Hi
After watching a documentary, my 12 year old son has taken a real interest
in the X-15. I'm looking to put together a low power X-15 with him over the
christmas vacation. Both Estes and Quest appear to do a kit version. Which
of the two is the most realistic in appearance? Thanks.
Kind regards,
Dennis (UK)
Hello Dennis:
I recently saw the Quest version at a local launch (Snow Ranch,
Farmington California) and although it was a kit it seemed head and
shoulders above the Estes pre-built kit. I bought the Estes X15 kit
for my 6 year old nephew, AND IT "FLYS" LIKE A ROCK ! Which is bad, I
mean it's crap. I once built a kit from a British firm several years
ago and it was hard to build and it flew OK to subpar. In conclusion ,
get the Quest X15 kit and knock yourself out on the finishing.
Paul in Rodeo
Hi ,
The Estes is a plastic ready to fly model and the Quest is a kit with paper
and balsa parts.
the Estes looks more like the real thing, the Quest flys higher.
Hello Dennis,
Well since you are in the UK, visit your local (in country) rocket
supplier, Deepsky Rocketry. They sell a simply AMAZING scale X-15A-2
bird in 1/20th scale. Its modeled after the same vehicle that took
Col. Pete Knight to Mach 6.78 (4520 mph) back in Oct of 1967. His
speed record still stands today, not even Spaceship One has reached
Mach 3.5.
I have 2 of these kits and they are among my prized kits. They build
like a kit and yield a model like that of a molded plastic kit. I plan
to go all out and configure my X-15A-2 with the pink ablative covering
and the external conformal drop tanks. I might even go with R/C gear
and landing skiis... its worth a try as the kit is fantastic. Here is
a link to a review of the kit with very nice photos and build
information. Paul Clark also makes an amazing V-2 kit. IMHO the best
kit (scale) on the market today.
http://northstarrocketry.org.uk/projects/x15/index.html
Deepsky your UK rocket supplier is located at:
http://www.deepskyrocketshop.co.uk /
Now there is an American chap who has an even larger X-15 kit on the
market. Its very large and well isn't for most rocket people as its
more of an aircraft kit than a model rocket. A lot of model rocketeers
tend to fly small stuff, and don't brach out into R/C stuff. Once you
are bitten by the R/C bug its hard to go back to model rockets.
Anyhow, here is a thread about a 1/13 scale R/C X-15. Its probably
more than you and your son are looking for:
http://tinyurl.com/y7lxm5
If you just want to keep things simple and under say, 10 Pounds
Sterling, why not buy BOTH the Quest and the Estes kits. This way,
your son will work with his hands with one kit, and the other can be
taken out of it's blister pack and flown immediately.
Anyway, there is alot of really neat stuff out there. I also have seen
a Jet-X (also British) X-15 kit being sold currently, but for the life
of me, I can't find the url.
IMHO, I would buy the Estes RTF kit, then make the Paul Clark 1/20th
Scale bird a Father and Son project. Man I miss that stuff with my
father...
Good luck,
Lunar
P.s. the Geminids SUCKED!
DB4 wrote:
Hi Lunar
The Paul Clarke kit looks interesting although unusual construction
materials. What type of adhesives did you use? Have you launched any of your
models and if so, how did they perform?
Thx
Dennis
On 14/12/06 13:48, in article
snipped-for-privacy@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com,
On 14/12/06 13:48, in article
snipped-for-privacy@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com,
Hey Dennis,
I haven't built the kits, just put them away for a rainy day :) The
construction IS similar to his V-2 which I have built. You would think
that foam and vacuuform plastic is flimsy, but when engineered
correctly, it makes for a very strong and lightweight structure.
Let me say this,'if you have no patience, don't buy his kits'. It
takes time and forethought. Kinda like building rubber powered stick
and tissue kits. You have to be accurate. In the end, the moderate to
expert modeleer will have a fantastic flying 'static' scale model.
I know I am hyping his kits, but they are worth it and I want him (Paul
Clark) to continue making these things. Last time I spoke to Paul via
email, he was in the process of moving and was hoping to get back to
R&D and order filling near the last quarter of this year. I think I
will send him another email and ask him how he is doing. I know he
quit his day job to start making model rocket kits full-time. Never
quit your day job for model rockets ;)
He is supposed to have an Orbital Pegasus near completion and working
on an X-20 Dynasoar kit! My oh my!
Pete Knight was astronaut trained to be a X-20 pilot ... that got
cancelled along with the military's Manned Orbital Platform (MOP) :(
Oh, Robert Crippen of STS-1 fame was also to be a X-20 pilot and work
up at the MOP.
I hate to say it and I don't know why, but Europeans tend to be better
modeleers than Americans. I was once told that this was a result of
the emphasis on vocational/engineering schools being pushed in Europe.
Here in America we reward stupidity, so we get a lot of it :(
Lunar - 1 + 1 = 3 ... well at least I tried, and thats what REALLY
counts in American schools today.
P.s. We (America) are such a super power not because of the talent we
grow here at home ... its really because the world's talent comes here
for the big pirvate sector payrolls.
Lets see: William Teller, Einstein, Saulk, etc.; the great minds TEND
to come from somewhere OTHER than America ... go figure. Once you are
here after a few generations, familys start to lose their edge and just
fade into the Great Melting Pot.
DB4 wrote:
I'm afraid I can't recommend the Quest kit. I built mine absolutely
stock. The first flight was completely unstable. I then added four
pennies worth of weight in the nose. The second flight was a success.
The next two, again, completely unstable. It's final flight was three
weeks ago. It flew straight for 1/2 sec, suddenly went completely
unstable for 1/4 sec. then went stable again, flying downward (a power
prang) into an erosion fence where it stripped all the balsa off the
body and started the fabric part of the fence on fire.
All flights were on C6-5 motors-- 2 were Quest (including the
successful flight), three were Estes.
The kit was a good build though. It is definitely "standoff" scale,
not true scale.
Roy
nar12605
DB4 wrote:
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