ON THE BENCH:
Kit:
Lindberg
Size:
1/48 scale, 16 3/8 inches
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No doubt about it, Douglas Aircraft's sleek X-3, nicknamed Stiletto
certainly looked like it should have been one of the fastest of
all the X-Planes. Problems with the delivery of the proper engines, however
caused it to be grossly underpowered and the X-3 never achieved its goal
of testing an airframe at a sustained speed of Mach 2. Technically
though, it was a successful aircraft, being the first to test titanium
as a construction material and it also helped aircraft engineers learn
how to cope with roll
inertia coupling, a hazardous phenomenon that may cause a pilot
to lose control of an aircraft while maneuvering at supersonic speed.
Follow the construction of this model by clicking on the image below, which is the latest photo on the building of this kit. |
The History of Space Exploration
Figures: People, Creatures and Dinosaurs
