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Aeroburan Analogue
Credit - from Semenov, et. al., Buran, 1995.
Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Destination: Suborbital. Nation: Russia. Manufacturer: Molniya.

This Buran OK-GLI 'Analogue' was a version of the Buran spaceplane equipped with jet engines to allow it to be flown in handling and landing system tests at subsonic speed in the earth's atmosphere. It had the same aerodynamic, centre of gravity, and inertial characteristics as the orbiter.

Its main purpose was to conduct the repetitive tests necessary to develop the automated landing system. The OK-GLI differed from the space-rated orbiters in being equipped with four AL-31 turbojet engines, with a total thrust of 40 metric tons, mounted at 4 degrees off the horizontal axis. These allowed the analogue to take off from conventional air fields. After reaching 5,000 m altitude, the engines would be shut off, and a manual or automatic landing would be accomplished. The analogue was equipped with the same essential systems as the orbiter, including the RM-1 and RM-2 ejection seats, the GSP and VIU navigation systems; the landing gear, landing system antennae, thermal sensors, and first and second group accelerometers. Prior to completion the OK-GLI was used on the 3M-T transport to test fight characteristics of the 3M-T/orbiter combination, the OK-launch vehicle interface attach points, and to develop the optimal transport configuration. It had been claimed that some of these tests were to be manned, and that on the first such flight cosmonauts Georgi Shonin and Yevgeni Khrunov were involved in an accident when the 3M-T ran off the runway. However it was now known that the payload capacity of the 3M-T was limited to 50 metric tons, so this story seems unlikely (an empty orbiter would weigh at least 70 metric tons). After these tests the OK-GLI was returned to the shop for completion. Thereafter it began a series of test flights to verify the subsonic aerodynamic characteristics of the design and develop the manual and automatic flight and landing systems. The aircraft was retired to the Zhukovskiy test center near Moscow, where it was often rolled out for exhibition during air shows.

Buran Analogue Chronology
  • 1984 December 29 - Buran Analog BST-02 taxi test 1 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.
    Aeroburan back view

    Maximum speed 45 kph. Time 5 minutes. Thereafter to PRSO test stand for full-scale equipment tests; then to PDST pilot-dynamics test stand for further tests.

  • 1985 August 2 - Buran Analog BST-02 taxi test 2 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 200 kph. Time 14 minutes.

  • 1985 October 5 - Buran Analog BST-02 taxi test 3 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 270 kph. Time 12 minutes.

  • 1985 November 10 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 1 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 480 kph. Maximum altitude 1500 m. Time 12 minutes.

  • 1985 November 15 - Buran Analog BST-02 taxi test 5 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 170 kph. Time 12 minutes.

  • 1986 January 3 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 2 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 520 kph. Maximum altitude 3000 m. Time 36 minutes.

  • 1986 April 26 - Buran Analog BST-02 taxi test 6 - Program: Buran. Crew: Levchenko, Shchukin. Launch Site: Baikonur.
    Aero Buran In Flight
    Credit- RKK Energia

    Time 14 minutes.

  • 1986 May 27 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 3 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 540 kph. Maximum altitude 4000 m. Time 23 minutes.

  • 1986 June 11 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 4 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Maximum speed 530 kph. Maximum altitude 4000 m. Time 22 minutes.

  • 1986 December 10 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 7 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    First automatic landing from 4000 m altitude. Time 24 minutes.

  • 1986 December 29 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 9 - Program: Buran. Crew: Levchenko, Shchukin. Launch Site: Baikonur.
    Aeroburan Crew
    Aeroburan crew after flight...
    Credit- RKK Energia

    Time 17 minutes.

  • 1987 October 5 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 14 - Program: Buran. Crew: Shchukin, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.
    Aero Buran
    Aero Buran on display at Ramenskoye....

    Automatic landing. Time 21 minutes.

  • 1988 April 15 - Buran Analog BST-02 flight 25 - Program: Buran. Crew: Stankiavicius, Volk. Launch Site: Baikonur.

    Time 19 minutes. Final Buran Analog flight test. At the same time development of the auto-land system aboard the Tu-154 test bed is completed as well.

Bibliography:

  • Matthews, Henry, The Secret Story of the Soviet Space Shuttle, X-Planes Book 1, Beirut, Lebanon, 1994.
  • Semenov, Yu P, Lozino-Lozinsky, et. al., Mnogorazoviy orbitalniy korabl 'Buran', Mashinostroenne, Moscow, 1995.
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