Posts: 74 From: West Covina, CA USA Registered: Jun 2011
posted 04-17-2022 03:50 PM
I have the Bandai Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1/144 scale, here was my review back then.
That one came out a few years ago and I always wanted to get the Russian counterpart. Seeing how no manufacturer has the intentions to make one, I decided to commission my own project to build the Buran Shuttle with the Energia Rocket fully stacked in 1/144 scale. I contacted my trusted custom model maker (SDModelMakers) although they normally build ships, they did an amazing job with my previous projects that I trusted them to pull this off. The results were quite amazing.
A little about the Buran: obviously the design was quite similar, but you have to admit, the Buran did seem to have some more advantages over the American Space Shuttle. Of course, it was yet to be proven since it only flew once before the Soviet Union collapsed. However, one cannot help wonder how our space program would have evolved had the Buran fully went into service.
The Russian Space Shuttle does not have integrated main engines, it mainly relied on the Energia booster to get into space, so without the extra weight of the engines, it can carry more payload. The Buran was also fully automated, so it can be launched and land by itself — which it did on the maiden flight. The Energia rocket was also impressive in its own right, it can be launched by itself and carry over 100 tons. It was liquid-fueled so it can be throttled up, down or shut off. Unlike the solid rocket boosters on the American Space Shuttle — once you light them you can’t shut them off.
So here are the pictures of the finished model, we tried to copy Bandai’s presentation of the shuttle with the mirrored base and dimension. That way when I display them together it, it matches up very well:
A side by side comparison: doesn't the Buran Shuttle look more advanced?
Enjoy!
cspg Member
Posts: 6331 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 04-20-2022 07:46 AM
More advanced? Don't know. Maybe faster turnaround time because no need to remove the SSME after each flight (and no SRBs — but rockets blow up anyway so more advanced).
Someone in the Kremlin who is so nostalgic of the Soviet Union's former greatness should look at the pictures you've posted. They're great.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 49735 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-20-2022 12:05 PM
Impressive model. It makes for quite a pair with the Bandai Endeavour.
quote:Originally posted by SuperKungFu: The Buran was also fully automated, so it can be launched and land by itself...
The U.S. space shuttle had the same capability, it was just disabled for most of its lifetime at the request (read: demand) of the astronaut office, which feared NASA phasing out pilots if left on. After the loss of Columbia, though, NASA needed to be able to bring a disabled shuttle back down to the ground safely, so a cable was flown that would connect the computers needed for the job on the mid deck to the controls on the flight deck.
Rocket Chris Member
Posts: 424 From: Guttentag Registered: Nov 2009
posted 12-31-2022 01:43 AM
quote:Originally posted by cspg: More advanced? Don't know.
The Buran was more advanced than the U.S. space shuttle, for sure, even if many people don't like to hear that because of NASA/American sanctity. The payload bay was larger, Buran could carry more payload due to the Energija.
In general, it should be noted that Buran combined two independent systems, namely Energija and the orbiter. With the shuttle, the STS concept was only usable together, and therefore not separately. There are countless comparisons that prove that the Buran was the better 2.0 shuttle.
I think it is a pity that Soviet technology is always smiled at, because it is mostly not a copy, but an own development, but it is still seen like that today.
And now about the model, I like the idea of having a counterpart to the Bandai Endeavour model, and I am now itching to start such a project. In general it is wonderful, but in direct comparison to the Bandai model a bit chubby (especially the Energija) and not so detailed. Therefore, when it stands right next to the Endeavour, it goes down a bit despite the effort of the modeler. If here the detail sharpness would be a bit higher, it would be brilliant!
It would be so desirable that Bandai would take up this idea and make such a release for the Buran as well. would a petition be possible here?
posted 04-17-2022 03:50 PM
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