Apogee X-15 cluster ?????

[Saluki]

I'm wanting to build the X-15 from Apogee. I would like to build it to use a 24mm motor or motors. I'm thinking a two or three motor cluster would do the trick to get this big bird into the sky and stable.

I don't want to send it so high it goes out of sight. Three to four hundred feet for me is fine. I would like to use ESTES Motors if possible and keep it stable.
Is this possible?

Can anyone chime in here and give me some constructive advice on the size of motors and the number of motors to archive this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Antares JS]

I can't speak on specifics but Apogee has said that the CG/CP is so tenuous on the X-15 that they recommend against putting a motor retainer on it. If you try to move forward with this, be extremely careful. A cluster sounds like it would be tough to make work, especially with low-specific-impulse BP motors.

 

[CalebJ]

Agreed. Plus it would be a giant pain to test since it's an expensive, somewhat painstaking model to build anyway. So you're kind of hoping for the best right out of the gate since you -really- don't want to build a whole new one if it turns out unstable.

 

[Saluki]

Thanks, Guys.
After talking with Apogee this thread is dead. They have solved my dilemma.
Thanks.

 

[user 35280]

Is Steve Neill (sngaero) still making the three different sizes of the X-15 kits?

 

[Grant_Edwards]

After talking with Apogee this thread is dead. They have solved my dilemma.

Did they swear you to secrecy?

 

[Saluki]

NO!

Did they swear you to secrecy?

NO! The solution was to fly on a 24mm E20W-4 that would put it in the 5 to 600 ft altitude.
This is one of those models that has a lot of wing area and there isn't much room for CP
and CG to play with. Then there was this flash of light and I don't remember anything after that.