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Sunday, October 11, 2020 - 03:50 AM UTC
Special Hobby have announced the reissue of their impressive 1:32 kit of the X-15A-2.
X-15A-2 ‘White Ablative Coating’
Model of a 1960s hypersonic aircraft which, until today, holds the world’s speed record for the fastest manned plane. It was also the first aircraft to reach the altitude regarded as the boundary between the earth atmosphere and the outer space. Knowledge gained during the development of the X-15 and the test flights was substantial for the Apollo programme and aero and space research.
This reissue offers the X-15A-2 as it looked before its final flight when W.J. ‘Pete’ Knight reached the world speed record. The kit can be built on the transport cart or even put on a stand in a flight configuration with the dummy ram jet under the fin. The kit contains finely detailed resin parts including the ram jet, photo etches, plastic stand and a decal sheet with markings for the plane wearing the white ablative coating.

• the only X-15A-2 in 1/32 scale
• detail resin parts and etches contained in the kit
• allows display the model either on its transport cart or as in flight on a stand
• only limited number available


Item #SH32081 will be available from Special Hobby soon - Price: 67.30 Euros

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Comments

Rowan, Thanks for the rundown. It’s great that SH is bringing this kit back, as it’s been OOP for a while now. The ablative coating on the real thing was actually pink, but covered in Dow Corning white paint to prevent a chemical reaction with the oxidizer fuel. The A2s also had an “eyelid“ on the left cockpit window, since the heat would melt the coatings off, and splatter it over the windscreen. The left window “eyelid” would be closed at the start of the flight, and could be opened by the pilot for visibility after the record attempt in the second half of the mission for landing. I’m not sure the original SH kit had this, I assume this one will. It’s great they’re including a display stand with this release. These would have been the last X15 flights, as the high heat of the speed attempts severely damaged the aircraft. Here’s a rundown on modeling the X-15 by IPMS Stockholm, which explains the ablative coatings very well: LINK VR, Russ
OCT 11, 2020 - 07:28 AM
It would be fun to do it in the overall pink as it was before they painted on the white. I'll bet that would open some eyes around the display tables
OCT 11, 2020 - 08:01 AM
Yes, it would. I’d like to see one built representing the post-speed record attempt too, it was still mostly white, but badly damaged in several areas, so much so it was retired. The lower fin where the scramjet dummy was mounted was burned through— so it would be the ultimate “space age” battle damage. The original SH kit is really nice, with a nice iconel “corrugation” effect along the sides near the spine. I’ve got that kit in my stash, and have an acquaintance who’s built it— it’s not the easiest kit to build I’ve been told, but it sure looks good on the shelf. VR, Russ
OCT 11, 2020 - 03:48 PM
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