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Old 06-06-2023, 10:43 AM
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Backdating an X-15….

The first X-15 I built in my current 1/48th-scale series was 66670 depicting its first powered flight, 1-2-7, on 23 January 1960. But as X-15s go, the more historical “first flight” one would be X-15-2, 66671, which made the program’s first powered flight on 17 September 1959. I plan to build it somewhere along the line.

I decided to backdate my build of 1-2-7 to depict 66670’s first free flight, 1-1-5, which was a glide flight. The flight on 8 June 1959, with test pilot Scott Crossfield at the controls, was the only glide flight of the entire X-15 program.

66670’s markings were the same on both flights, but the glide flight featured a unique bit of plumbing under the tail. It shows up in photos, and as far as I’ve been able to determine, 1-1-5 was the only flight to carry it. Undoubtedly part of the jettison system, it included a tube that stuck out the rear of the right tunnel, snaked down the tail cone with some curves and bends and then attached to a larger tube suspended under the tail cone on three “A” shaped supports. (I emailed Dennis Jenkins, author of “Hypersonic,” and he said he wasn’t sure what was jettisoned through the plumbing. He is fairly certain 1-1-5 was the only flight to carry it.)

The first step in my project was to extend the tail cone, which I decided was too short on my model. X-15s equipped with the LR-11 motor had longer tail cones than the later LR-99-equipped X-15s. Although the tail cone on my model was extended, it wasn’t long enough. Instead of cutting off the old tail cone, I decided to build a new, longer one that would just fit snug over the existing one.

I took an unused tail cone piece and extended the rear by 2mm. I cut it out and used it as a template to cut a new piece from lightweight black paper. I made a new end cap, then carefully pried the LR-11 engines off the end cap of the old tail cone. I fit the new tail cone over the existing one and glued on the rocket motors.

The plumbing was fashioned out of fuse wire and solder. I made the supports out of cereal box cardboard cut to shape and painted silver with a metallic Sharpie. It took lots test bending, fitting, more bending, more fitting etc. to get everything lined up.
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Last edited by dhanners; 06-06-2023 at 11:21 AM.
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Old 06-06-2023, 10:57 AM
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And it looks awesome! I really love the detailing.
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