Subject: Re: NB-52
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:02:19 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom Valaoras 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:27 AM
  Subject: NB-52

  Gallery Template #04

  "1/144 NB-52A with X-15" 

  by "Tom Valaoras"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here 

   This is a replica of the X-15/NB-52A Mothership from the mission dated April 20th, 1962.  Neil Armstrong was the pilot of the X-15 ship number 3 (66672).  This was the famed "re-entry skip".   During re-entry into the atmosphere the X-15, due to too shallow an angle of attack, actually "bounced off of the atmosphere".  This altered the mission profile such that Neil almost landed at Los Angeles International Airport (one of the emergency runways on the list)  He did safely land at Rogers Dry Lakebed next to Edwards Air Force Base, and the rest was history.  This was the longest mission of all X-15 missions flown:  12 minutes, 28 seconds.  The information gathered during this mission was pivotal in the understanding of re-entry physics, since at the time they did not have computer simulated models available.

  Click on images below to see larger images

         Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg 
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg 

  This model was originally a Minicraft 1/144 scale B-52H.  I used a Golden Dragon Productions X-15 with home-made decals (the decals provided were of poor quality), along with accessory details provided by my spares box.

  Meteor Productions (R.I.P.) provided the conversion kit along with the NB-52A decals.  The parts fit well enough and the decals were excellent.  Testors metallic aluminum and aluminum foil (to simulate skin stress) was used, along with a home-made concoction of day-glo orange.  The X-15 photoalbum by Tony Landis was an excellent resource.

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here 

  Photos and text © by "Tom Valaoras"