X-37B scale B/G
 

Hello All,

I have found X-37B plastic model kits (see: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...0.0.Xh2BVaFDJF0 ), made by Dragon and possibly other firms. They are also for sale on eBay www.ebay.com . A skinned-foam version (which could be made by using a completed X-37B kit to create a vented RTV rubber mold, into which expanding polyurethane foam would be injected from the aerosol can) could be flown as a parasite boost-glider. A larger version could be made (hint, hint, Estes and Quest...) in a manner similar to the Estes foam Space Shuttle; with fins or a plastic fin unit on the rear end of the rear-ejection, forward-ballasted, parachute-recovered motor pod, such a model would have excellent stability during the rocket-powered ascent and coasting phases of flight.

I've not been able to find any good 3-Views with cross sections of this model.


John Boren

I know of a source that *might* have it--I'll look into this.

The flight test article is at the Space Museum in Alamogordo. You can walk up, touch it, measure it, whatever. It's sitting in a small hanger on a sled; nothing an adult can't reach.

And John's right; it does have some funky cross sections.

Is that the X-37A or the sub-scale X-40? (I think both have mold lines [external shapes] that are identical to the X-37B's, though.)

Any progress on this?

You can take a look here, he has done an RC drop version of the X-40, has some plans/drawings.

http://www.spacecraftreplicas.com/x-37-x-40

I think he found that his pitch was a bit oversensitive and mixing flaps helped tame it somewhat.

I did a 45" long version that I tried as rc rocket glider, but I decided to try only movable V tail surfaces, Boost was fine, but I never got sufficient control of pitch or roll on glide, I think due to blanking of the tail surfaces due to the wing placement. In any case, I turned the forward fuselage/wing into a Buran shuttle. I was curious if the X-37B would fly with just elevons but I haven't gotten back to doing another one.



Here is one photo I have before I did the front canopy area sheeting...and the one in Alamagordo...

Frank