Michael Adams’ X-15 66672, in 1/48th

[dhanners]

On 15 November 1967, Michael Adams became the first (and only) fatality of the X-15 program when X-15-3, 66672, went into a hypersonic spin and eventually broke apart. Adams did not eject and died when the forward section hit the desert floor. He had reached a speed of Mach 5.2, and an altitude of 266,000 feet. He was posthumously awarded an astronaut certification.

I’d modeled the last flights of 66670 and 66671, so I figured I should do the last flight of 66672. Research on this one took awhile because there were no pre-flight or inflight photos taken of mission 3-65-97. I consulted with X-15 authors Michelle Evans and Dennis Jenkins, and both were very helpful. With their information, I could use YukonJohn’s repaint of Henry Yuen’s model — enlarged to 1/48th — to model 66672.

On flight 3-65, 66672 carried a number of experiments. Some were in wingtip pods, while another was in the experiment box at the rear of the upper tail. The most colorful of the experiments was a test section of insulation intended for the Saturn V rocket; it was attached to the upper left speed brake. The vehicle also sported the knife-edge attachment to the upper rudder that was fitted on 66672 late in its life.

I scratchbuilt the wingtip pods, the experiment box and the Saturn V insulation panel. I also scratchbuilt the jettison tubes and other bits and pieces. I will probably add some weathering in the next day or so.

[Kazziga]

I'm gonna say it again... I love your X-15 models and admire the amount of research that goes into building specific planes.

[dhanners]

Originally Posted by Kazziga

I'm gonna say it again... I love your X-15 models and admire the amount of research that goes into building specific planes.

Thanks. And yeah, they involve a lot of research. I remarked to YukonJohn a few days ago that in 199 X-15 flights, there were probably 199 different combinations of markings.

And a big shout-out has to go to YukonJohn. He has been VERY patient with me, and VERY helpful. His repainting skills have provided me with quite a few hours’ worth of entertainment.

[Texman]

Great job. I really enjoy your builds and narratives.

[jparenti]

I've learned more about the X-15 program watching your builds than I ever did before.

[mbauer]

Interesting read about his last flight. Anybody that can recover from a hypersonic spin at MACH 5.2 thru 4.7 is some kind of pilot.

He recovered in an inverted dive from the spin. Then the adaptive flight control system began to pitch up and down a bunch. Descending through 62,000 at Mach 3.93 the X-15 came apart.

The Smell of Kerosene A Test Pilot's Odyssey by Donald L. Mallick book mention of the accident. Front cover has a XB70 he is walking away from....

Mike