MPM 1/72 X-15 rocket plane

[Nomore Shelfspace]

Hello once again, with one of my old builds - I've just finished a lengthy photo session of these so expect more in the next few days!

Here is my MPM X-15 in 1/72. The X-15 was a hypersonic test aircraft of the late 50's and early 60's, powered by a rocket engine that could burn through 15,000 pounds of fuel in 80 seconds, carried to altitude by a modified B-52. It still holds the official world speed record for a piloted aircraft, 4,520 mph, in 1967. Neil Armstrong was among the pilots who flew this beast, indeed some of them flew over the altitude officially recognised as being Space and earned astronauts wings. What a ride!

I built this probably ten years ago - it's a bit dusty... this is an excellent kit, quite unlike MPM's earlier "cast in concrete moulds" short run efforts. However it only depicts an X-15 in landing configuration with the skids (yes, it only had a nosewheel...). I used the ground handling trolley from the old Monogram kit - in those days I had a proper spares box! I also seconded the pilot figure from that kit to give an idea of the scale of this plane - hard to tell its relative size as it had such tiny cockpit windows. There is an interior in there but I decided to keep it closed up. There were no decals for the hydrogen tanks - in fact not much detail at all - so I made the silver panels etc. from scrap decal. Hope you like!

[HL-10]

Lovely looking machine!

[russ c]

Beautiful, love it !

[Duncan B]

I have always had a fascination with the X15 and experimental aircraft in general and would like to have a go at this kit sometime. Your example looks great.

Duncan B

[batcode]

nice work

[Val]

Ace model, top work!

[Eric Mc]

Top result. The X-15 only flew a very small number of flights in that particular colour scheme and configuration combination. On later flights with the tanks the X-15 was painted with a special all white heat resistant paint.

[Nomore Shelfspace]

Top result. The X-15 only flew a very small number of flights in that particular colour scheme and configuration combination. On later flights with the tanks the X-15 was painted with a special all white heat resistant paint.

Yes, there was an option for this one in the Monogram kit - it also carried a dummy ramjet. I think the paint was similar to that seen on RAF V bombers at the time. In-flight photos of the black version show various panels apparently painted white, but I believe this was temporary if they were not actually frosting from the liquid oxygen tanks.

[Eric Mc]

No - the white paint used on the X-15 was very different to "normal" white paint. It actually had an "artex" type texture to it in places and was ablative in nature i.e. it would char and burn off as the aircraft achieved its target speed - Mach 7.

Only one attempt was made to reach that speed - and it failed. It managed Mach 6.7, the highest speed ever achieved in the programme. In the process, the paint failed to do its job and the aircraft received structual damage due to over heating.

The lower ventral fin melted off and so did the dummy ram jet.

In the end, the damage was considered so bad that the aircraft never flew again.