuverable it would have been?

They didn't have any at Heyford when I was there, I'm sure I would have noticed

As I recall the F-108 was intended as a Mach 3.0 escort for the B-70 Valkyrie bomber (read world fuel shortage with wings...) so it probably would have needed the big wings just to stay airborne waaaaaay up there in the stratosphere. I can't remember what the armament was intended to be (I bet someone on here does though......) and it may have been something like the Phoenix so manouverability may not have been high on its list of needs.

One of those 'they really should have built it anyway' aircraft to my mind.

Oh I appreciate that it's design mission didn't involve turn'n'burn, but then neither did the F-106's and that turned out to be a much better dogfighter than anyone expected when tested (hence the Vulcan mod in the early '70s). The -108 looks as though if it had to drop down to Mach=0.9 at 30,000ft, it would give some sneering "proper fighter" jocks a nasty surprise. Mind you, it would depend on two things:

1. Fuel State. If it's fuel fraction was big enough to escort the Valkyrie then it's wing loading probably went from VERY high to VERY low as it burned it off,

2. Having suitable weapons.

[BlackOps]

  A real beauty! Nicely done 

[Green Dragon]

Looks good in the grey Mart, nice one. Might get round to finishing mine one of these years!

Paul Harrison

[Martin H]

The Anigrand F 108 is a great kit, I built one when it was first released.

Always good to see another one built

[noxioux]

A real beauty.  Looks like there's some nice, rare and tasty treats showing up around here all of a sudden. . .

[Matt Wiser]

Yes, and those AIM-47s were to be either conventional or nuclear. The idea as a B-70 escort was to burn off (literally) the Voyska PVO that came up to intercept the Valkryies on War Day. Alternatively, ADC would also have used the F-108 as an interceptor to burn the Bears and Bisons as they came over the pole. The nuclear load for the AIM-47 has been described as being of 20-200 KT. (probably was going to be a dial-a-yield)  Nicely done, btw.

[anthonyp]

Always good to see another one built

Totally agree with that, Martin!  This one's a beauty!  Hated that canopy, though   

For nostalgia purposes, here's my old gal:

[Matt Wiser]

There's another what-if possible for the F-108: the AF would've been foolish not to consider the possiblity of an RF-108 variant for high-speed, high altitude tactical recon. Just swap out the weapons bay with the camera or ELINT package, or have interchangable modules depending on the mission requirements. The AI radar would still be needed to pick out bad guys coming to try and see if they can arrange things so that your pics and/or ELINT data don't get back. Of course, a pair of F-108A interceptors would be flying shotgun to do nasty things to any party crashers....

[MartG]

Hated that canopy, though   

Fully agree with that 

[Martin H]

Hated that canopy, though   

Fully agree with that 

LOL that makes 3 of us then

[pyro-manic]

Great models of a gorgeous machine.