The SAAF Forum

Very cool photos!

That is the OK-GLI test vehicle residing at Technik Museum Speyer. What makes this one unique is that it is equipped with four AL-31 jet engines for tests in the atmosphere (it was not intended for space flight). OK-GLI stands for "Орбитальный корабль для горизонтальных лётных испытаний" or directly translated: "Orbital ship for horizontal test flights". It flew 25 times before it was retired in 1988. The way they used it was to take off from the ground like a normal jet, shut the engines down and then glide back for a landing. The main purpose was to test the automatic landing system - for the first few flights the vehicle was landed manually, then semi-autonomously from flight 4 and then from flight 8 the landings were all fully autonomous. It was actually very impressive technology for the time.

The Russians originally planned to have the Buran flight vehicles equipped with two of the AL-31 engines to give them some power to manoeuvre in the atmosphere after re-entry. However, the idea was eventually abandoned as it was regarded unnecessary.

I have not had the priviledge of seeing this particular vehicle myself, but I have seen two other ones in person:

1. There is a partially completed airframe, 2.01, which would have been an actual flight vehicle if it was ever completed, that I saw displayed at Zhukovkski at MAKS-2011 as a static exhibit.

2. Only two months ago I saw OK-TVA 7M 0.15 which is currently displayed at VDNKh in Moscow. This is a structural test vehicle, so was never intended to fly. Unfortunately, I did not have time to take pictures. What struck me though was its size: It is possible to walk upright underneath the vehicle and with that large wing and wide body it just seems huge up close.