Good space shuttle(orbiter) kits?

[whiskee]

Ok with my vacation time just around the corner, Im am looking for my next serious project. ill have two full weeks to work, so i want to do something a little more ambitious than my typical 1/72l weekend stuff. I was thinking of possibly doing a space shuttle, Russian Buran(if a model exist) or some other scale space vehicle(prefer to do a real world ship). would anyone mind pointing in the direction of the best kits for under $100?

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Revell just re released their 1/72 shuttle kit, comes complete with boosters and fuel tank. And just under $100.

http://www.elmcityhobbies.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=119_153&products_id=2209

 

[Grendels]

Ok with my vacation time just around the corner, Im am looking for my next serious project. ill have two full weeks to work, so i want to do something a little more ambitious than my typical 1/72l weekend stuff. I was thinking of possibly doing a space shuttle, Russian Buran(if a model exist) or some other scale space vehicle(prefer to do a real world ship). would anyone mind pointing in the direction of the best kits for under $100?

I have a Russian Buran model, very hard to find. And not cheap here in the US.

ModelManTom has a review of the kit Elm City listed:

OoB Review: Revell's 1/72 Space Shuttle Stack

I so want one, but need to make room first.

 

[whiskee]

thanks guys, i did not realize how BIG the 1/72 orbiter+stack is!! that looks impressive. I just may go for it!

and grendals do you have this? http://www.anigrand.com/AA5002_Buran.htm ??


I am considering that too, but i am afraid my skills are not quite up to par..

 

[Grendels]

Nope, mine is from a Russian ejection molding company. I will put up a review tomorrow.

 

[Gundamhead]

thanks guys, i did not realize how BIG the 1/72 orbiter+stack is!! that looks impressive. I just may go for it!

and grendals do you have this? http://www.anigrand.com/AA5002_Buran.htm ??


I am considering that too, but i am afraid my skills are not quite up to par..

It's funny how many people think the shuttle is small... until they see it next to something they know.

 

[Gundamhead]

How about a 1/72 747?

Now think the shuttle.

 

[Grendels]

Here is the review as promised:

1/288 Energia Buran:

Out of Box Review: 1/288 Energia Buran

 

[whiskee]

i am so jelous, i hope you change your mind and build it soon, after seeing what you did with that less than great academy shuttle/747 i am sure it will be great.

I have been doing lots of research on this ship recently. Sometime a couple months back I all the sudden remembered "the Russian space shuttle" i had forgotten about it since my childhood and then went on a research binge. Though the project as a whole was a failure, the program did do some things that are remarkable. First and foremost a fully automated trip to space, and FULLY AUTOMATED landing. Secondly one of the prototypes (Buran OK-GLI ) had jet engines instead of rockets and could take off and land under its own power for flight testing.
and lastly the shuttle sadly died a death due to a roof collapse ending the program for sure. I think this is a really cool subject of a forgotten(at least on this side of the earth) space program. With lots of mystery and mystique; who knows what the "real" mission for this craft was...maybe it was never suppposed to be successful, idk...its like si-fi but REAL.

cool links: maybe this will get the juices flowing to make you want to build it! http://www.russianspaceweb.com/buran.html

http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/buran1s.jpg

 

[13aceofspades13]

you should build this and compare the Russian space shuttle to the american space shuttle you have now... they look very similar, i think the Russians copied our design.

 

[whiskee]

its an aerodynamic copy for sure. I read the engineers actually favored a smaller and lighter design, however the soviet leadership demanded it be equal in size and looks of the American shuttle to prove they were equal in military power, infact the Russians feard our shuttle had a military purpose and built buran as a response. From what have learned so far, aside from the looks, the buran energia system is very different than the space shuttle booster system we have here. Then buran has no main rocket engines, instead they are on the energia. I'm sure the design is very different as far as the stuff and we can't see. Also buran could fly and land by itself. I don't don't if the American shuttle can do that.

 

[13aceofspades13]

its an aerodynamic copy for sure. I read the engineers actually favored a smaller and lighter design, however the soviet leadership demanded it be equal in size and looks of the American shuttle to prove they were equal in military power, infact the Russians feard our shuttle had a military purpose and built buran as a response. From what have learned so far, aside from the looks, the buran energia system is very different than the space shuttle booster system we have here. Then buran has no main rocket engines, instead they are on the energia. I'm sure the design is very different as far as the stuff and we can't see. Also buran could fly and land by itself. I don't don't if the American shuttle can do that.

sweet, i had no idea they copied our shuttle for that reason, they also copped our B-29 superfortress almost to the T....

 

[Grendels]

Neither did I, I just thought it was copied because we built one, and they had to show the world that they could do it too.

The model does have engines on the Energia, and the Buran has very small engines.

 

[13aceofspades13]

i'm sure we could design something better today for our space shuttle, we have been using the same one for decades, but i am sure Russia would once again try to one up us!

it sure looks like a cool kit though.

 

[ShutterAce]

i'm sure we could design something better today for our space shuttle, we have been using the same one for decades, but i am sure Russia would once again try to one up us!

it sure looks like a cool kit though.

Neither one of us can afford it.

The "Cold War" was very real and money was not an object when these things came into being.

 

[Grendels]

i'm sure we could design something better today for our space shuttle, we have been using the same one for decades, but i am sure Russia would once again try to one up us!

it sure looks like a cool kit though.

Neither one of us can afford it.

The "Cold War" was very real and money was not an object when these things came into being.

SutterAce: We can afford this, the problem is that politicians don't want you to think we can. Take a look at NASA's budget compared to the Federal budget as a whole. It is tiny near 1% or even less. They just use NASA as a target to let us believe they are doing something about the budget.

You should take a look at all the crazy stuff in the federal budget sometime. If we cut all of that out, we would have a moon base like in space 1999 right now.

Here is a good example of crazy:

http://thegovophilemonitor.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/what-could-you-would-cut-from-the-federal-budget-how-about-a-700000-grant-to-study-to-compare-cow-farts/

We could buy a school for that!

 

[13aceofspades13]

dude thats retarded, 700,000 to watch cows flatualte all day long. what a job... but we can pay to make F-22 raptors, bologna.