TMF Quarterly - Tulsa Modelers Forum

The Official Publication of the Tulsa Modeler’s Forum July-September 2012 Volume 1 Issue 3
Modeling History
MACH Buster!
Building Revell’s 1/32 Scale X-1 as NACA’s X-1 #2
“USS Batfish”
Photos of a World War II Submarine located in
Muskogee, OK!
Contest Gallery
The Tulsa Model Show and SoonerCon

When you’re ready to take your aviation art seriously...
“LOW LEVEL HELL”
OH-6A Cayuse- C TROOP 16 th CAV - “electric olive II” – SIGNED BY ROD WILLIS – LIMITED TO 10 PRINTS
OH-6A Cayuse- C TROOP 16 th CAV - “MISS CLAWD IV” – SIGNED BY HUGH MILLS – LIMITED TO 10 PRINTS
“Our Aviation Art Takes Flight!”
Digital Color Aircraft Profiles and Pen & Ink Artwork
Air Wing Graphics prints available at The Hussar!
See these and more at: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/arthur-eggers.html
All artwork © Air Wing Graphics/Art Eggers

Tulsa Modeler’s Forum
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Tulsa Modeler’s Forum Quarterly is the quarterly
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Cover Photo: Steve Eggers’ 1/32 scale Bell
Aircraft X-1, supersonic research aircraft by
Revell.
3
Features
9 MachBuster
Building Revell’s 1/32 scale X-1 as NACA’s X-1 #2 research aircraft
16 The Tulsa Show
HMSNEO host’s their annual event!
18 SoonerCon
IPMS Metro/OKC host’s their annual event!
23 1/1 Scale – USS Batfish
World War II Submarine in Muskogee, OK!

Editor’s Page
The Topic for this Quarter:
“Modeling history”
When I decided to take up scale modeling as my
hobby, 26 years ago, I remember going to my first few model
meetings in Amarillo, Texas and seeing a bumper sticker
that had artwork of a hand with an F-15 flying out of it. The
text read something like, “Scale Modeling…Holding History
in Your Hands.” This got me thinking. I looked at the models
in my display case and I realized how much history I have
portrayed in that case. Every model in my display case has a
story, whether it is a history on a model and the markings it
is displayed in or even a personal history of what it took to
build and finish that model.
Think about the amount of time you spend
researching a particular subject. I’m sure that it’s in the tens,
maybe even into the hundreds, of hours. The amount of
research that goes into these subjects could almost classify
a person as an amateur historian in your particular area of
interest. In my case, my area of interest is USAF aircraft
1947 to Present, experimental, R&D, 1950-1960’s aircraft,
Rotary Wing and Science Fiction.
With my most recent completion, Revell’s Bell X-1, I
spent many hours researching photos from the Dryden web
site. I scoured through web articles on building the Revell kit.
I dug out old books that I had on the subject of research and
developmental aircraft. I even called NASA for references. I
went so far as to search for the proper technique of spraying
and polishing white lacquer paint. I learned/rediscovered
many things with this build, such as:
History
X-1, 46-063, the number two aircraft of the
X-1 series, was the first X-1 to fly.
4
Technique
6063 was turned over to the NACA on 25
September 1947
10 March 1948 – NACA pilot Herb Hoover
became the first civilian to break the sound
barrier @ Mach 1.065. (You never read
about that in the aviation history books.)
6063 was grounded on 23 Oct 1951 due to
possible nitrogen sphere fatigue.
6063 was remanufactured as the X-1E and
continued to fly in the X-1E configuration
until 1958.
The X-1 cockpit area is hard to mask over
with all the stuff in there. Why did I put all
that stuff in the cockpit?
I hate white paint.
Wait 12 hours for the paint to cure, and then
wet sand with 2000 grit.
Reapply paint; wait for the paint to cure and
then polish.
When polishing, be sure to keep polishing
compound on the pad and don’t let it dry out.
When decaling, use distilled water. Tap
water has “stuff” in it that will ruin the finish
on your models years later.
So, the next time you look at your model display;
don’t look at them like a bunch of models sitting on a
shelf, think of them as history in miniature, each one
with their own unique story.
- Steve Eggers
Editor

NEW
1/72 scale Bell X-1E Decals only $10.00
1/48 scale Bell X-1E Decals only $12.50
ISS Exploded View Photo in 13” X 19” Graphic Format $16.50
Two Die-Cut Circle Images for “When Worlds Collide! $12.50
Adams
“Vanguard At Cape Canaveral “ $16.00
“Thor At White Sands” $12.00
Airfix
1/125 Ariane 5 Decals with Helios 2B Logo $10.00
1/96 Ariane 5 Decals with Helios 2B Logo $16.50
AMT
Man In Space Decals 1/200 $12.50
Aurora
1/144 Space Shuttle Orion 2001 Decals (Also fits Airfix) $7.00
1/72 Aurora Lunar Probe Digital Decals (# 385) $16.50
1/48 Ryan X-13 Vertijet Decal $16.50
1/48 Bomarc with & without Launcher decals $12.50
1/48 Regulus - ll Missile Now available $16.50
1/48 Mace Decals $16.50
Hawk
Tactical Guided Missile # 554 Corporal Missile $12.50
3 Rocket Power Guided Missiles Decals $10.00
3 Rocket Power Guided Missiles Replacement Mat (2-sided) $10.00 OOP
“ Project Vanguard Satellite” Decals kit # 515 $12.50
Atlas Manned Orbiting Lab Kit *551 New Lettering & Artwork $16.50
Heller
1/125 ISS Station and Panels $16.50
1/72 TWA markings for Connie –1 ½ pages $12.50
Lindberg
Mars Probe Space Transport $16.00
Space Shuttle Tile Decal (underside of shuttle only) for The 1/200 $10.00
U.S. Moon Ship No.1003 Digital Decals. $12.50
Flying Saucer Decal - From Another World ! $5.00
1/48 Convair XFY-1 VTO POGO Decals (Also fits Aurora 1/48 POGO) $12.00
Mach2
1/72 Seadart Set $14.00
Monogram
# 6061 Apollo Spacecraft 1/32 scale Decals $14.00
PD-40 U.S. Missile set decals for this classic kit at 1/128 scale – 2 sheets $30.00
PD-40 U.S. Missile set Mat for the Display stand. $16.50 OOP
Rascal Missile PD-42 Decals $16.50
1/96 Monogram TV Orbiter $12.50
PA-56 “Air Power” Decals Famed aircraft set !! $30.00
Original artwork for PA-29 Blue Angels decals ! $16.50
Strombecker
Moonliner Decals with correct color Red (also fits Glencoe kit) $10.00
What’s New
Rockets, Missiles, Spacecraft and Aircraft Decals for New & Classic Kits
Prices are constantly changing in mail service and on some of my list prices.
Please email me first prior to paying so I can give you an accurate amount for shipping.
By Ed Bisconti Current as of: 5/29/2012
If you want to see what a particular decal below looks like then send me your email.
You can reach me at scifi77@aol.com
5
D-32“Space Station” decals - Includes red and black S-1 decal (fits Glencoe) $10.00
D-26 Man in Space D-26 RX- 1 (also fits Glencoe kit ) $16.50
Manned Nuclear Interplanetary Vehicle $16.50
RM-1 Original “Man In Space Series” $10.00
Satellite Launcher D-35 Replaces Paper Insert $16.00
Sea Dart U.S. Navy Decals $16.00
Pan Am Decals for the TWA Moonliner kit (Fits Glencoe) $7.00
Revell
1/110 scale “Everything is Go” #1833 Decal Set $16.50
1/40 Nike Hercules Decals $16.50.
Convair Atlas Digital Decals – 1822 $20.00
H-248 United DC-8 Jet Mainliner Decals $16.50
H-1825 Moon Ship $12.00
H-1805 Space Station $30.00
H-1800 XSL-01 Manned Space Ship Decals $16.00
8639 Thor & Jupiter Set $16.50
H-1823 Thor & Thor Able Missile $14.00
H-1824 Jupiter with truck & trailer $14.00
Convair Space Shuttlecraft Digital Decals # 1828 $8.00
Helios H-1851 $14.00
Helios H-1829 Decal Set $14.00
Old B-24 Decals $12.00
17 Missile Decal set with new lettering $12.50
1/96 Saturn V Digital Decal Set $16.50
1/144 TWA markings Constellation aircraft models. (Fits Minicraft) $8.00
1/144 Revell ISS Solar Panels (Need kit to measure scale)
ISS Update for the Revell 1/144 International Space Station $16.50
1/32 BELL X-1 Digital TEXT Lettering Decals* The Clearest Letters Ever seen. $14.00
SkunkModels
RQ- 4B UAV NASA version Redesigned $16.50
Tuskegee Airman Lee Anchor Honored on RQ-4B UAV Global Hawk Aircraft No.
512010 $12.50
1/48 TM-76 Mace Missile & Trailer Decals (Fits Resin kits,Topping and can be used
on Hawk kit. (Renwal Style) Currently back in Production.) $12.00
1/200 Space Shuttle Tiles $12.50
1/32 Apollo Spacecraft Kit 6061 Now $10.00
Digital 1:72 Monogram Revell Space Shuttle Decals $14.00
1/72 Space Orbiter Update Decal $12.00
1/144 Space Orbiter Update Decal $10.00
SPACE SHUTTLE TILE SETS
Revell 1/72 Space Shuttle Tiles $46.00
Available nowhere else not even on the internet. U.S. plus Priority mail postage
and insurance By postal area per USPS now.
International Priority Rates Apply. Canada can get 1st class rates or Priority mail.
International rates quoted for postage by country.
1/144 Shuttle Decal Set $20 plus postage
1/288 Shuttle Decal Set $8 plus postage
1/72 Space Orbiter Update Decal $12.50
1/144 Space Orbiter Update Decal $10.00
PDF format 1/72 Digital Decal Atlantis Cockpit Panels for your Space Shuttle 10.00
1/144 Launch Tower & Space Shuttle Decals $12.50
1/100 Tamiya Space Orbiter Update Decal $12.50
1/100 Tamiya Space Orbiter Standard Decal Set $8.00
New in 2009 Monogram PS193 1/144 Apollo Saturn Decals with Flags $12.50

AIRCRAFT, X-15 & Misc.
1/48 X-15 The Definitive Historical Set Decals $30.00
The Never before seen ( I drew these decals via computer ) Ventral tail markings
of 10 X-15's The never issued Little Joe ll Dice insiginia for the nose area of the
aircraft and much more! I have created special artwork that you will find nowhere
else for any 1/48 X-15 !! Includes White X-15A2 Version (Red Decals) in 1:48 Scale
Copyright 2006 -2007
Comprehensive 1/32 X-15 Digital Decal set for 2010 - 2 ½ sheets of decals. For the
Special Hobby 1/32 X-15 kits. $40.00 On Sale for $30.
1/72 X-15 Decals same as above with X-15A2 White version red decals ! $12.50
1/48 &1/72 X-15 Instrument Panel Decals only (either Set) Special Order ! $9.00
OOP
1/144 X-15 Set Complete. World’s smallest set $5.00
1/48 F/A 18-C Hornet Operation Iraqi Freedom Decals. $14.00
ARMOR
Renwal Armor - Military Decals
Renwal Big Shot Decals 2 Versions $10.00
Atomic Cannon Decals 1/32 scale $20.00
Walker Bulldog Tank $16.00
Renwal Ontos decals $10.00
Renwal Wrecker 1/32 U.S. Army Truck $12.00
New-Re-mastered Renwal / Revell Nike Missile decals $12.00
Renwal / Revell 1/32 Hawk Guided Missile System decals $12.00
Renwal MACE Tera-Cruzer Decal set also fits Revell Kit. $16.50
1:32 Revell / Renwal MACE TM-76 Missile Decals $16.50
M4A3 US Marine "BEELZABUB" At Iwo Jima 1/35 Tank Decals $12.50
NASA RESCUE M113*DECAL*By Mike Del Vecchio @ 1/35 Scale $14.50
Aug. 2011 RESCUE M113*DECAL*By Mike Del Vecchio @ 1/72 Scale $10.00
MACE TAC for Revell Mace and Teracruzer $14.00
Air Support for Ground Troops and ARMOR
Monogram “Phantom Huey” 1:24 Decal set 2 Decals $20.00
Monogram “Phantom Huey” 1:35 Decal set 2 Decals $12.50
Monogram “Phantom Huey” 1:48 Decal set 2 Decals $12.50
What’s New
6
Monogram “Tour of Duty” 1:24 Decal set 2 Decals $16.50
Monogram “Tour of Duty” 1:35 Decal set 2 Decals $14.00
Monogram “Tour of Duty” 1:48 Decal set 2 Decals $12.00
Monogram “Razor Backs” 1:24 Decal set 2 Decals $16.50
Monogram “Razor Backs” 1:48 Decal set 2 Decals $12.50
Monogram “Razor Backs” 1:72 Decal set 2 Decals $10.00
Monogram “Nevada Dice” 1:24 Decal set 2 Decals $16.50
Monogram “Nevada Dice” 1:35 Decal set 2 Decals $12.50
Missiles, CDs & MISC.
Nike Missile CD’s Vol - l & Vol – ll By Military Historian Ed Bisconti $20.00
Plastic Rockets, Missiles & Spacecraft Vol - l CD's $20.00
Plastic Rockets, Missiles & Spacecraft Vol - ll CD's $20.00
INCLUDES AUTHOR'S EXCLUSIVE GUS "GRISSOM 8MM FILM" - Report Plus Decals
The Renwal Armor Recon Report”Ontos” By Ed Bisconti $15.00
“New” 1/48 NASA Decal Logos, also fits 1/72, 1/44 and 1/96 scale rockets , aircraft,
spacecraft and missiles $10 for per decal sheet 5 ½ X 8 ½ Flags
1/48 U.S. flags 50 star $5.00 on white paper. New digital Images for U.S. aircraft.
1/48 U.S. flags 50 star slanted $5.00 on white paper. New digital Images for U.S
Aircraft OOP
1/48 U.S. flags 48 star $5.00 on white paper. New digital Images for U.S. aircraft
OOP
More Rockets, Missiles & Spacecraft
2008 Monogram US & USSR Missiles Kit # 6019 Decals $12.00
2010 Update to 5904 above and 6019 and Revell kits ! $12.50
2008 Monogram 36 Missiles 6055 $14.50
2008 Historically accurate Aurora Astronaut lll New NASA emblem artwork. $6.00
1/48 RENWAL / Palmer Vanguard Decal set $16.50.
MONOGRAM PD-43 U.S. MISSILE Arsenal Set $20.00
MONOGRAM PD-40 U.S. MISSILE MAT 4 Your Base $16.50
Revell Tactical Missile Set No. H-812 and H-547 for $15.00

NEWSLETTERS WORK WHEN THE MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE!
7

History
26 May 1950 – NACA pilot John Griffith breaks Mach 1.2
Modeling history:
Building Revell’s 1/32 Scale Bell X-1 as a NACA Research Aircraft
On 16 March 1945, the United States Army Air Forces' Flight
Test Division and the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics (NACA) contracted Bell Aircraft to build three X-
1 aircraft to obtain flight data on conditions in the transonic
speed range.
The X-1 was in principle a "bullet with wings", its shape
closely resembled the Browning .50-caliber (12.7 mm)
machine gun bullet that was known to be stable in
supersonic flight. The pattern shape was followed to the
point of seating the pilot behind a sloped, framed window
inside a confined cockpit in the nose, with no ejection seat.
After the aircraft ran into compressibility problems in 1947, it
was modified to feature a variable-incidence tail plane
(Flying Tail).
Bell Aircraft Chief Test Pilot, Jack Woolams became the first
to fly the X-1, in a glide flight over Pinecastle Army Airfield, in
by Steve Eggers
9
Florida, on 25 January 1946. Woolams would complete nine
additional glide flights over Pinecastle before March 1946,
when the #1 aircraft was returned to Bell for modifications in
anticipation of the powered flight tests, planned for Muroc
Army Air Field in California. Later, Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin
would become the primary Bell Aircraft test pilot of X-1-1
(serial 46-062). He made 26 successful flights in both of the
X-1 aircraft from September 1946 until June 1947.
The Army Air Force was unhappy with the cautious pace of
flight envelope expansion and Bell Aircraft's flight test
contract for aircraft #46-062 was terminated and was taken
over by the Army Air Force Flight Test Division on 24 June
after months of negotiation. Flight tests of the X-1-2 (serial
46-063) would be conducted by NACA to provide design
data for later production high-performance aircraft.

Movie Myths
I’ve always known that the 1983 movie “The Right Stuff” is
not the most historically accurate movie. I would like to point
out some of the misconceptions about the quest to break the
sound barrier and a few other glaring errors in the movie.
Myth: In the opening scene of the movie, a test pilot is
standing next to the X-1 and gives thumbs up to all his fellow
test pilots. The B-29 takes off and the X-1, call sign Whiskey
Kilo 28, is carried aloft. The X-1 is dropped and starts its
pursuit of Mach 1. The aircraft starts buffeting wildly, the pilot
loses control and the X-1 barrels into the ground killing the
pilot.
Fact: That never happened! No X-1 was ever lost in an air
mishap. There were three XS-1 aircraft built, X-1 #1 (6062),
X-1 #2 (6063) and X-1 #3 (6064). While 6062 and 6063
experienced their own series of nose strut failures, only the
#3 aircraft was lost. 6064 exploded while under the EB-50
carrier aircraft during taxi. This was due a failure of the
Ulmer leather gaskets installed in the nitrogen pressurization
system. NACA pilot Joe Cannon was severely burned and
almost lost his life. The EB-50 and X-1 #3 were a total loss.
It wasn’t until the explosion of the X-1D and the X-2 while
slung under their EB-50 carrier aircraft that the cause of X-1
#3 explosion was determined.
X-1 #1 (6062) is on display at the National Air and Space
Museum, Washington DC and X-1 #2 (6063) (X-1E
configuration) is on display in front of the Dryden Research
Center, Edwards AFB.
Myth: While sitting at Pancho’s, Bell Aircraft Test Pilot “Slick”
Goodlin states that he can break the sound barrier for
$150,000. The Air Force brass and Bell Aircraft management
balk at the idea, Yeager, “a real stick and rudder man”, is
suggested as the guy who can do it. An Air Force Major
walks over to Yeager and makes the suggestion. Yeager
replies that he thinks the sound barrier doesn’t exist. The
brass thinks this is an attempt for Yeager to bribe them.
Yeager replies that the Air Force pays him enough. The next
day, 14 October 1947, Yeager heads out to the flightline,
hops in a B-29, squeezes into the X-1 and as they say “the
rest is history.”
10
Fact: NOT EVEN CLOSE! In the beginning, Bell Aircraft
handled envelope expansion, The Air Force got tired of
waiting on Bell so they took over the program. The Air Force
would push the envelope a little further with each test flight.
The quest to reach Mach 1 was very structured. Everything
culminated on 14 October 1947. That was the day scheduled
to achieve Mach 1. Although the dialog between Ridley and
Yeager about the Mach meter going all “screwy” is accurate.
Myth: In the movie, depicted sometime in the early 1960’s,
Yeager has a conversation with Jack Ridley about breaking
the altitude record, in a later scene Yeager, standing in a
high altitude flight suit, he and Ridley walk out to the NF-104
and Yeager “steals” the NF-104. Later the aircraft
experiences a loss of control, Yeager ejects and the aircraft
plummets to the ground. Ridley and another airman go out to
the crash site, they see Yeager walking and they pick him
up.
Fact: That entire scene, minus the crash, never took
place. It’s impossible! Jack Ridley was killed in 1957 at
age 42 while flying as a passenger in a C-47 when it crashed
into a snow-covered mountainside northeast of Tokyo.
Furthermore, Yeager never “stole” the NF-104. He was
scheduled to fly the aircraft that day.
One last thing: Gus Grissom was not a bumbling idiot as
portrayed in the movie. He was exonerated from the incident
with the “Liberty Bell 7”. It was indeed an unexplained
“glitch”. The other Mercury 7 astronauts who saw the movie
were not happy with the way Grissom was portrayed and
they went further to explain that he was quite the opposite
from the movie character and was very intelligent and a
highly skilled pilot / astronaut.
In conclusion, while “The Right Stuff” is an entertaining
movie with cool scenes of supersonic airplanes and the first
missions into space, it is important to remember, it’s
Hollywood. When Tom Wolfe, the author of the book,
previewed the movie, he absolutely hated it. He even went
so far as to try to have the movie pulled. The studio told him:
“We had to squeeze 20 years into 2 hours, enjoy your
money”. Moving on…

Kit Impressions
The Revell kit is listed as a Skill Level 2 with an overall
length of 12-3/4", a wingspan: 10-5/8", with a total of 50
parts. The kit is molded in light gray, a big improvement over
the original orange mold from years past. The kit features
fine raised panel lines, a fully detailed cockpit with an
optional pilot figure, a full rocket engine (that you can’t see
when the fuselage is closed), an optional position cockpit
door and water slide decals.
The Build
I decided early that this build was not going to be
“Glamorous Glennis”. It seems everybody builds the record
breaking aircraft. I already built this version using Eduard’s
excellent 1/48 scale kit. With that in mind, my options were
limited to aircraft 6063 in either the early overall orange paint
scheme or the later NACA white aircraft. The overall white
appealed to me. I don’t recall ever seeing one of these built
in person and the aircraft is colorful with the yellow and black
NACA tail band and the stars and bars.
I also wanted to pose this model in flight. When I worked at
Bell Helicopter, our HR director had a nice 1/32 scale desk
model of “Glamorous Glennis” sitting at the corner of his
desk. It always caught my eye when I was called to his
office. With that said, that was my inspiration for putting this
model in flight. I normally like using clear acrylic rod, but until
recently, I have used square Evergreen tube in the aircraft
and a brass square rod on the base. This allows the aircraft
to be posed and then it is held into position without it
swiveling around and having to glue it in place.
Fuselage and Cockpit
This build, like most aircraft builds, start out with assembling
the cockpit. Assembly is straight forward to no major issues
were encounter. I painted the cockpit parts, sidewalls and
the rocket motor area Model Master Green Zinc Chromate
11
prior to assembly. The back of
the instruments were drilled out
and wire super glued into each
instrument. The instrument panel
was painted Model Master
Interior Black. The details on the
instruments were picked out
using a silver PrismaColor
pencil. The instruments were
then sealed with a drop of Future on each instrument face.
The control yoke was also painted Interior Black.
Since this is an in-flight display, the next step was the pilot
figure. The pilot is broken down into an unusual left and right
head half, front and back torso and legs and left and right
arm. I assembled the head and the body. I placed the arms
into the position and noticed immediately that the opening
between the left and right arms was too narrow for the
control yoke. I super glued the back side of the shoulders in
place on each arm, using the yoke as a guide for the correct
distance. I filled the front shoulder gap using 3M Blue Acryl
putty.
The kit instructions show the pilot in a khaki color flight suit. I
opted to paint the pilot in the standard sage color flight suit.
The helmet was painted Model Master Leather and the
goggles where painted flat black with gunmetal lenses. I also
decided on flat black flight gloves and flat black flight boots. I
painted the oxygen mask Interior Black with gray pastel post
shading to lighted it up a bit. I post shaded the pilot using an
array of pastels and then sprayed with Testors Dullcoat to
seal everything. After drying, I coated the goggle lenses with
Future.
I now needed to decide where I was going to place my
square Evergreen tubing. I wanted the aircraft in a climbing,
banking pose. I cut a square in the center of the bottom
spine (for the lack of a better term) and positioned it
accordingly. I reinforced the upper part of the tube by gluing
pieces of styrene, boxing it in, to give it added support and
prevent the tube from coming loose.

Rocket Motor
The rocket motor is made up of three parts left and right half
and the exhaust section. Assembly of this was very easy, but
I wanted something a little more. I decided to add four pieces
of aluminum tubing to the exhaust section. After drying, I
sprayed the entire motor gunmetal. I wasn’t too worried
about the overall results since it wasn’t going to be seen
anyway. I was only concerned about the nozzle section.
There are two alignment pins on the motor that attach to the
left side of the fuselage. One of the pins was way too long.
This was one of those easy trim to fit situations. There is a
sizable gap between the fuselage halves and the exhaust
section. I guess I could have used styrene and gone along
the outside of the nozzle piece, but I decided not to bother
with it.
Closing up the Fuselage
I didn’t have any difficulty closing up the fuselage. Although
on side of the vertical tail was warped. (This would come
back to haunt me later.) I sanded the seams and filled any
gaps with 3M Blue Acryl spot glazing putty dried overnight. I
have discovered with Blue Acryl, it is a minimum of three
filling jobs to get the gap adequately filled. I like using this
because it doesn’t shrink too much and it can be scribed.
There were a few sink marks on the fuselage these were
filled at this time as well.
12
On the aft fuselage, X-1-2 had two inlet scoops not found on
X-1-1. Revell didn’t do their research when they decided to
include 46-063 markings on the decal sheet. These were
easily robbed from a Panda 1/35 UH-1N kit. The UH-1N
doesn’t use these scoops on the roof. So, it worked out quite
well for the X-1 kit.
Landing Gear Doors
I figured out real quick that Revell never intended for the
landing gear doors to be in the closed positions. The doors
are undersized and require shims to be put in so they could
be closed. The shims were put in raised and sanded flush.
Most of the filling and sanding was done on the gear doors.
Winging It
The wings of the X-1 are completely straight and parallel
with ground with no droop. Care needs to be taken when
attaching the wings to the fuselage. The locator tabs on the
wings are an upper and lower tab. The tabs need to be in
the proper place to ensure the wings are straight and level.
Final Assembly
After everything was closed up and put together, I attached
the horizontals to the tail and it was very crooked! So, I
popped the seam and twisted the fuselage to correct the
warp. I guess they pulled the parts out of the molds a little
too early on this run of the kit. With that fixed, it was time
start filling and sanding and get prepped for paint.

Decals and Markings
The kit instructions give you four aircraft options, although
you can do other versions not listed on the instruction sheet
with the decals are provided (noted by “*”).
46-062 – Prior to the record breaking flight – “Bell Aircraft” logo in four
locations, Early Stars and Bars
46-062 – “Glamorous Glennis” – Record Breaking flight
46-062 – Interim Air Force scheme with white upper and lower spine as
seen in the movie “Jet Pilot” (6062 Last Flight)
46-063 – Delivery scheme, Overall Orange with “Bell Aircraft” logo in four
locations, Early Stars and Bars.
46-063* – Overall white, black walkways – Large Stars and Bars on wings
and fuselage. (To do this scheme, the early NACA shield is missing from the
kit decal sheet, it is available on aftermarket sheets)
13
46-063 – Overall White with black walkways (inboard wing) – NACA tail
band
46-063* – Overall White, no walkways – NACA on wings, NACA tail band,
X’s on sides of fuselage
46-063* – Overall White, Natural metal wings, X’s on sides of fuselage –
small Stars and Bars on aft fuselage, NACA tail band
There are many variations to 46-063. I found many different
marking variations when it was in NACA service prior to the
X-1E conversion. Check your references when building
6063. In my opinion, there’s probably no wrong way to build
it with all the different variations it had throughout its career
in the original X-1 configuration.
The biggest omission, in my opinion, on the decal sheet is all
the stencil data. This can be remedied with an aftermarket
decal sheet, more on this later.

Painting and Markings
NACA operated X-1s were painted over all Gloss White. The
NACA discovered that the aircraft were easier to track when
painted white, instead of the overall Reefer Orange or
natural metal when operated by the USAF Flight Test
Division.
I painted my X-1 using the Model Master Two Part Lacquer
System out of the spray can. What I like about this paint is
that it dries FAST! I found the best way to spray ANY paint
out of the can is to heat it up. To do so, here is what I do, fill
up the kitchen/bathroom sink with very hot water. (DON’T
STICK THE PAINT CAN IN THE MICROWAVE TO HEAT IT
UP!) I sprayed the first coat and let it cure overnight. The
next day I wet sanded the entire model with 2000 grit sand
paper. I heated up the can of paint in hot water and applied a
second coat of the gloss white lacquer. I let the second coat
cure for about six hours.
I then used Turtle Wax Polishing Compound to buff the paint
to a high shine! I did this off and on over the course of a day.
When I was finished polishing the model, I washed the
model to remove any residual compound.
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I painted the area around the rocket motor at the aft fuselage
Floquil Old Silver. I like using Old Silver because it dries
hard and can be masked. It’s not shiny silver, but nice dull
silver. The instrumentation boom was painted Old Silver as
well.
The canopy was painstakingly masked and painted Model
Master Flat black.
Since I had decided to do my X-1 in a NACA scheme, I had
four different markings to choose from. Three out of the four
of these can be done with the kit decal sheet. When X-1-2
was turned over to NACA, it carried the NACA shield on the
tail instead of the familiar black and yellow tail band I wanted
mine to have as many markings as possible. I went with The
Stars and Bars on the wings and fuselage, NACA text on the
wings, the photo identification “Xs” on the side of the
fuselage and the NACA tail band.

Stencil Data
After the model was complete, the kit didn’t looked finished
to me. I checked my references and noticed that the X-1 had
data stencil located all over the fuselage for access and
servicing. I found a great 1/32 X-1 data sheet offered by Ed
Bisconti. This decal sheet is printed on clear decal film and
the text is well printed and is readable! I contacted Ed and
requested his decal sheet. Ed was very generous and sent
me a review sample at no cost in exchange for advertising
and the use my model to promote his work!
This gave the model a truly finished off look! To me, it now
looked like an airplane and not a toy of an X-1.
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Final Thoughts
I wanted to do a project like this for some time. I finished it
off in the look I was going for, which is a nice clean desk
model of an NACA flown Bell X-1. Construction of this kit
isn’t hard. It does have its little quirks, but what model kit
doesn’t. I would recommend this kit to anyone interested in
building the X-1. It is a good size, construction is very
straight forward and there are no surprises. The only con to
this kit, is that it was pulled from the mold a little too soon
and the vertical was a little warped, other than that, a great
kit overall.
Definitely Recommended!

HMSNEO - The Tulsa Model Show – 2 June 2012
The Historical Miniatures Society of Northeastern Oklahoma sponsored the 2012 Tulsa Model Show. There was
excellent work by all who entered the contest. Photos by Steve Eggers
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The Tulsa Model Show – 2 June 2012
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SoonerCon – 16 June 2012
IPMS Metro and the AMPS sponsored the 2012 SoonerCon. This year, as in previous years, welcomed all scale
modelers from Texas, Arkansas and the Oklahoma area. There was excellent work by all who entered the contest.
Photos by Steve Eggers
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SoonerCon – 16 June 2012
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SoonerCon – 16 June 2012
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SoonerCon – 16 June 2012
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SoonerCon – 16 June 2012
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1/1 Scale – USS Batfish
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1/1 Scale – USS Batfish
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Paul T – Hobbycraft P-40B
Member Gallery
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TMF Quarterly PERIODICAL
Tulsa, OK
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