Douglas X-3 Stiletto Ideas and Inspiration

[GTX_Admin]

Hi folks,

The Douglas X-3 Stiletto seems to be one of those aircraft that you constantly see on sale in kit form and one that just about everyone either owns or has looked at purchasing at some time or another, but which you rarely ever see modelled or profiled.  So let's change that - what are your Douglas X-3 Stiletto Ideas?

Regards,

Greg

[dy031101]

Switch the powerplants to the Avon/XJ54 and use AIM-26 for armaments?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I must confess that I have never had any X-3 kits in my possession.  It was never one of those aircraft that really caught my fancy.  I suppose it was due to the thing being a test aircraft and not a front line military aircraft that skewed my perspective but there have been several attempts over the years by a couple of folks that did attempt to militarize the X-3 and they did catch my eye. 

[Alvis 3.1]

Fatten up the forward fuselage, add bubble canopy, switch engine to J-79, T that tail....oh wait, that's a 104. Never mind!

Alvis 3.1

[Weaver]

1. Blank off the canopy and turn it into a cruise missile.

2. Scalorama the 1/48th one to 1/72nd, thus making it big enough to do something useful.

[GTX_Admin]

One could possibly do the Douglas Model 1186-C Long Range Special Attack Aircraft (as seen on the cover of Jared Zichek's (aka jzichek on this forum) excellent book:  "Secret Aerospace Projects of the U.S. Navy: The Incredible Attack Aircraft of the USS United States, 1948-1949":



Regards,

Greg

[elmayerle]

Well, once upon a time I had the idea of replacing the wings with larger scale F-5 wings and replacing the engines with J79s as a starting point (this was way, way long ago, before I really got into the business).  I still think that re-engining is a priority and larger wings, too; the larger wings actually giving you a place to carry stores.

[The Big Gimper]

This post is a copy.

Rocket motor under the "stinger" for the tail surfaces?  I wonder how these wings compare in size to F-104 wings?  As a thought, enlarge the wings while keeping the front and rear sweep the same by putting the 1/72 wings outboard of a set of 1/48 wings from the old Lindberg 1/48 X-3.


X-3 Wing options by Big Gimper, on Flickr

Evan: Here is your answer. From the bottom up:

• Hasegawa Mirage F.1 kit
• Hasegawa F-16A kit
• ESCI F-104 kit
• Mach 2 kit

I like the F.1 wing myself: Big wing "F-3E"

[The Big Gimper]

Well, once upon a time I had the idea of replacing the wings with larger scale F-5 wings and replacing the engines with J79s as a starting point (this was way, way long ago, before I really got into the business).  I still think that re-engining is a priority and larger wings, too; the larger wings actually giving you a place to carry stores.

Response is here: http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=711.msg144645 within the X-3 topic thread.

[Robomog]

Scalorama 1/48 to 1/72  for  a 2001 Orion III space clipper style space craft

Mog
>^-.-^<

[finsrin]

Scalorama 1/48 to 1/72  for  a 2001 Orion III space clipper style space craft

Mog
>^-.-^<

Like concept.    To hold number passengers suggest ending up 1/144 or beyond.

[Robomog]

Youve Got a point there Mr finsrin 1/144  or 1/100 would scale a lot better 

Mog
>^-.-^<

[kitnut617]

Here's an idea I have ---

[tankmodeler]

I have three of the old 1/48 kits bought with the aim of creating some sort of Sci Fi space fighter thing. Thinking of all three of them clustered about a common core fighter-carrying vehicle or booster. Might make a cool Earth-based point low orbit defence fighter thing. Possibly mounting weapons in what are now the intake volume of the fuselage and consolidating the two jet exhausts into some sort of new, single "impulse" drive exhaust.

Paint it up in a cool 70s-80s Terran Trade Authority scheme.

Or it could be an updated moon- or low orbit-based SHADO Interceptor. Probably low orbit with a return to Earth after the mission thus the wings are retained.

Paul

[Robomog]

Scalorama 1/48 to 1/72  for  a X-wing style space fighter, remove the tail planes and rudder but leave the "stinger" boom, add some armament to the wings and something to the wing tips. I haven't measured this but there may be room for a second crewman/ robot. Fair over the intakes and install some cannon.

A "T-wing" fighter ?

Mog
>^-.-^<