Buran

Many would think that this, once the pride of the Soviet space program might deserve a bit better treatment than what it is getting now. Buran, the Russian space shuttle was found sitting in the middle of a car park with easy access. There was some fencing around it, but it was laughably easy to wriggle under. I poked around the shuttle, peered into it's landing gear bays and contemplated climbing up the inspection platforms at the rear. The wheel bays were not all that exciting, so I was not too disappointed that my photos of them were just too dark to be worth putting online.

I was somewhat less awed when I learned that this aircraft was not in fact an actual shuttle, but a dynamic flight test vehicle built to the standards of the actual shuttle. It performed much the same job as the Enterprise did for the NASA space program. But unlike the Enterprise, this shuttle was designed as a fully functioning aircraft, able to take off and fly under the power of four jets attached to the rear of the aircraft. The actual Buran shuttle has two jets in place which were to give it the ability to 'go around' when making landing approaches.

Buran ..... Shuttle.

The aircraft is covered in a large tarpaulin. I would have loved to sneak into the cockpit. I'd need a ladder though. Note the undercarriage is partially jacked up.

The nose resembles the American Shuttle quite a lot. Not surprising as the Russians are rumored to have 'acquired' much of their technology and designs from the United States

Undercarriage and undercarriage door.

Nose landing gear bay. Looking forward.

Main gear wheel bay.

Looking back towards the tail of the shuttle from the nose wheel bay.

Nose wheel bay again.

The wing and tail of the shuttle. Note the jet engine intakes.

Business end of the aircraft.

This is the tail. You can see the open air brake, orbital maneuvering engines, shuttle main engines and upper in atmosphere engines. The real thing has all of these, but not the two outer sponson mounted jet engines.

As you can see it was surrounded by fencing, but there were plenty of gaps easy enough to wriggle under.

Close up of the two Shuttle Main Engines. These were aerodynamically accurate dummies.

Close up of the Orbital Maneuvering Engines, that block with gray circles in it. These would be used for fine maneuvering in space.

I would have loved to sneak up there. I probably wouldn't have got caught either. But I was a long way from home and wary of complications that would have resulted in me missing my flight home.

The old Soviet era flag.

Pulling out reveals the engines, wing and big tarpaulin.

They were pretty keen on those keep out signs. I wonder why they left all the gaps under the fence then?

This is about as close as this thing will ever get to the stars.

Shuttle.

You may all be surprised to know it is sitting in the middle of a car park on a wharf. That's right, in a car park. It occurred to me that anyone with a big barge and a winch could easily steal this ten million dollar white elephant.