Antonov AN-225 & Space Orbiter CCCP-82060 (1:400)

Details

With the beginning of the 1970s, development work on the Soviet Buran space program took concrete shape, and construction of the first space shuttle ultimately began in 1980. On November 1, 1988, the Buran 1.01 took off on its first and ultimately only unmanned space flight. Besides the external similarity to NASA's Space Shuttle, there were other similarities, such as the concept of launching the shuttle with a massive launch vehicle, or transporting the shuttle within the Earth's atmosphere between orbital flights. While the Americans converted two somewhat outdated Boeing 747s for this purpose, the Soviets decided to develop a new carrier aircraft based on the Antonov AN-124, which was equipped with six turbofans to ensure appropriate performance and payload. It succeeded, and on December 21, 1988, the largest aircraft ever took off on its maiden flight. The payload of a staggering 34 tons, including 110 tons outboard, was enough to piggyback the Buran to Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome or to the Paris Air Show in 1989.

Features:

• High Quality Materials
• Pre-Coloured

Specifications