Three more X-15s….

Here are three more X-15 builds, in 1/48th scale. I used 170gsm glossy stock, and each involved quite a bit of scratchbuilding to improve accuracy and add details.

First up is X-15-1, 66670, as it appeared on Mission 1-19-32. The flight, on 9 December 1960, was Neil Armstrong’s second X-15 flight and it was the first X-15 flight to use the Q-Ball Flight Path Control Sensor system instead of the long nose boom. There were some interesting markings (for example, the parachute markings on the ventral rudder) and an odd bit of plumbing — a tube on the aft fuselage that was probably an alternate hydrogen peroxide vent.

The second one is X-15-2, 66671, as it appeared on Mission 2-19-35, flown by Forrest Petersen on 28 September 1961. On this flight, 66671 carried two different types of temperature-sensitive paint covering the left wing and tailplane, the left main gear and parts of the side tunnels. some of the paint was gray, while some was green. The paint turned different colors depending on the heat it was exposed to, allowing technicians to determine how hot various parts of the airframe got during flight.

Lastly, we have the X-15A-2, 66671, as it appeared on Mission 2-44-79, flown by Robert Rushworth on 18 May 1966. On this flight, the vehicle carried test patches of an orange ablative material on the ventral stabilizer, side tunnels, nose gear door, main gear and the upper surface of the left tailplane. It had white camera calibration stripes underneath. There was also an airflow-measurement rake on the right side of the dorsal rudder.