Hi All,
I am interested in your considered opinion on best kits for the various U.S. experimental aircraft (e.g. X1, X13, X15, etc.) and AM details for the same. In your feedback, let me know if the kits are OOP or not (and if so, are they reasonably available on eBay). Thanks in advance from a guy who usually does naval and space subjects.
Cheers, Rick
The X planes are sort of a specialist subject in modelling, but there are probably more available than ever now, especially in injection molded kits. If you want to do the full range, 1/72 is it if you want them in the same scale. The Tamiya 1/48 X-1 is very nice, in 1/32 there is the older Revell kit of the airplane as Yeager flew it. Special Hobby is currently selling a 1/32 X-15. To do these airplanes right a lot of research is necessary because they were constantly undergoing change. To get help on the forum, it is better to ask about a particular subject airplane, so it is more focussed and easier to answer. Eduard has done some X planes, so has Collect Aire in expensive resin kits. It won’t be shake and bake to get accurate models but they are at least available as starting points.
The X-13 is available from Mach 2 in 1/72 but is a lot of work, it was done in 1/48 by Aurora many years ago and can be found, but is one of the pricier older kits. Came with the launch trailer and all, but simplified, as in you can look through the exhaust by looking in the intakes. Neat airplane, the X-13.
One of my favorite planes has got to be the X-3. It may have not done much but it does look cool!
There are a multitude of 50’s and 60’s era jets which didn’t make it out of the prototype stage which are just so unusual looking. I would like to model them but it seems that few injection molded kits are available.
Here is a review of the X-3 Lindberg kit that Swanny did.
You’ll be able to see my X-3 in an upcoming issue of SAM. That old Lindberg kit is a fun challenge for those who like challenges. In 1/48 I think it’s still the only game in town for the X-3.
The Eduard X-1 is a real gem of a kit too in 1/48.
Here’s what I have in my stash so far:
Eduard 1/48 X-1,
Special Hobby 1/48 X-15,
Czech Model 1/48 XP-77 Ascender
I consider the quality in all of them to be quite good, if not excellent. I also purchased them all through fellow modelers or through ebay at very reasonable prices. Be forwarned, however, that all of these kits include some sort of resin modifications. With the exception of the X-1, most of these kits are short-run, and are not shake & bake injection-molded models. I wouldn’t say they are for the beginner, and you need to be ready to work a bit with both resin and vacuformed canopies.
Andy