X-15 References

A sample of this was published December 20th on Facebook: To Robert Small and others that like to think, look at, dream and build the X-15 (and I'm surprised that there isn't a larger group out there on this topic). Besides collecting and building the model, I also like to research it. I have a bit of AMS (Advanced Modeling Syndrome) following the AISC (Advanced Information Systematic Collection) that results in the IO (Information Overload). This usually ends up with WTHDISOT (Where The Hell Do I Start On This). Ah yes, usually the cockpit I'm told. I had been looking into the topic for quite a while, and actually wrote a small article on it in Crazed Plastic Publication #31 of the IPMS Gateway Group during 1986 (again - 30 years ago). Since then I have continued to research it, never tiring at looking at newly released photos or digging through old technical documents. Just a few examples of what I look at during this process:

Airpower Magazine, November 2005, Volume 35, Number 11: X-15 Pilot's in Space. Excellent article with great pictures.	Air Modeller #17 and #18 has the best continued article on how to improve on the X-15 model. Sky Model also has an excellent article on another build, but misses a few details. Model Airplane International has a quick review of the kit and a quick build. All excellent magazines. They all ask the same thing, why are there no pilot figures?
The little brochure in black on the X-15 that I received many years ago (like maybe mid 70's) that got me started. Still other magazines like Wings, and Air & Space do update pieces from time to time. Invention & Technology talks about the plane rather than the pilots, still excellent articles in each and every one of the publications.	I'm not exclusive to english magazines, I also attempt to acquire German, French, Italian and Japanese modelling magazines. Each model builder has his own style. Aircraft Monthly and Flight Journal also produced reports, and we have more of the Wings, Aviation Weekly & Space Technology, and Airpower - which included an excellent article on the carrier aircraft.
There are many magazines from the time like Airpower, and Aviation Week and Space Technology that carried up to date progress of testing, development and flying the X-15. Finescale Magazine has featured many articles over the years on building models. Surprising enough, other magazines like Flight Safety and Airforce contained details not found in mainstream publications or viewpoints that you would not normaly consider.	The best of the best in references; Hypersonic, The X-Planes, Apogee's X-15, X-15 Photo Scrapbook, Aerofax Datagraph #2 on the X-15 as well as another Wings article all provide top notch views and details not found anywhere else. At the Edge of Space - The X-15 Flight Program by Milton O. Thompson is also excellent in the telling behind the scenes with historical perspective.
Now, this is where I start to detail parts of the aircraft with measurements, dimensions, and close up inspections from color and b/w photos. I do markups on photocopies and also sketch my own details.	Even more sketches with extreme amount of detail. Rivet counting at its best.
Still more sketches. These are just a sampling of what I have.	Still more b/w with markups. Each flight had differences in the craft.
National Geographic has some excellent photos and illustrations on flying the X-15 as well as personal recounts from the pilots. The red book is NASA SP-60 Experiment Results. Covering all the experiments performed on each flight, this is a goldmine of information. I also collected articles from many older modeling magazines, like Scale Aircraft Modeler on the B-52's used in the flights. Air Enthusiast Six showed an overview of the craft and the differences between them. I also asked friends to take b/w and color shots of any in the museums for more detail (this was before there were photo galleries just brimming with information).	And this is where most do not dare go. The NASA and Contractor Technical Notes, where every conceivable test was written in the most dry, scientific manner at the time of the experiment. They contain the results in equations and graph form, but if you study them enough they make an amazing story of pushing boundaries, pilots performing flights to confirm wind tunnel results or finding out what does not work. These reports were crucial in the development of later craft like the space shuttle. These documents are the holy grail that all other publications skip over. I find them fascinating.
I've even put together a listing of other documents that I do not yet have access to, but list by author, source and subject matter. It is this listing that I provided to the engineers working on the NASP (National AeroSpace Plane) that sped up the development of their project. I also used my research in hypersonics, materials and temperature control in another IRAD (Internal Research And Development) project dealing with Fusion Reactors at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. More on this later.	Another list that I cobbled together showing every flight for the X-15, then color coding other events at the time that was either driving the program or reacting to it. Not exhaustive, but just gives an idea of the times.