LorenSharp Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 With 2 week to go I'm going to try and see if I can blitz build this last entry which will fill out the first 4, or five if you count my X-1 I did in the main Gallery, of m y Edwards X's. So here we have Lindbergs excellent offering(yeah right) of the Douglas X-3 Stiletto. Like most of Lindbergs kits and kits of the 50's/60's in general, not much in the way of detail but it does come with a pair of Westinghouse J34 engines, But with this build I'm going to focus, with the time left, on a better cockpit, with the downward firing bang seat( like XF-103) and a better detailed landing gear. So On with the Show! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 Ooh a flying hypodermic .. I do like the design. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 There's certainly plenty scope for additional detail inside this one Loren but a worth subject for our GB. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 1, 2023 Author Share Posted January 1, 2023 Ok so now that the old year has passed and a new one has commenced, I still have 2 weeks to get my final 7TH!( whoda thunk it). So time to get my behind in gear and get this puppy done. First off the nose and main wheel bays need to be augmented. So time to cut the old bays out for new ones. Also cutting out for the downward firing bang seat. A new bulkhead for the cockpit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 1, 2023 Author Share Posted January 1, 2023 Now making new bays. A little bit of plastic rod and strip and a large plastic tube that I finally have a use for. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 1, 2023 Author Share Posted January 1, 2023 While doing all this I printed out new parts for the cockpit and the exhaust More efficient and easier than trying to make some of the parts from scratch. Plastic sheet will still be used but now O don't need to use as much. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 10 minutes ago, LorenSharp said: While doing all this I printed out new parts for the cockpit and the exhaust More efficient and easier than trying to make some of the parts from scratch. Plastic sheet will still be used but now O don't need to use as much. Wow thats impressive, any thoughts of selling copies of that stuff ? Im sure a few wouldn't mind buying it including me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 1, 2023 Author Share Posted January 1, 2023 Thanks Dennis. I've considered doing that but I've still got a long way to go before I would do something commercially. A lot of detail gets lost even at 1/48 thats too small or two delicate to get through the print process or more so the cleaning process.. I did find a better resin thats not only harder when cured but significantly cheaper. If there is something that is needed and you can't find it, just holler and I'll see what I can do. It may not be True Detail quality. but I can probably get it in the ballpark. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 19 minutes ago, LorenSharp said: If there is something that is needed and you can't find it, just holler and I'll see what I can do. It may not be True Detail quality. but I can probably get it in the ballpark. Thank you, I may take you up on that in the near future. Im not able to get into my office lately due to current health issues. Im at the Doctor’s 2-3 times a week and have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow. By the time I get home Im too exhausted and in pain to climb the stairs and do work. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 Moving right along, even though they probably won't be seen much, I decided to make new Jet engines. The kits set definitely not a pair of Westinghouse J34's. They look more like something that should have been put in a Meteor. So I whipped up a simple set. not exactly a set of J34's but they're closer than the kits. A little bit of paint and some thin solder wire and there you go, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 I finished up the other main gear well and completed the nose well both from some plastic rod and card. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 From there time to do the cockpit. The parts, instrument panel, rudder pedals, Control wheel, and the switch panels I printed out. Unfortunately about 30% of the detail either didn't print or didn't survive the cleaning process. But there is still enough detail to look decent. Properly all painted up and the windows I gave a coat mixture of Tamiya Transparent Blue and Green, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 The last internal parts to add are the exhaust cans. Before I can stick the halves together I added a little bit of weight to the nose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 From there the single part wing and tail installed all thats left is attaching the halves together and adding that looooong thin nose. Now it looks like a Flying Hypodermic. Like most old kits like this the joins are not the greatest. So a bit of filler. This I'll let dry over night then continue on. So far it's coming along better than I expected. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 This one is certainly taking shape quickly Loren and that's all the more impressive considering how much more detail you're adding to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 4, 2023 Author Share Posted January 4, 2023 Thanks Col. This has the benefit of 50's technology. Not many parts to begin with. 20 parts maybe? I almost double the parts count with the printed parts. If this was strictly an OOB and nothing more it might take 3-4 hours. tops .It is a big model though. I didn't think it was going to be this big. It's going to be about 45 cm when done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 It's time for my final installment for this little clam bake. After letting the filler dry, I sanded all the joins down smooth and gave the whole shootin' match a couple of coats of clear lacquer before continuing on. On to the wings and some more foiling. I decided on foil instead of Alclad II or AK Metallics because a lot of the pictures I did find show the wings a very reflective aluminum. And I still had a little bit left from doing the X-1B.since the wing are not only very thin the wee quite smooth as well so this made the application a breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 I printed out a new nose piece since the kits went walk about and I improved the main gear doors along with the addition of vents(?) for the rear just aft of the exhausts. I did add addition detail to the doors as this was easier than printing. the tubing would have been borderline in making it all the way through printing and cleaning. Painted up with the addition of the door brace and the main gear installed. Then it was a matter of adding hydraulic lines to the main and nose gear. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 And since you can see the ejection system peeking out we'll follow with that. on the right is the kits seat. about as accurate as can be expected for the 50's,in other words... NOT. On the left though is what I've come up with all nice and purdy printed. Still needs a little bit of work though. The actual chair had leather padding! rather than re-print I cut some .060 scrap sheet and sanded down the edges a little. slap some paint on, some thin masking tape for a harness and some extra P?E for the buckles .... and Viola'! a much better rendition of a "dump you out the bottom, rather than blast you out the top" escape system. Very brave Pilots if you ask me, or certifiable as the case may be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 Then I added the Needle to this flying Hypodermic contraption From there its all little bits that my fevered brain decided to add for the heck of it. The strange vents at the back near the exhausts... The totally incorrect engine access.. And finally what I think are either antennas or probes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 And there you have it, oh wait... I forgot the decals.... not many but just enough to give this needle some respectability. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted January 5, 2023 Author Share Posted January 5, 2023 There you go my final entry of my X's from Edwards. NO wait! Hold the presses. I forgot one final image. I was asked what it would look like with all my X's in a big group family picture. So some begging and pleading, you know how x's can be especially trying to get them all in the same photo at the same time, plus one that didn't make it into this GB because It was started just before the GB's start due to the 75th anniversary of the breaking of the Sound barrier. And I couldn't NOT not include her, The one , the only ,the original, except no substitutes, Bell XS-1 "Glamorous Glennis" and .....her Mother-In -Law. [/url Thanks for following along on all these journeys . All the comments, questions and encouragements were greatly appreciated and welcomed. I want to also thank @Corsairfoxfouruncle and @Col.. Oh not to forget @Enzo the Magnificent for putting on this little shindig. So until the next time Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Model On! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wings unlevel Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 That is some very fine work, and a superb, speedy collection! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 Beautiful collection including the 29. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfa1983 Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 I am astounded at the length of that plane! I always imagined it was quite small. Great job on all of the Xs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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