Russian Buran and US Shuttle R/C rocket gliders

[burkefj]

To close out the year, I designed/built this yesterday, a simplified Buran shape, with a slightly enlarged wing, approx 1/72 scale, 18" wingspan, 21" length, 8.2. oz ready to fly using an E-6 longburn Aerotech composite rocket motor. Construction roughly follows the old Estes 1385 Columbia, but using 6mm and 3mm depron for the wing/side plates and tail, a BT-80 tube for the body and I cut out the rear of the tube to simulate the special oms pods that the Buran had. I laminated 10 pieces of 6mm depron with the cockpit/nose shape then carved/sanded to shape, then glued it to the front of the wing and glued a 2" long coupler and 1" piece of body tube to make the shoulder of the cone so it was removable to access the battery. Worked fairly well. I ran out of black/red to complete the cockpit windows and buran/cccp text but it was good enough for video today. CG and trims were spot on, here are the first three flights. Had about a 6-7mph headwind so it would do sort of hover decents to landing. On the first flight I was trying to make it to the grass behind me but I misjudged slightly and the wind quit right above the runway causing the plop landing, but there was no damage. I did better on the next few flights.

 

[tab28682]

Very nice, as always!

 

[Brian V]

That is very cool !!

 

[Daddyisabar]

Gotta love original Russian designs! Designed by a little old lady outside Moscow! Triumph of Soviet Peoples! The commisar is pleased so no one way ticket to vacation paradise GULAG Archipelago...for now.

 

[Brian V]

I can’t wait to build mine. I’m working on on my Star Clipper this is the one I’m going to let guys at the local RC club to try out this wonderful mix of rocketry and RC flight! Thanks Frank for all your support and your wonderful kits!!!!

 

[Ez2cDave]

Any chance of an External Tank and SRB's being incorporated, during Boost ?

Dave F.

 

[burkefj]

Now available as a kit at dynasoarrocketry.com This is the first ever R/C rocket glider kit of the Buran Shuttle. It is a 1/72 sport scale model which can also be built to model the US shuttle with OMS humps at the rear as shown in the instructions which are here: https://dynasoarrocketry.com/?page_id=7463 Price is $66.99 shipped priority. 21" long, 18" wingspan and 8.5 oz ready to fly and uses E-6 motors. It boosts to around 650' See the video on the instruction link page where you can see the first three flights of the model.

 

[burkefj]

That, as they say in academia, "is left as an exercise for the reader"

Any chance of an External Tank and SRB's being incorporated, during Boost ?

 

[burkefj]

Based on my 1/72 semi scale Buran Shuttle from last week, I devised a simple way to do an optional US version with 12 added OMS pod profiles you laminate and shape. The OMS pods looked a tad skinny after I put it all together and stood back so kits will include another foam piece on each side to widen them, but this was close enough for me It's about 142 grams, slightly heavier due to to the OMS pod weigh and the required nose weight to balance it.

 

[burkefj]

Here is the US Shuttle Maiden from today!

 

[burkefj]

I've been working with Boyce to create a 3D printed space shuttle type nose cone that'll work with my Buran/Space Shuttle kits as an alternative for people that aren't comfortable shaping and sanding the laminated foam nose cone assembly that comes with the kit. He's also created a plug in set of display nozzles for the space shuttle as well. He'll have those on his site in the future and when he has them available I'll put a link in my instructions. To use these just requires a small trimming of the chines of the wing to match up with the new nose cone and that's it. Overall weight remains identical. This fits BT-80 tubing so you could use this cone to build an upscale columbia shuttle that was a non gliding shuttle.

 

[burkefj]

Here is some flight video with the Boyce nose cone version today.

Altus Micro Peak read out 733.5 feet!

 

[Blast it Tom!]

It seems that, with the long burn engine, you can fly it on the way up as well. Am I correct?
Now I've never got past that whole left-right thing with RC, even on the ground, but my son has (one the ground). I have a 2 year old grandson who loves watching the shuttle launch on video every time he comes over. This may need additional consideration!
But you need radios, servos, etc as well, correct?

 

[burkefj]

Yes you do have to steer it on the way up as well as on the way down there's nothing really hands-off when you're flying RC. Yes he need radio and servos and those are all described on my website if you want to go look and see what kind of things they are but you really need to have some flight experience before trying something like this.

It seems that, with the long burn engine, you can fly it on the way up as well. Am I correct?
Now I've never got past that whole left-right thing with RC, even on the ground, but my son has (one the ground). I have a 2 year old grandson who loves watching the shuttle launch on video every time he comes over. This may need additional consideration!
But you need radios, servos, etc as well, correct?

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Thanks, I wouldn't try it without some experience. I'd like to get it back again!

This is a great solution for smaller fields, as long as you're good on the controls.

 

[burkefj]

Yes good for school demos etc which usually don't have a huge field and you can put it right where you want to.

Thanks, I wouldn't try it without some experience. I'd like to get it back again!

This is a great solution for smaller fields, as long as you're good on the controls.

 

[aerostadt]

I got some photos of Frank's Buran from NSL 2021 Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, I did not have the zoom lens, so the pictures are not too good. The winds were just starting to pick up, but Frank brought the glider back for an easy pick up.

 

[burkefj]

Thanks for those photos!

 

[burkefj]

A nice liftoff shot from Jim Wilkerson at NSL