X-20 Dyna Soar and Titan Launchers

[MartG]

Way back in the early 1960s the USAF was determined to get into the manned spaceflight game, and their chosen vehicle was the X-20 Dyna Soar. Initially intended to be launched on a Titan I the vehicle soon grew in weight which necessitated a change in launcher.

Two mission profiles were planned - a suborbital 'once around' trajectory which would see it launched from Vandenberg AFB atop a Titan II, landing back at Vandenberg ( or other West Coast AFB ) after a partial orbit and glide. The second mission profile would use the Titan IIIC to place the X-20 in orbit.

Last year I produced a 1/72 resin kit of the Gemini Titan, so decided to reuse the same core launcher components for models of the X-20.

First, the suborbital version......

[MartG]

And now the orbital version....





http://martins-models.co.uk/Sales/72/X-20/x20.htm

[kerick]

That look so cool. I love the Titan series. The rocket, not so much the animie.

[MartG]

When the X-20 was cancelled, parts of the USAF still wanted their own manned space programme, and a proposal was made to launch an X-24 lifting body into orbit using the launch vehicles intended for the X-20.

To protect the light alloy airframe of the X-20 I suspect it would have used similar spray-on ablative to that used on the X-15-A2. Oddly though the X-24 is generally thought of as being quite small, it was considerably larger than a Gemini spacecraft







http://martins-models.co.uk/Sales/72/X24/X24.htm

[NARSES2]

Nice work

[PR19_Kit]

SUPER modelling there! 

I've got vacforms of the X-24A and B, and the HL-10 and a few others, I really should get on and BUILD them!

[rickshaw]

I must admit, having grown up in the shadow of the Cold War that I am used to seeing pictures of the Titan.  It's a shame it never caught on with the mainstream kit manufacturers in 1/72.   Your models are really nice.   

[kerick]

A Titan in 1/72 would be awesome. Huge whiff potential!

[Mossie]

Those are great. 

[royabulgaf]

I bought an Estes 1/70 Gemini-Titan rocket many years back.  It may still be available.

[pyro-manic]

  Cool.

[MartG]

A Titan in 1/72 would be awesome. Huge whiff potential!

If you want to whiff one, and don't need the full kit, I'm quite happy to supply individual parts