Xf-103 - Mach 3 Stratospheric Interceptor Concept - Hugh Harkins

Rlic XF-103Conceived in the late 1940's as a high speed, high altitude air defence interceptor and developed through the 1950's as a Mach 3 interceptor capable of operating against Soviet strategic bombers in stratosphere and possibly extending toward the mesosphere, the Rlic XF-103 (Model AP-57) was an unsuccessful entrant in the USAF MX-1554 competition that fielded the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger interceptor. Post-MX-1554, the XF-103 took on the mantle of a research program to prove technologies..