Martin X-24B Lifting Body (1973)
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Scale: 1/48
Initial Release: 2025 Medium: 3D-Printed Resin Kit Rarity: 2 |
About the Design
The Martin-Marietta X-24B was one of NASA’s experimental “lifting body” aircraft built to test how a spacecraft without wings might glide back to Earth and land like an airplane. When its earlier sibling, the bulbous X-24A proved unstable, the engineers at Martin-Marietta built an entirely new frame around the existing aircraft, giving it a sharp, flat-sided “flying flatiron” shape—almost like a giant arrowhead or teardrop shaved down for speed. This redesign gave it far better aerodynamic efficiency, making it a crucial step toward the space shuttle’s familiar design.
The X-24B first flew on August 1, 1973, at Edwards Air Force Base, and over the next four years it completed 36 test flights before being retired in 1977. These flights helped prove that, even with such an unconventional body, a pilot could maintain stable control through approach and landing. The data from the X-24B and its sister lifting bodies gave NASA the confidence to move forward with the space shuttle program, which would carry the lifting body concept into full-scale use. |
About the Kit
This 1/48-scale X-24B was the third in Fantastic Plastic's in-scale lifting body series. It featured decals for both the original "bare metal" version as well as a overall white scheme it now bears while on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio.
The model was built from an original issue |