Brief:
This is a plastic model conversion (PMC) o' t' Heller 1/130 X-15, me hearties, shiver me timbers, using MicroMaxx motors. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I got t' kit on-line from Model Expo. Ya scallywag! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Model Expo provided email confirmations o' t' purchase and o' shipment, me hearties, matey, and their service was prompt.

Modifications:
T' instructions provided with this kit consisted o' step-by-step diagrams. Well, blow me down! No text description is provided. Blimey! In general, matey, this be sufficient, shiver me timbers, but this presentation omitted some details, me hearties, such as t' slight downward cant o' t' rear wings. T' kit consists o' 35 pieces, me hearties, 10 o' which weren't required due t' the PMC.

T' LOC ¼" launch lug is heavier than a standard MMX tube and is a skosh larger. Blimey! Aye aye! However, it works fine for those o' us who haven't gotten around t' buyin' 'real' 6mm tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! However, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, with some minor trimmin' of flashin' and other bumps inside t' fuselage, me bucko, this tube fits nicely. There is a recess, just inside o' t' tail end o' t' main body, matey, shiver me timbers, which accommodates the tube well. Arrr! I measured t' distance from this recess t' t' point just ahead of the side fairings, and cut me tube t' fit. Well, blow me down! Begad! Contrary t' other guidance, I used this tube as a guide t' cut t' nose section off t' main body with a razor saw. Blimey! I glued t' tube inside t' body with black rubberized CA, and t' body halves together with liquid plastic cement. Avast! I added t' back nozzle cap, shiver me timbers, and then installed a section o' a spent MMX casin' t' serve as a motor block. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! The Keelhaul®©™® twine was tied around t' block before its installation.

I assembled t' plastic nose cone usin' plastic cement. Aye aye! I then filled the cone most o' t' way with lead shot, epoxied in a small piece o' the ¼" lug and t' remainin' part o' t' spent MMX motor. Begad! I inserted the end o' t' Keelhaul®©™® twine, me bucko, filled t' MMX motor section with more shot, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and capped it all with epoxy. Ahoy! This works nicely as a shoulder, me hearties, but requires wrap o' maskin' tape to fit snugly. Avast! Blimey! T' CG is 2 1/8" from t' nose cone tip (minus t' needle nose). Arrr! Avast! Blimey! It was suggested that t' CG should be about 2.032 from t' tip (from a known stable conversion o' this kit), but no more #9 shot will fit, so I'll try it as is. Arrr! Oh, and I decided t' leave t' needle off until I have assessed the rocket's stability. Ahoy! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! I wouldn't want t' poke anyone, plus it will most likely break anyway.

T' large front fin comes in one piece and must be cut t' accommodate the tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! One end o' this fin conveniently has a notch that almost fit t' tube, so I used this as a guide and sanded t' fit. Blimey! Blimey! I used t' black rubberized CA on the root end o' these through t' wall fins, and plastic cement on t' outside. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! The remainin' fins were assembled per t' instructions usin' plastic cement. I did add some really small epoxy fillets on t' back fins usin' epoxy left over from the nose cone. T' launch lug is me standard BiC ink tube

Construction:
Parts:

• One Heller 1/130 X-15
• LOC ¼" launch lug ~3" long
• LOC ¼" launch lug ~ 3/16" long
• One spent MMX casing
• Section o' t' ink tube from a BiC pen
• Keelhaul®©™® twine
• Teflon plumber's tape
• #9 lead shot

T' whole thin' be painted black usin' brush on enamel. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' needle will be white with red stripes someday. Avast! T' kit comes with a raft o' decals, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, which went on nicely. However, me bucko, I made one BONEHEAD mistake. I had put t' clear top from my clear enamel on a can o' white primer. Aye aye! In me haste due t' t' cold outside temperatures, arrr, I didn't pay attention and laid a thin coat o' white on t' model before I caught myself. Avast! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I smartly removed t' paint as best I could with some paint thinner. Surprisingly, arrr, I only damaged one decal. Begad! After a day o' drying, shiver me timbers, I laid on some clear enamel. Well, blow me down! Begad! Since I couldn't get all t' paint off o' t' fin joints, I retouched it. Ya scallywag! T' finish looks bilge-suckin' up close, but thar be nay much that I can do without ruinin' t' decals.

Flight:
I used Teflon plumber's tape for t' waddin' and t' streamer (12"). Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I flew t' model on a MMX-II motor and used a bit o' maskin' tape t' retain the motor. Ya scallywag! I used me Pratt GO-BOX and a stock igniter that was removed from its plastic shell. Blimey! Aye aye! T' wind was perfectly calm. Avast! T' flight be a little wobbly and the X-15 flew t' about 25 feet. Since t' CP-CG is marginal, me hearties, I wouldn't fly this rocket except in t' lightest o' winds.

Summary:
This small X-15 be only me second PMC and be straightforward. Avast! T' rocket looks great and seems t' fly fine. Ya scallywag! My only recommendation t' others building this kit is t' use lighter tubing. With t' heavier tubing, most o' which is behind t' desired CG, it is difficult t' balance t' model properly. Mine is probably just barely stable with t' whole nose filled with lead shot. Blimey! Another option might be t' have t' rocket separate further back, thus allowin' more room for nose weight.