The X-15: This is a "Sport-Scale" (not true scale) model of the famous X-15 rocket-powered research plane. This particular kit appears to be newer than other Quest X-15 kits described here: It is a few inches longer, and a recommendation by Quest to only use the A8-3 or A6 motors. (Mine is definitely too heavy to fly on an A8). I chose to paint my particular model gloss blue (not the historically accurate black).
My kit came out pretty heavy as I used a full-sized can of Rustoleum 2X paint trying to get a smooth, glossy finish. Apparently light coats of this paint leave the finish in something like an orange-peel texture, cool but not good for low drag. I discovered heavy, thick coats that would run with normal paints made for a smoother, glossy finish. But by then, there was so much primer and paint on this model that it almost doubled the weight of this kit. In MHO, Rustoleum 2X (from Home Depot) sucks for flying models. I wish I would have used the ridiculously expensive yet lighter Testors stuff at $5 for a tiny 3-oz. can.
The X-15 finally got a payload section addition. This adds another 3 inches to the rockets overall length. This will hold the Altimeter Two, which no longer is at risk of ejection shock damage or loss if the clip fails. The added bulkhead, painted payload tube and padding only adds an additional 13.6 grams of weight to this model.
She flies well and is not affected by the wind much, though I wish I could get her to venture a little closer to the clouds. Actual measurements with an altimeter on board shows this model can go much higher than I estimated, with a C6-3 it reached 437 feet, and traveled at 89 mph. That's enough to have it fly higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza, now that it has eroded about 25 feet.
| Flight Date: | 2012-11-04 |
| Rocket Name: | X-15 |
| Kit Name: | Quest - X-15 {Kit} (2014) |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | B6-4 |
| Expected Altitude: | 110.00 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 14.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Penn Manor School Lancaster PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 99.00 Feet |
I chose this rocket because it flies well in winds, but because of the wind I limited the motor to the B6-4. I didn’t take into account the data from previous flights and the added weight of the payload section, or I would have used a -2 delay.
The motor lit and the rocket accelerated to 7.2 Gs peak, averaging 2.5 for the 8/10 second burn time. This got the rocket to a speed of 43 mph as it struggled a bit with the strong winds, although it still did fly straight. It only reached 99 feet at apogee, which occurred at 2.1 seconds after burnout.
Unfortunately it had a 4 second delay on the motor, so it continued down almost as fast as it went up, reaching an average speed down of 22 mph. At a mere fraction of a second before impact, the ejection fired and the chute opened up, but there was no time for the parachute to slow it down. The main body tube drove itself into the ground taking about a 1-inch core sample. The entire flight was over in 5.5 seconds.
The body tube suffered little serious damage, but the end was a bit chewed up. A slight tear in the parachute on a shroud line showed that it did indeed slow the rocket down a bit before impact, but it was still an ugly flight and taught me to not choose a motor so casually when it is windy.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes B6-4 |
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