1/32 scale card model
X-15A-2, 66671
Flight 2-53-97

by David Hanners

On 3 October 1967, Pete Knight set a world speed record in the X-15A-2, 66671, hitting 4,520 mph, or Mach 6.7. This is my cardmodel build of that flight, 2-53-97, in 1/32nd scale.

When I built the model, there were no cardmodels available of the white X-15A-2, but there is an excellent one in 66671’s back scheme, as it appeared before the addition of the pink ablative and white sealant. I contemplated how to build the speed-record version, and hit on a simple solution — since it is a cardmodel, I could just build it inside-out.

The ablative and sealant covered nearly all of the vehicle’s panel lines, and I could add what lines were needed with artists’ pencils and a rivet wheel. Construction was fairly straightforward. I scratchbuilt the “eyelid” that covered the left cockpit window, the extended leading edge of the canopy, the XLR-99 motor, the jettison and vent tubes and the experiment on the rear of the dorsal rudder. I also fashioned the modified ventral stub and impact rakes and the dummy scramjet.

Markings were printed out on the lightest-weight paper I could find, then glued on and burnished down. A word here about markings: Many plastic and resin builds I’ve seen of the speed-record flight get the markings wrong, and the instructions in the Special Hobby kit are wrong. Part of the problem is that a number of references and even NASA have misidentified photos of the previous flight, 2-52-96, as being 2-53-97. Flight 2-52’s appearance differed in several respects, including uncovered orange ablative on the skids; 2-53’s skids were all white. The dummy scramjet on 2-52 was white with a black horizontal stripe, while the unit on 2-53 was all white except for an orangey color on the spike; it has uneven edges and appears to have been hand-painted.

A quick note on the airplane’s color…. As NASA decided to see how fast the X-15A-2 could go, the decision was made to cover the airframe with a spray-on pink ablative by Martin, known as MA-25S. The pink X-15A-2 was rolled out 21 June 1967. MA-25S had an issue, though; if exposed to liquid oxygen, it had a habit of exploding when struck by even light objects, such as a dropped tool. As a precaution, the ablative was covered with a white sealant.

All the plastic and resin builds I’ve seen of the speed-record flight have missed an important feature, though. When technicians applied the sealant, they didn’t apply it very heavily on the undersides of the wings and tailplanes because the threat of an impact was lower there. In in-flight photos, you can clearly see the pink ablative showing through and the streaky appearance of the sealant. I replicated the look with pink chalk.

Model and Text Copyright © 2025 by David Hanners
Page Created 11 March, 2025
Last Updated 11 March, 2025

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