I've been told this North American Aviation contractor model is made by Topping. It is 7"x15".
This model was used by a NASA employee to bring to schools for teaching about the space program. The model was stored in a wooden box with foam. The foam deterioriated over the years and "melted" on the model. The finish issues you see are the remains of the foam; there is also a chemical smell from the foam. I did not attempt to clean it as I'm sure a professional could do it without removing the decals.
Haynes Manual on the X-15...Looked at the sample pages. It looks pretty neat. According to the table of contents, even the X-20, X-15B, and delta-wing variant apparently get mentions.
The RCS nozzles are still covered with ablative material after landing. I suppose the flight didn't reach very high altitudes, or these would have been required.
Al White and Bob White both flew my father's wing during WWII - saw both many times growing up and later. Not only awesome pilots but also great warriors and gentlemen. When General (Lt.Gen IIRC) retired, he separated in Germany and got his Doctorate at Heidelberg.
Al White and Bob White both flew my father's wing during WWII - saw both many times growing up and later. Not only awesome pilots but also great warriors and gentlemen. When General (Lt.Gen IIRC) retired, he separated in Germany and got his Doctorate at Heidelberg.
Forgot to mention that Al White was a consultant to FAA for crash investigations into his 90's. He was lead on flight 880 that went down under mysterious circumstances.
Actually, I really wanted to be a Flying Tiger pilot in World War II. I think I was nine years old when the Japanese surrendered. I do remember that I got to ring the bell at the Methodist church on V-J Day [Victory over Japan, August 14, 1945], and I do remember very, very vividly that I really had mixed emotions about that. I mean, I was very glad the war was over, because I could see everybody was happy and relieved, and being nine years old, you know, you don’t appreciate those things fully. But tearing at me from the other side was the realization that I would never get to be a Flying Tiger fighter pilot and shoot down [Japanese] Zeroes. [Laughs]
Powering the Fastest Winged Aircraft in History: Thiokol XLR99 Rocket Engine for the X-15
Thiokol XLR99 Rocket Engine for the North American X-15.
An exceptionally rare Thiokol XLR99 liquid-fueled rocket engine developed for the North American X-15 hypersonic research aircraft program jointly funded by NACA (later NASA), the United States AirForce, and the United States Navy. Developed in the late 1950s, the XLR99 was the world's first fully throttleable man-rated liquid rocket engine and among the few large liquid-fueled rocket engines ever installed in a piloted aircraft. Measuring approximately 6 feet long and 30 inches in diameter, the engine produced approximately 57,000 pounds of thrust at sea level and more than 60,000 pounds at altitude.
The XLR99 powered the X-15 research aircraft during its historic flight test program from 1959 to 1968. Across 199 powered flights,the X-15 program established major advances in hypersonic and spaceflight research and contributed directly to later American space programs including Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle.
On October 3, 1967, X-15 pilot Major William "Pete" Knight flew the X-15A-2 to Mach 6.7 (approximately 4,520 mph), establishing the fastest speed ever achieved by a crewed winged aircraft, a record which remains unbroken. Five X-15 pilots earned astronaut wings during the program, including future Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong.
Constructed from high-temperature nickel superalloys including Inconel-X, the XLR99 employed regenerative cooling and thermal barrier coatings to withstand the extreme temperatures generated during operation.
The present engine retains substantial original structure including the regeneratively cooled nozzle section, injector assembly, manifold hardware, and multiple original serialed subassemblies. Visible markings include:
These markings are consistent with documented aerospace manufacturing and serialized propulsion-system component practices of the period. The engine exhibits oxidation, thermal discoloration, and handling wear consistent with age and fired aerospace hardware.
An extraordinary artifact from the dawn of hypersonic flight and the Space Age, representing one of the most historically significant rocket propulsion systems ever built.
Only available to bidders in the U.S., export restrictions and special shipping arrangements apply.
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