Described by those who flew it as the "ultimate flying machine," the North American X-15 rocket-powered hypersonic research aircraft has the distinction of being the fastest manned aircraft in the history of aviation - attaining a speed of Mach 6.7.

Launched from under the wing of a B-52 bomber, the X-15 provided significant research data for the NASA space programs which followed.

This static model is a part of Corgi's collection of die-cast aircraft and spacecraft, scale replicas of the artifacts displayed in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Corgi's X-15 is about 4.5 inches long.