XP67_Moonbat

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VINTAGE FACTORY NORTH AMERICAN NASA X-15 X-15A-3 DESK MODEL PROTOTYPE DELTA WING

Item description from the seller:

This vintage factory desk model of the North American Aviation X-15A-3 Delta wing prototype. This was a proposal to achieve Mach 8, the project was cancelled in 1962. Fairly large scale model, nose to tail on Walnut stand is 21", see photo #2 of it being held and photos of the model next to a tape measure to judge its scale.

- This model is from the estate auction of Howard L Stroupe, an F-4 phantom pilot (graduating class 73-08) who transitioned to commercial aviation with Braniff then Alaska airlines. He was an avid aerospace model collector & attended 100's of air and space auctions. More items from his estate, including two more X-15 models are available in separate auctions this week- please take a look.

-This model will come custom double boxed and packed very securely via FedEx as they are the best with larger items.

- Has one spot of paint loss at the tip of the external mounted scram jet - see photo #7. Overall in great shape. Please note!! This listing is for ONE model, the last photo of the 3 models together- photo #16, is to show scale and livery of the other two models for sale this week in separate listings, Photo #13 to is showing the prototype in wind tunnel testing.

- All items are at low opening bids and no reserves - Thanks !
On Dec-20-24 at 20:34:00 PST, seller added the following information:
The maker of these models contacted me. These were a joint collaboration between Retro rockets and a Mr Lowther of aerospace products, who did the formulations to scale them up from the original Topping model to 1/40 They were a very limited project made for private clients and not meant to be mistaken for original factory NAA models, even though they are labeled as such. If anyone wants to retract your bid I understand.

 

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And the other two for sale by the same seller, as well?
 
"Vintage" my shiny metal ass. *I* made this less than 15 years ago.
Did you make the other two for X-15 models sale by the same seller, as well?
By the way, am enjoying the Fantastic Plastic Darkstar that you patterned.
 
"Vintage" my shiny metal ass. *I* made this less than 15 years ago.
The "my shiny ass" attitude is kind of funny. Is there any way for for someone to recognize these as anything but authentic factory models? The only indication of origin that I see is the "North American Aviation" name and trademark. If someone wanted to produce a counterfeit vintage factory model that would be accepted as the real thing by a casual observer, it would look like this.
 
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This is not a problem for legitimate auction sites. If provenance, chain of custody, could not be proven then the auction house would contact the archives at North American. Once a photo, or failing that, a detailed description, was obtained, they could determine if it was an original or a copy. But, abusing the trust of the public is the other option.
 
There are no archives at North American because there is no North American. The remaining artifacts are in Boeing corporate storage in Auburn Washington.
 
There are no archives at North American because there is no North American. The remaining artifacts are in Boeing corporate storage in Auburn Washington.

I've done a lot of research. I know this. This is not the first attempt to deceive the average person.
 
The "my shiny ass" attitude is kind of funny. Is there any way for for someone to recognize these as anything but authentic factory models?

Ayup. These were cast in solid modern urethane resin. They were based on originals that were injection molded styrene. others would have been made from other cast resins and plastics unlike urethane. The ID plaques are made from modern plastic; the originals probably would have been made from metal.

The customer wanted models that *looked* like they might be vintage. There was no effort made to make true forgeries. Different materials would have been needed, along with 60+ years of fake aging/distressing.
 
Ayup. These were cast in solid modern urethane resin. They were based on originals that were injection molded styrene. others would have been made from other cast resins and plastics unlike urethane. The ID plaques are made from modern plastic; the originals probably would have been made from metal.

The customer wanted models that *looked* like they might be vintage. There was no effort made to make true forgeries. Different materials would have been needed, along with 60+ years of fake aging/distressing.
I wouldn't know how to tell painted modern urethane resin from painted vintage injection molded styrene or other painted vintage cast resins without scraping material off (destructive) and perhaps having a chemical analysis done. I also wouldn't know if the NAA model shop made ID plates from the same styrene they used for the model or how to tell it from a modern plastic. In the expensive art world, that sort of expert analysis is called forensics or, sometimes, evidence.
As far as I know, comprehensive information on what factory models were produced by/for NAA and what materials were used are lost to history so even expert analysis is difficult. And some factory models of X-15 vintage are in mint condition - I've got a few. If you produce something that looks vintage - especially if you go to the trouble of reproducing registered trademarks, without a real origin indication somewhere (like on the bottom of the stand), someone's probably eventually going to get had.
"My shiny ass" seems to reflect comtempt towards the eBay owner/lister. He apparently believed that the models were authentic and probably paid for them accordingly. Because he's honest and updated the listing, he'll probably take a loss on them.
 
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I wouldn't know how to tell painted modern urethane resin from painted vintage injection molded styrene
Here's an easy test: A solid-cast urethane X-15 could be used to pummel a home intruder into a new and better incarnation. An injection molded model will simply snap in half when it's applied upside the fools head.


As far as I know, comprehensive information on what factory models were produced by/for NAA and what materials were used are lost to history

There are collectors of such things who are quite knowledgable. Forum member Circle 5 was one such, but he passed on a few years back.

"My shiny ass" seems to reflect comtempt towards the eBay owner/lister.
I reflect contempt when someone offers something I'm intimately knowledgeable about while being dead wrong. It was a rare situation, of course, unlikely to be reproduced again soon.
 
Here's an easy test: A solid-cast urethane X-15 could be used to pummel a home intruder into a new and better incarnation. An injection molded model will simply snap in half when it's applied upside the fools head.
Relative mass/weight/density is a clear discriminator then - The More You Know...
 

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