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Almost a whole page of posts about the F-108 Rapier flight performance and no one's mentioned wing loading? Sure at Mach 3.0 the F-108 would turn like other Mach 3.0 aircraft, even at 4-5 Gs it would take >25 NM to turn 180 degrees...But at lower speeds with a combat weight of around 75,000 lbs (50% fuel) it would have a wing loading of 40 lb/sqf and a thrust to weight ratio of 0.78 which is much better than a Miro (Mirage IIIE) at combat weight (~19,000 lbs) with 50 lb/sqf wing loading and TW of 0.68. So the F-108 could potentially outfly circa 1960 no. 1 hotrod. Of course the F-108 can also cruise at 80,000 feet which is 5 NM *ABOVE* just about anyone else...While the Proto-Phoneix missile system would not give a dogfight capability the F-108 would more than old its own with other 1960s fighters. With a Project Sixshooter like the F-106 it could deign to descend from the mid stratosphere and mix it up with lesser mortals.
Almost a whole page of posts about the F-108 Rapier flight performance and no one's mentioned wing loading? Sure at Mach 3.0 the F-108 would turn like other Mach 3.0 aircraft, even at 4-5 Gs it would take >25 NM to turn 180 degrees...
But at lower speeds with a combat weight of around 75,000 lbs (50% fuel) it would have a wing loading of 40 lb/sqf and a thrust to weight ratio of 0.78 which is much better than a Miro (Mirage IIIE) at combat weight (~19,000 lbs) with 50 lb/sqf wing loading and TW of 0.68. So the F-108 could potentially outfly circa 1960 no. 1 hotrod. Of course the F-108 can also cruise at 80,000 feet which is 5 NM *ABOVE* just about anyone else...
While the Proto-Phoneix missile system would not give a dogfight capability the F-108 would more than old its own with other 1960s fighters. With a Project Sixshooter like the F-106 it could deign to descend from the mid stratosphere and mix it up with lesser mortals.
