Oh... I've Gotta Get Me One Of These... North American XF-108 Rapier

[K'Tesh]

I wonder if it could be done with some NewWays Body ?tubes?

 

[K'Tesh]

I'm thinking something like A NewWays set of "body tubes" for the main fuselage and the engine intakes... A PNC-60RL nosecone for the radome/cockpit area with another cropped to form the taper from the square sides to the nosecone area... Rear ejection for the motor pod?

 

[K'Tesh]

Images from a 1/144th scale kit that I found online, and from another history of the aircraft site.

 

[burkefj]

Tom Blakeney did a pretty nice profile rapier a while back, https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/xf-108-little-valkyrie.165395/

 

[heada]

You can ask NewWay by paging Rick and tagging @Bluegrass Rocket

The engines look possible. Wings are standard ply or balsa/basswood. Cockpit is mostly square-ish but I'm not getting a square vibe from the body. Nose is obviously not square but it could be.

 

[GlenP]

I was going to attempt a funny comment, but alas, I lack the necessary rapier wit.

 

[burkefj]

Based on his Rear eject comment I think he wants it to glide, hence no basswood or ply...

You can ask NewWay by paging Rick and tagging @Bluegrass Rocket

The engines look possible. Wings are standard ply or balsa/basswood. Cockpit is mostly square-ish but I'm not getting a square vibe from the body. Nose is obviously not square but it could be.

 

[kuririn]

 

[K'Tesh]

Here's a link to a Russian model site that features the XF-108. Lots of pretty photos of a 1/48th scale kit.

A Google Translation of the site's entry reads as follows:

Collect Aire 1/48 XF-108 Rapier
From administration:

Pretty rare resin model of the XF-108 Rapier fighter by Collect Aire (creepy firewood).

If anyone is not in the know, the XF-108 Rapier was created by North American as a high-speed (M = 3) interceptor and escort fighter for the XB-70 strategic supersonic bomber. A full-size mock-up of the aircraft was demonstrated in January 1959. The first flight of the aircraft was scheduled for March 1961. The XF-108 program was closed on September 23, 1959, almost simultaneously with the XB-70. The Hughes AN/ASG-18 fire control system and the AIM-47A (GAR-9) Falcon missiles developed for the XF-108 were used on the YF-12.

Initially, the model was built by Gennady Petrovich aka @Genry to order, but after some time it got to be restored by our other colleague - Alexei Radetsky aka @AlexR. Details of the history of the authors and restorers)) if they want, they will write in the comments.

 

[K'Tesh]

Based on his Rear eject comment I think he wants it to glide, hence no basswood or ply...

And... I posted this in the glider sub-forum. Looks like the build would be a cluster.

I wish I had more local resources for supplies. I'd like to try modeling some ideas, but I don't dare cut up what I have here because it's so hard (read: expensive) to replace. I might try rolling some paper tubes of my own, but the square tubes would be problematic. Cardboard might work for a static model though

 

[tab28682]

Clusters are typically not a good idea fro a rear engine scale-ish boost or rocket glider, due to cg problems.

On of my “get around to it” projects is to remove the profile body on my XF-108 RC RG and to install a lightweight built up depron fuselage. Will greatly improve the looks.

The XF-108 is a great glider subject due to the generous wing area.

 

[Cape Byron]

Clusters are typically not a good idea fro a rear engine scale-ish boost or rocket glider, due to cg problems.

On of my “get around to it” projects is to remove the profile body on my XF-108 RC RG and to install a lightweight built up depron fuselage. Will greatly improve the looks.

The XF-108 is a great glider subject due to the generous wing area.


View attachment 504339View attachment 504340

Looks fine to me!

 

[tab28682]

Looks fine to me!

Well, it looks good from a distance, if you squint a little….

 

[kuririn]

Well, it looks good from a distance, if you squint a little….

Great pics.
Couldn't tell that it is a profile glider.

 

[tab28682]

Great pics.
Couldn't tell that it is a profile glider.

Thanks. However, it is positively anorexic from some angles…