Estes X-15

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DankMemes

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Found a plastic Estes RTF X-15 at a yard sale, looked like a cool model, but having never bothered looking at RTF before I wasn’t really familiar with this unit.

upon doing some research, apparently this is a dangerous little bastard... which has me more intrigued about firing it.


thoughts? Anyone flown one of these?

image.jpg
 
There were several issues with that product. The foremost was that the motor was inserted with a locking ring and the loose fit allowed the ejection charge gases to leak out around the motor and the parachute would fail to eject, making the model returned ballistic. Not good for a heavy plastic model.
I modified one with a motor tube, Kevlar shock cord, and a 12" thin mil parachute. Flew it years ago on a C6-3 for a successful flight. Keep thinking of flying it again, but section launches are not the right place.
I still have a second one in packaging. Model was recalled since it was not possible to have the public make the modifications.

Chas
 
Different model. I think this one is more like the old Cox offering.

kj
 
I flew the all-plastic Cox Shuttle America on an 18 mm composite Medalist motor from Apogee (really made by AT). It flew great with high altitude, but when it came back the main body was all melted.
 
Actually, I think it is just like the old Cox offering, not sure if they used the same molds though. I still have one of the Cox units, and an unopened Estes, in the plastic hard shell display packaging. They look to be the same.
 
Tempted to fire it on my next day out for a family launch. I’ve seen the same across the boards about the ejection charge lake. Considering making a makeshift gasket set to seal it in the engine compartment. I’ve been trying to fly everything on my fleet once, even my coveted explorer Aquarius which survived almost pristine since my high school days.
 
Actually, I think it is just like the old Cox offering, not sure if they used the same molds though. I still have one of the Cox units, and an unopened Estes, in the plastic hard shell display packaging. They look to be the same.

Same molds. Logo changed.

This is the one involved in the near-fatality at a scout launch in Oklahoma in 2007. Apparently it went somewhat sideways, didn't eject, and nose cone entered a kid under his armpit and nearly punctured his lung. Required surgery to remove the nose cone. The X-rays I once saw showed it was completely embedded in his body.
 
Same molds. Logo changed.

This is the one involved in the near-fatality at a scout launch in Oklahoma in 2007. Apparently it went somewhat sideways, didn't eject, and nose cone entered a kid under his armpit and nearly punctured his lung. Required surgery to remove the nose cone. The X-rays I once saw showed it was completely embedded in his body.

i could see that, it’s a surprisingly heavy model, especially in the nose, I had to double check when I picked it up I could have sworn it was a solid piece of plastic
 
As I recall the two part nose cone fell apart out of the package on mine. Flew once then Estes recalled them. Sent mine back and received a RTF space ship one that was not much better. Those were the days! Give it a good going over and fly it. The odds are still with you on avoiding grevious bodily injury.
 
I have the Cox one and two of the re-released Este RTF X-15s. Lost the nose cone on a Cox model during a supersonic attempt on a D21-4T. Discovered the new model's nose cone would fit and tried ordering a replacement. Estes said they were not compatible and would not sell me a replacement part.

My Quest X-15 went unstable for me without any modification btw.
 
I flew both an 18mm and 13mm model without a single issue. Many, many flights.
 
Early versions were not stable and they had an addendum to the instructions to fix it.

I don't know if they added clay and fixed the instructions at some point in time.

Then there was the "Full Betty" instructions problem. They just discontinued the kit rather than re-do the instructions.

Same here. I never had any trouble with the Quest model built stock with the supplied nose weight.
 
Several months before a recall flyer appeared at Walmart, several years back, mine blew apart at the fuselage glue joints when the ejection charge fired.
 
Ok I flew it finally wish I had a video, but did have my phone on me...

Was a pretty scary flight in a c6-3, went up about 100 feet arced over the flightline nearly horizontal and went into delay, that’s when it got weird...

Maybe 100 feet behind the flightline the ejection charge blew and it all vented out the back just barely getting the nosecone off, the thrust from the ejection caused it to skywrite briefly, where I was concerned it was going to come down nose first over the parking lot. Fortunately it ended its tantrum in a flat spin down to the ground which I’ve never seen before in all my years of flying...

Needless to say this has become retired after that and a static model on my shelf
 
That was pretty much the described flight path of the one the skewered the scout in Oklahoma, except the nose didn't come off.
 
There is a small part of me that wants to sneak out there early when I’m the only one in the park and try a D-10 in there but common sense kicks in
 
Ok I flew it finally wish I had a video, but did have my phone on me...

Was a pretty scary flight in a c6-3, went up about 100 feet arced over the flightline nearly horizontal and went into delay, that’s when it got weird...

Maybe 100 feet behind the flightline the ejection charge blew and it all vented out the back just barely getting the nosecone off, the thrust from the ejection caused it to skywrite briefly, where I was concerned it was going to come down nose first over the parking lot. Fortunately it ended its tantrum in a flat spin down to the ground which I’ve never seen before in all my years of flying...

Needless to say this has become retired after that and a static model on my shelf

There are 3 video's, dated 2006, on YouTube of a guy launching a X-15 on an A10-3T. First launch was successful, next 2 not so much. The third launch, rocket was on the ground at ejection.

Flight one:

Flight two:

Flight three:
 
I found that Post #2 had good advice and replaced the plastic motor mount with a standard 18 mm paper tube and metal motor clip. I flew this Estes RTF X-15 on Saturday with a Q-Jet C12-4 in about 10 mph winds and it flew straight good. The Q-Jet C12-4 has nice black smoke at lift-off. the Parachute was ejected, but didn't open. The first try I used the igniter that came with the Q-Jet, but it failed to ignite the motor. The second try with an AeroTech igniter and poster putty worked.
 

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I would really like to have one of the old 13mm versions, but every time I see one for sale, they seem to think it was made of gold.

One of my friends had one when I was a kid. Flew and looked great!

This one... (The other two were pretty cool too!)
1647997071916.png
 
I used to have a Vampire, and still have the later purple version, the Jinx.
 
I had one of the RTF plastic ones back in the mid 1970's - the one shown on that catalog page. I had almost forgotten about that. Thinking back, I remember flying it on the small 1/2 A motors at a high school ball field.
 
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