X-15a-2

[Mike]

Following a tip from Hokky in the chat room I've just ordered a 1/20th Scale X-15A-2 through Deepsky, it's made by Paul Clark in the UK.

https://www.eastcoast-rocketry.info/html/lwndrt/british.html

It's designed for Mid power motors, 29mm F - G it says on the Eastcoast site but due to the UK motor regs, I'm going to modify it for 4 x D12...but that still counts as mid power so this is the largest rocket I've built! Hurray!

 

[sandman]

Mike,

Are you sure???

It says they are Gone, Gone, Gone!!!???

Or did you get the last one?

I like the Delta.

sandman

 

[shrox]

Those are scale, mine are not.

shrox

 

[Mike]

Originally posted by sandman
Are you sure???

Yeah, pretty sure, I got mine from Deepsky not Eastcoast, I bought the last one they had though!

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by sandman
Mike,

Are you sure???

It says they are Gone, Gone, Gone!!!???

Or did you get the last one?

I like the Delta.

sandman

I met Paul Clark at UKRA 2004. He said that Lawndart were effectively out of business, but that he would soon have a web site and would be selling kits direct. In fact he's already selling them, I contacted him by email when I got back from UKRA 2004 and placed an order. As Mike says, Deepsky are also carrying them.

The kit I was shown looked nice. Nice carboard tubes, plastic nosecones, some vacformed parts. Some of the shrouds are made form what looks like laminated paper, which is a bit odd, but the built-up kits I saw looked good.

 

[hokkyokusei]

My X15 arrived today! Looks pretty nice ;-)
I'll try post some pictures later...

 

[Mike]

Please do!

 

[hokkyokusei]

The box is approx 10" x 4" x 20"

 

[hokkyokusei]

Foamboard parts

 

[hokkyokusei]

Instructions and templates

 

[hokkyokusei]

Laminated paper parts

 

[hokkyokusei]

More laminated paper parts, and two sets of decals

 

[hokkyokusei]

Tubes, nosecone, and vac-formed parts. Some are hard to see, because they're transparent. There are ten vac-formed parts in all.

 

[Mike]

Looks good!

 

[hokkyokusei]

I'm not sure how easy it's going to be to build. All that laminated paper and foam board! It's not like _anything_ I've built before.

Plus it's really designed for Aerotech F and mid G SU motors. I don't know what to do about that. I don't really like modifying kits much, if you;re going to do that you might as well scratchbuild ;-)

I might build it to take a Pro38 G. I know you said you were going to cluster four Ds, but I think, even that will mean mods. I think four Ds will weigh more than an Aerotech SU F/G, so the CG will move. I haven't checked the instructions to see if the CG location is specified, but I'm sure it will need more noseweight.

 

[Mike]

Well a learning curve it shall be!

When you say mods how much do you mean? I'm expecting to add my own motor mount and nose weight, are there extra shrouds etc. that could get in the way of my cluster?

I'll geuss I'll found out when it arrives though.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Hmmm, bit confusing what I write there!

Really all I meant was what you said, build new motor mount, add weight. For the Pro38 I might have to add a bit more strength, I think.

 

[Mike]

OK it's finally arrived, we had some shipping trouble which delayed it quite a bit. I'll start building in a few day but I've had a look inside the box and everything seems to be good quaility.

 

[shrox]

Maybe it is just me, but the decals look too big. I made the SHX-15B from drawings and photographs, as well as a plastic model. I realize there were different painting schemes throughout the X-15 history, am I wrong on the decals? I mine too small then?

shrox

 

[hokkyokusei]

I'm a bit suspicious of the decals myself, but haven't had a chance to check them out yet. They're also of the "stick-on" type. I may end up buying some replacement water slide decals.

 

[Mike]

Wow, there's a lot of cutting out to do! I listened to the whole of two albums whilst doing that this afternoon.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Here's what I thought of the parts, fresh from the bag. Sorry about the pics, took them with my son's phone and they're a bit blurry!

https://www.nsrg.org.uk/projects/x15/

Looking forward to hearing how it goes together Mike.

 

[shrox]

Originally posted by hokkyokusei
Here's what I thought of the parts, fresh from the bag. Sorry about the pics, took them with my son's phone and they're a bit blurry!

https://www.nsrg.org.uk/projects/x15/

Looking forward to hearing how it goes together Mike.

Did you order an SHX-15B? If so, I'll look forward to yours. That is a nice review format.

shrox

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by shrox
Did you order an SHX-15B? If so, I'll look forward to yours. That is a nice review format.

shrox

Thanks.

Unfortunately, I didn't order one of yours. There are too many kits and not enough time!

 

[Mike]

Argh!

I tried to assemble the upper and lower stabilators today. They're printed on laminated sheet which you cut out and fold up. I found them a pain and having made them, the front of both are way off-centre and they look pretty horrible. (probably my fault no the design) I may have to rebuild them out thin balsa sheet but thats more weight that I could really do without.

Hope the rest of the laminates are better than the stabilators.

 

[Mike]

Just thought I'd post a progress pic, all's going quite smoothly at the moment and coming togethor quite quickly.

I've rebuilt the upper and lower stabilators out of 1/16" Balsa, I've tried to reinforce them a bit too. They look much better...I just hope they can hold up to the flight! Thoughts?

 

[shrox]

You have blue carpet too? Neat.
If the horizontal stabilizers stick out like the X-15 you might want to make them stronger, I can imagine a big crease in the fin after landing with those laminates. The wings should be OK I would guess.

 

[Mike]

Ahh yes, blue carpet...bit of a mess though!

The bit's you see at the moment are the root supports not the actual wings, otherwise I'd agree they would be a bit weak!

 

[shrox]

Originally posted by Mike
Ahh yes, blue carpet...bit of a mess though!

The bit's you see at the moment are the root supports not the actual wings, otherwise I'd agree they would be a bit weak!

I just was wondering about how strong the fins will be, are they very stiff in that they will break before they bend and crease? If it comes down tail first it might crease the material if it as I imagine.

My wife let me choose the carpet color.

 

[Mike]

I havn't attached the wings yet so I'm not too sure, the main support is a foamboard shape that glues into the root supports (that you see in the photo) and then a laminated card sleeve is slipped over the foamboard to give it it's final shape. (from what I gather in the instructions) I'm not too sure how effective this method will be...seemed a little strange.

My walls are painted half blue and half yellow.