Buran-Energia balance question.

[ImmaStegosaurus!]

I just stumbled on this film of Buran's (only) launch.

My question is how does this thing balance itself? How does a rocket fly straight when up to 105 ton tumor is strapped on it's side? Buran-Energia's boosters are bit offset in wrong direction making it lean even more "on it's back". Did they have mad reaction wheels on board?

[Kryten]

Strong engine gimballing. If you watch carefully you can see the rocket tip just after ignition, before the gimballing kicks in.

[ImmaStegosaurus!]

Can they really gimbal that much? It seems so unnatural!

[Nibb31]

Just like the US Space Shuttle.

[Motokid600]

2 hours ago, Nibb31 said:

Just like the US Space Shuttle.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that Buran has no engines firing on launch to thrust through the CoM which is where it confused me originally.  But yea OP its a matter of HUGE gimbaling capability and.... if you look those radial boosters are tucked up as close to the orbiter as possible to shift that center of thrust back a bit.

[wumpus]

I wonder how much they did the KSP pre-vector cheat and pre-gimbaled the rockets off center.  From the drawings they appear straight down, but that might really be at full extension.

[ImmaStegosaurus!]

On 06/08/2016 at 2:20 AM, Motokid600 said:

I think the confusion comes from the fact that Buran has no engines firing on launch to thrust through the CoM which is where it confused me originally.

This exactly. Soviets had to be gimbal wizards!

This windtunnel model is what originally sparked my question. Pushing ET so much forward moves COM too and cuts back the angle at which engines need to be pointed.

[Nibb31]

Check out this thread. There's nothing magical about gimballing engines.

 

[Motokid600]

12 hours ago, ImmaStegosaurus! said:

This windtunnel model is what originally sparked my question. Pushing ET so much forward moves COM too and cuts back the angle at which engines need to be pointed.

That's an interesting picture. They actually incorporate the engine plumes into the wind test?