Michael Adams’ X-15-3 fatal flight, in 1/48th scale

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 failed to eject. He had reached a speed of Mach 5.2 and an altitude of 266,000 feet, and was posthumously awarded an astronaut certification.

I’ve modeled the last flights of 66670 and 66671, so I figured I should do the last flight of 66672, which was technically known as Mission 3-65-97. Research on this one took awhile because there were no pre-flight or inflight photos taken on the day of Adams’ flight. I consulted with X-15 authors Michelle Evans and Dennis Jenkins, and both were very helpful. With their information, I used an existing card model of 66672 and added scratchbuilt detail to model the last flight. 

On flight 3-65, 66672 carried a number of experiments in wingtip pods and an 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 leading edge attachment to the upper rudder that was fitted on 66672 late in its life.

I scratchbuilt the wingtip pods out of paper lollipop sticks. The experiment box and the Saturn V insulation panel were scratchbuilt from scrap cardstock. I also scratchbuilt the jettison tubes and other bits and pieces. I will probably add some weathering in the next day or so.