tor lives wrote:Adam the Akrodude wrote: I will also be building a 1/32 F-104N Starfighter in NASA markings - the one that Joe Walker perished near Edwards when he collided with that XB-70 during the GE formation flight -
Whilst Expo 2015 was a disaster for me, I'm determined to make Expo 2016 my biggest effort yet. See how I go!
Cheers
Adam
Much looking forward to seeing the big NASA F-104N....did she carry a civil "N" rego??
Your Pitts looked superb in the A/CAM display Adam, and it was great to have her there, (truly some of your finest work)....so I don't think Expo 2015 was a complete loss for you
TOR
Hi Ray
Here's the NASA F-104N's during the 60's. There were heavily used in support of the X-15 program. The 104 had a very similar L/D ratio to the X-15, so with the flaps dropped, gear down and speed brakes out and throttle in idle, it glided like the X-15 - i.e, like a brick! So, all the X-15 pilots regularly flew the 104 and practiced landing approaches at all the dry lakebeds along the flight path of the X-15. Depending at what part of the flight a "issue" occurred in the X-15, this would determine what lakebed the X-15 eventually ended up. Neil Armstrong infamously did a bit of a skip off the atmosphere once and had the longest flight in the X-15 (Neil's X-15 cross country!) - even wondering at one point if he was going to have to land at LAX! Imagine the X-15 entering it's "high key" point overhead LAX at FL200. High key was joining the base leg essentially.
Joe Walker was one of the early X-15 pilots and got the altitude records in the "Bull" flying above 360,000 ft. In my opinion, Walker was one of the all time greatest test pilots.
Ah, you're too kind trying to cheer me up about my epic Expo fail! Next year I will have a lot to show - that is the plan anyway!
Cheers
Adam