T' X-15: This is a "Sport-Scale" (not true scale) model o' t' famous X-15 rocket-powered research plane. This particular kit appears t' be newer than other Quest X-15 kits described here: It is a few inches longer, and a recommendation by Quest t' only use t' A8-3 or A6 motors. Avast! Blimey! (Mine is definitely too heavy t' fly on an A8). I chose t' paint me particular model gloss blue (not t' historically accurate black).
My kit came out pretty heavy as I used a full-sized can of Rustoleum 2X paint tryin' t' get a smooth, glossy finish. Ya scallywag! Apparently light coats o' this paint leave t' finish in somethin' like an orange-peel texture, cool but nay good for low drag. I discovered heavy, me hearties, thick coats that would run with normal paints made for a smoother, glossy finish. Begad! But by then, thar was so much primer and paint on this model that it almost doubled t' weight o' this kit. In MHO, Rustoleum 2X (from Home Depot) sucks for flyin' models. I wish I would have used t' ridiculously expensive yet lighter Testors stuff at $5 for a tiny 3-oz. can.
T' X-15 finally got a payload section addition. This adds another 3 inches t' t' rockets overall length. This will hold t' Altimeter Two, matey, which no longer is at risk o' ejection shock damage or loss if t' clip fails. T' added bulkhead, ya bilge rat, painted payload tube and paddin' only adds an additional 13.6 grams o' weight t' this model.
She flies well and is nay affected by t' wind much, though I wish I could get her t' venture a little closer t' t' 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. Ahoy! That's enough t' have it fly higher than the Great Pyramid o' Giza, now that it has eroded about 25 feet.
| Flight Date: | 2012-08-11 |
| Rocket Name: | X-15 |
| Kit Name: | Quest - X-15 {Kit} (2014) |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | C6-5 |
| Expected Altitude: | 336 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 8.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Halifax, PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 251 Feet |
While t' Quest X-15 always flew well in winds, with t' newly added three inches o' payload section, how this would fly be only a guess. As it turned out, ya bilge rat, performance numbers were off by a significant amount, but nay terribly so, as t' flight be a perfect flight and a good way t' end t' day.
T' C6-5 burned for a nominal 2.1 seconds, and t' peak acceleration be 6.1 Gs, arrr, about one half a G lower than without t' payload section. T' average acceleration was 1.6 Gs. That be enough acceleration power t' get t' X-15 flyin' t' 73 mph, more than 10 mph slower than usual. It coasted for 2.7 seconds and then reached an apogee o' 251 feet, or about 50 t' 100 feet lower than average for a C6 motor. Avast! After apogee it lost 27 feet in t' last 1.4 seconds before ejection. Aye aye! This particular motor had a short delay time o' only 4.1 seconds, and at 224 feet t' parachute deployed and t' X-15 descended at 9 mph t' a soft grass landin' 22 seconds after liftoff. This rocket tends t' have a wide range o' altitudes and speeds, me bucko, so a few more comparison flights will show a truer picture o' t' performance cost o' havin' a payload section.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Quest C6-5 |
 |
 |