The experimental X-15 built by North American Aviation was an astonishing craft. As both an aircraft and a spaceplane, it set speed and altitude records at the edge of outer space in the 1960s. Such was its performance envelope that some pilots could also hold claim to being astronauts. Three X-15 aircraft were manufactured and test-flown 199 times, thus producing invaluable data that would help future aircraft and space programs. The second X-15A aircraft to be manufactured (serial number 56-6671) was rebuilt after a landing accident, and during this process its length was extended by 730mm. Renamed X-15A-2, it also featured a pair of auxiliary fuel tanks mounted under the fuselage, plus heat-resistant surfaces. It first flew on 28 June 1964, with this hypersonic craft creating the record for the fastest ever manned rocket-powered aircraft with a speed of Mach 6.32 (a staggering 7,274km/h). X-15A-2 remains on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.

Dragon Warbirds is offering an X-15A-2 model made to 1/144 scale. The model depicts the craft as it appeared at its rollout ceremony shortly before performing its record-breaking flight. The die-cast model captures perfectly the cylindrical form of the X-15 with its thick dorsal and ventral stabilizers, plus the new auxiliary fuel tanks are molded in place. This item has quite a distinct difference in appearance compared to the previous X-15A in Dragon’s X-plane series, including the specific markings applied accurately to the aircraft. This X-15A-2 is sure to send collectors soaring into the stratosphere of pleasure!