On May 20, an unusual event took place at the Museum Complex of Civil and Military Equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma: the legendary "Buran" spacecraft was moved using a KamAZ-4326 sports truck from the KamAZ-master team. The operation required high precision, as "Buran" is one of the largest and most valuable exhibits in the museum.
The spacecraft presented in the museum is the only flight-worthy specimen remaining in the world. The first and only flight of "Buran" (product 1.01) took place on November 15, 1988. In 2002, it was completely destroyed as a result of the collapse of a hangar. The second aircraft (product 1.02) was not involved in flights and was sent for storage to the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Andrey Karginov, a pilot from the "KamAZ-master" team, was invited to drive the KamAZ. Together with the team, he successfully transported the 56-ton ship, which is 36 meters long.
The day before, considering the responsibility for this difficult operation, we practiced a little using a similar sports KamAZ. It quite easily moved the huge machine of the spacecraft from its place. Today, we managed to install "Buran" exactly in its place in the hangar intended for it on the first try.
The museum complex in Verkhnyaya Pyshma is one of the largest in the world, its collection includes more than 15,000 exhibits. "Buran" arrived here in August 2024, and the sports KamAZ, on which the team won the Dakar and Silk Way rallies, became part of the exhibition in April. Eduard Nikolaev, head of "KamAZ-master", noted:
I think it's a great idea to use our car to install another amazing museum exhibit in the pavilion – the "Buran" spacecraft. We are grateful to the Museum Complex for inviting us to participate in this unique event. These two exhibits are evidence that Russian engineering thought and technology have always been and will be at the forefront!
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