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Old 08-08-2020, 10:05 AM
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Let's Build the X-15!

Ok, the thread title sounds like a hokey article from the old Boys' Life magazine, but I had a couple of requests for a build thread, so here goes. We’ll be building Yukonjohn’s redesign and repaint of Henry Yuen’s X-15; Yukonjohn redesigned it into the longer X-15A-2, and repainted it as it appeared in the summer of 1966, with test panels of an orange ablator and large white stripes on the bottom of the fuselage and wings. It'll be in Downloads soon, I imagine.

We’ll start with the fuselage. It comes in six parts, excluding formers and connectors. The pieces have tabs, but we’re not going to be using tabs at all in our build. We’ll be using connecting strips to make butt joints, and we’ll be making formers out of cereal box cardboard. (Unless otherwise noted, all references to cardboard will be cereal box stock.) We’ll do everything like normal, with a couple of significant changes. For one, we’re not going to cut out the slots for the wing former (Part 12) in Part 1; we won’t be using Part 12 without some serious modification. (The reason is that when you cut out the slots for Part 12, it winds up deforming the fuselage and side tunnels when you bend them to shape.)

Secondly, after we’ve cut Part 1 to shape but before rolling, we’re going to cut it into two parts. The reason: I hate gluing long, slender tubes. For me, it is much easier to glue shorter tubes, then join them. After we’ve rolled and glued the tubes and inserted cardboard formers (mine have a 9mm radius) on each end — but before we join them — we’re going to build in a receptacle for a small wood dowel that’ll serve as the stand. I’ll roll paper (which I’ve colored black on the inside) around the dowel to form a tube, then glue it inside the fuselage, cutting a hole for the dowel. Once it is dry, I’ll join the two pieces and assemble the forward fuselage.

Next, we assemble Parts 9 and 11, but before we glue them we’ll make a new rear bulkhead to hold the XLR-99 motor that we will scratchbuild later. We’ll use a circle cutter to cut the new O-shaped bulkhead, which will have a radius of 8mm. Then we’ll cut a circle out of that so the exhaust will fit in it later. This bulkhead will be inset from the edge of Part 11 about 1mm. Once it is glued in place, we’ll attach Parts 9 and 11 and add that assembly to the fuselage.

Once that is on, we’ll add the canopy. The key to the canopy is pre-shaping it.
Attached Thumbnails
Let's Build the X-15!-img_9993.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_9994.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_9995.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_9997.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_9998.jpg  


Last edited by dhanners; 08-08-2020 at 10:37 AM.
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Old 08-08-2020, 10:38 AM
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Forgot to add this photo:
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Old 08-08-2020, 11:11 AM
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Now we move on to the side tunnels, or chines. Each comes in four pieces, excluding connectors. The two keys here are scoring in the right places and pre-shaping the pieces into the rounded V cross-section. As with the fuselage, we will NOT be cutting out the slots for the wings or horizontal stabilizers.

We’ll begin by laminating the end pieces, Parts 13 and 22, to cardboard. Once that is done, I use the point of a compass to make a hole in each one where we will later be inserting the jettison tubes. Once it is dry, we’ll cut off the tabs. We’ll score the lines on pieces 14 and 23, and on parts 16 and 25, we’ll score the fold lines up to the first cut, just forward of the wing slots — which, again, we won’t be cutting out. Once all the tunnel pieces are assembled and the end pieces attached, we’ll be using a knitting needle or small brass tube to form a bend to make the rounded V shape.

I then cut thin strips of cereal box cardboard and glue them to the inside of the tunnels, about 3mm from the edge. These will provide some rigidity.

Once the tunnels are formed we’ll glue them to the fuselage. Since the national insignias have to line up, that’s where we’ll start the gluing. I usually glue the top of one tunnel, then glue the top of the other tunnel. By the time I’ve done this, the bottom of the first tunnel is ready to be glued. Then I glue the other bottom.
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Let's Build the X-15!-img_9999.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0001.jpg  
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Old 08-08-2020, 11:13 AM
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We now move on to the upper and lower stabilizer/rudder pieces. They are fairly straightforward, but our first step will be to cut lines on Parts 35 and 37 to represent the upper (and lower) part of the speed brake.

Also, we won’t be using the internal pieces, Parts 36 and 38, as is. We’ll be cutting off the tabs and also the side pieces that represent the interior of the speed brakes. We’ll make our own speed brake interiors out of gray cardstock laminated to double thickness.

We’ll also be making our own connectors for the leading edges of the stabilators, using normal-weight copying paper.

Once the stabilators are assembled, we glue them on, making sure to line them up properly and to leave enough room for the unnumbered part that holds the hemispherical tank at the rear of the upper stabilator. I made the tank half out of a circle of metallic paper, formed into a hemisphere.
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Let's Build the X-15!-img_0002.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0004.jpg  
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Old 08-08-2020, 11:16 AM
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On to the wings and horizontal stabilizers. We cut the wing former, Part 12, in half and laminate it to cardboard. Once it is dry, we cut out the wing portions. We glue these to the areas on the side tunnels that we were supposed to cut out but didn’t. I use Aleene’s Tacky Glue for this, and as the pieces are drying, I make sure they are lined up properly.

As they are drying, we start on the wings, Parts 33 and 34. We cut them out and score the leading edge so we can fold them. The trailing edge of X-15 wings and horizontal stabilizers had a pattern of black and white vertical stripes. To replicate this, I go low-tech. I type of a page of rows of the capital letter I (in 12-point Helvetica Neue) and print them out. I’ll cut out the rows, leaving about 5mm of white on the top and bottom of the rows of Is. I’ll turn it over and fold (not score) it in half and this will serve as the connector to hold d upper and lower wing trailing edges together.

Once the glue is dry, I apply a small bit of glue on the top and bottom of the wing stubs and slide the wings on, lining up the white stripes on the bottom. Once they are on, I run a VERY thin bead of glue along the fuselage/wing joint, but I start about 7mm behind the leading edge and stop at the flap; the bead will be 2.5cm long. X-15s had an expansion joint for the first few inches of the fuselage/wing joint to deal with heating of the airframe in flight; if you can find good photos of the wing, you can actually see daylight at the joint.

We’ll cut out and score the horizontal stabilizers — and we’ll also be using the “I” strips at the trailing edge — but before we glue them closed, we have to form them. The stabilizers actually had the cross-section of an elongated rhombus, so using a straightedge, we’ll gently add a crease from root to tip (top and bottom) of each stabilizer. Then we’ll glue it closed.

I punch a 2mm disk from black cardstock and glue it to the center of the root of the stabilizer; this will be how we attach it to the fuselage. We’ll set the stabilizers aside and glue them on last because while the disks add a bit of accuracy to the build, it comes at a cost of some robustness.
Attached Thumbnails
Let's Build the X-15!-img_0006.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0008.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0009.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0010.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0011.jpg  

Let's Build the X-15!-img_0012.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0013.jpg  
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Old 08-08-2020, 11:30 AM
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Now for the XLR-99 motor. While Henry and Yukonjohn offer an XLR-99, we’re going to build one that is more accurate. We begin by using a circle cutter to cut three O-shaped pieces; each will have an outer radius of 7mm and an inner radius of 4.5mm. I cut a similar piece out of silver paper.

The three O-shaped pieces are laminated and I glue the silver piece onto it. If you don’t have silver paper, you can color it with a silver Sharpie. I then glue a thin strip of silver paper around my donut. Once it is dry, I take Yukonjohn’s exhaust piece and cut 2.5mm off the outer edge. I then roll it into a cone and, once dry, glue it into the hole of my donut. I add other little bits to the face of the motor; look up photos online to see what the details are. Once you’re done, glue the motor into the rear of the fuselage.

The are various jettison tubes at the rear and I make those out of wire and paper. Superglue is your friend here, because the parts are small.

Next, we move on to the skids. I usually laminate the kit skids to three layers of cereal box cardboard, then cut them out. They have to be colored, off course.

All that is left are the various air data probes and antennas. The kit includes some, but I always make my own out of black cardstock.

Once all this is done, it is time to glue on the horizontal stabilizers. Again, look at photos online and three-view drawings to get the placement and angle correct.
Attached Thumbnails
Let's Build the X-15!-img_0014.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0015.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0016.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0017.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0018.jpg  

Let's Build the X-15!-img_0019.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0020.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0021.jpg  
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Old 08-08-2020, 11:34 AM
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And the finished product: The X-15A-2 as it appeared in the summer of 1966. I was 11 that summer, and would've killed for a model of this back then, although I don't think anybody in my small hometown in Illinois had ever heard of an Xacto knife, let alone own one.

Thanks again to Henry Yuen and Yukonjohn. Between the two of them, they've provided me a lot of entertainment this summer....
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Let's Build the X-15!-img_0023.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0024.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0025.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0027.jpg   Let's Build the X-15!-img_0028.jpg  

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Old 08-08-2020, 11:52 AM
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Another masterful build by David. This repaint of Henry's X-15 kit has been sent for upload and awaiting approval.


John
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Old 08-09-2020, 07:33 AM
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dhanners,

Thanks for the build thread. For me, this will help out a lot.
I wonder how far upscaling this model can be done?
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Old 08-09-2020, 02:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Mole View Post
dhanners,

Thanks for the build thread. For me, this will help out a lot.
I wonder how far upscaling this model can be done?
I built one in 1/48th a couple of weeks ago and it scaled up just fine. Bigger than that, I don't know. The issue (as far as I see it) is the shape/curvature of the fuselage forward of the cylindrical section of the fuselage.

Henry's forward fuselage is made up of three pieces and with careful assembly and some burnishing of the seams, it looks fine in the original 1/87th, and enlarged to 1/72nd and passable in 1/48th.

Ken West's X-15A-2, which comes in 1/32nd scale, makes up that portion of the fuselage with six pieces, and it captures the curvature much better, which you would expect in a larger scale.

Were I a designer/repainter (which I am most definitely not) that is probably one alteration I'd make to Henry's model -- change the forward fuselage to more pieces to better get the curve.

That said, after building seven of them over the past few weeks (and I have started on No. 8) it is a nice model as it is and a pretty easy build.
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