|
Author
|
Topic: Energia booster core flown on Bison bomber
|
music_space
Member Posts: 1179
From: Canada
Registered: Jul 2001
|
posted 02-24-2014 05:13 PM
   
Stumbled upon this photo of the central core of an Energia booster being flown into Baikonur on back of Bison bomber: |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 02-24-2014 05:21 PM
It seems the Bison was originally modified to carry Buran — and it did fly in 1983. The first flight with a Buran shuttle occurred on March 1st, 1983. The shuttle weighted 45.3 t. The vertical stabilizer, and many instruments were removed to lighter it for not weighting more than 50 t. The 1K Buran arrived at Baikonur on March 23, 1988 carried by a VM-T 0GT. But at 300 km from the cosmodrome a fuel leak forced the crew to shutdown the engine 2 to decreased fire possibilities. Soon before arriving at the airport Yubileynyy (Baikonur's cosmodrome airport) the generator circuits failed one by one leaving only the DC batteries as only electrical power source. Fortunately, the landing gears were already deployed but the flaps were not and couldn't be extended. Finally, the engine 1 also flamed and should be shutdown. The situation was truly catastrophic the plane came in to land at the speed of a fighter. Luckily, the pilot P. Kucherenko and Eduard N. Chel'tsov managed to land it smoothly. The VM-T atlant flew more than 150 times to Baikonur to deliver different kind of pieces for the Buran-Energia program. The flight of Energia-Ployus in 1987 and the one of Energia-Buran in 1988 couldn't have been taken place without these old bomber planes from the 60s. |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
|
posted 02-24-2014 09:32 PM
Hmmm, that thing looks rather precarious perched atop that old beast. The Soviets were pioneers in the art of "photoshop." |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 02-24-2014 09:51 PM
Film footage of the Energia core on the Bison: And footage of the Buran being ferried: |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
|
posted 02-25-2014 02:52 AM
This is so cool (and a bit weird looking)! I guess transport by rail/road would have proven impossible. And I love the way they design their planes and rockets. (Pity there aren't models about those [although Herpa has a Bear bomber planned, "unfortunately" in Ukrainian livery.]) |
PeterO
Member Posts: 399
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002
|
posted 02-25-2014 06:30 AM
AModel produced 1/72 scale kits of the VM-T Atlant with both the Energia booster core and Buran. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
|
posted 02-25-2014 07:18 AM
I should have specified diecast models. Don't talk to me about glue and paint! Those days are gone. For good.  |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 02-25-2014 01:44 PM
Shouldn't that ET shaped tank be facing pointy end forward? Or did we have it wrong... |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 02-25-2014 04:37 PM
quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
Shouldn't that ET shaped tank be facing pointy end forward? Or did we have it wrong...
Exactly was I was thinking. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 02-25-2014 04:40 PM
Well, it isn't launching off the Bison, only being ferried piggyback atop it. |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
|
posted 02-25-2014 05:42 PM
Sorry, wouldn't want to be anywhere near that balancing act. The mere thought of crosswinds or atmospheric turbulence is frightening. They had a lot of nerve. Wonder how far and how often they flew that contraption... er configuration? |
GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2476
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
|
posted 02-25-2014 07:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
Shouldn't that ET shaped tank be facing pointy end forward? Or did we have it wrong...
It may be that way to reduce "boat tail" drag. Also, to keep the air less turbulent around the empennage. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
|
posted 02-26-2014 01:07 AM
More shots with partially completed "ET" on top the Bison aircraft can be found here. |
davidcwagner
Member Posts: 799
From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Registered: Jan 2003
|
posted 02-26-2014 01:52 AM
Notice the hot air balloon in the "Film footage of the Energia core on the Bison" at about the 15 second mark. |
mercsim
Member Posts: 219
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 02-26-2014 08:39 AM
It doesn't look that bad. Not much worse than the Guppy. Our shuttle was attached to the ET in a similar manner and it had to fly a lot faster than the ferry flight shown and experience orders of magnitude more loads. From an Aero standpoint, the direction (backwards) is the best for the speeds in which they ferried it. Think of the shape of a raindrop falling. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
|
posted 03-06-2014 08:13 AM
There was plans for a M-52 aircraft carrying the tank underbelly! (p335 in "Unflown wings: Soviet/Russian unrealised aircraft projects 1925-2010", Midland Publishing, 2013). |
advertisement