The XF-108 was expected to be able to reach altitudes of 80,000 feet, which would have made the Rapier one of the highest-flying aircraft ever built. The North American XF-108 Rapier was a proposed ...
The XF-108 Rapier was designed to cruise at Mach 3, carry radar-guided missiles, and intercept threats far before they reached U.S. soil. But it never flew - canceled in 1959 amid shifting priorities.