Happy Independence Day everyone! Don't have any fireworks, so I'm celebrating by building this OOP Quest X-30 Aerospace Plane. It's a cardstock shell, balsa fins, paper tubes and a couple of styrene parts. (Hey, it's the only red, white and blue kit I've got in my build pile). Got this a couple of months ago from a vendor who must have had it in inventory for DECADES. The white portion of the cardstock is slightly yellow, and the instructions for prepping the motor mentions Tiger Tail ignitors! Anyway, finished up this morning by completing the recovery system: dual parachutes. And no finishing needed! Need to reinforce the front and aft of the cardstock shell with CA on the inside to minimize zippering and landing damage. Cool build, I like the intake scoop on the bottom. Gave a passing thought to rigging the recovery system to bring it down horizontally, but then I'd have to worry about damage to the cardstock scoop. Laters, gators!

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Thanks.

Your X-30 looks good. Enjoy it!

BTW, here's one of Dave Schaefer's X-30 flights at LDRS a few years ago. I don't remember this one, but the landing wasn't pretty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtWWK3Iojdw


[Edit] Here's the better one, from NTHP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSgq_F8AVC8

Doug

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YORF member #11

The landing of that HPR X-30 at LDRS totally sucked. Putridity POOR piloting skills.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.

The second one is a lot better. Keep in mind, this is a lifting body, not a Cessna 152 - it doesn't respond to the controls nearly as well


Doug

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YORF member #11

That second one was sweet. The Green Mojave left a nice plume at boost. Do you know what engine was used? Or was it a Cesaroni?

It wasn't Green Mojave, but danged if I can remember what it was. Brand wise, I think it was the company that split from the late Frank Kosdon. They were known as Kosdon East for a while, then something else - Animal Motor Works, maybe? Anyway, it was an L or M, as I recall. Goriila something?


I'll ask Dave Schaefer next time I see him what it was. BTW, I think that flight was in 2002.



Doug


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YORF member #11

Looks like the real thing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGO57y4td-c

They used actual footage of a NASA lifting body test flight that ended in a crack up where the pilot lost an eye IIRC...

One reason why NASA's never been crazy about lifting bodies since then-- not much control authority and lots of roll instability... Course that was 50 years ago using all manual controls-- nowdays with computerized fly-by-wire... Well, it's a different story...

Later! OL J R

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The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Lack of control authority, manual controls, and plenty of roll instability make for an interesting flight and challenge of actual steely-eyed missile-man PILOTING SKILLS, instead of mamby-pamby button pushing.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.