Tupolev Tu-144

The unsuccessful supersonic passenger airliner rivaling the French Concorde

Overview

Tupolev Russia ICAO: TU144 1968–1983

The Tupolev Tu-144 was designed by Tupolev as a Soviet supersonic passenger airliner and was the first commercial supersonic transport in the world. The aircraft performed its first flight in December 1968 and was operated from 1968 until 1999.

Live Fleet Activity (TU144)

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Specifications

Units
Engine
4 × Kolesov RD-36-51
Engine type
Jet
Thrust
4 × 44,000 lbf · 196 kN
Avionics
—
Wing tips
No winglets
Seats
140
Crew
—
Cabin width
—
Cabin height
—
Cabin length
—
Exterior length
215 ft 7 in  ·  65.70 m
Tail height
41 ft 2 in  ·  12.55 m
Fuselage diameter
10 ft 10 in  ·  3.30 m
Wing span
94 ft 6 in  ·  28.80 m
Baggage volume
—
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
456,500 lb  ·  207,000 kg
Max landing weight
397,000 lb  ·  180,000 kg
Max payload
26,500 lb  ·  12,000 kg
Fuel capacity
32,200 gal · 122,000 L · 97,600 kg (Jet A)
Max cruise speed
1,300 kt  ·  1,496 mph  ·  2,408 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
170 kt  ·  196 mph  ·  315 km/h
Range
3,500 nm  ·  4,030 mi  ·  6,480 km
Fuel burn
—
Ceiling
66,000 ft  ·  20,100 m
Rate of climb
9,800 ft/min  ·  50 m/s
Takeoff distance
9,850 ft  ·  3,000 m
Landing distance
8,550 ft  ·  2,600 m
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Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic passenger airliner.

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Operational Context

On December 31, 1968, the Tu-144 prototype took to the air for the first time from Zhukovsky Airport in Moscow, Russia. On June 5, 1969, the aircraft had its first supersonic flight and on May 26, 1970, it became the first commercial supersonic transport aircraft in the world.

On December 26, 1975, the Tu-144 was introduced to service with Aeroflot from Moscow to Almaty. In 1983, the Tu-144 program was canceled. The Tupolev Design Bureau developed the Tu-144 and sixteen were manufactured in Voronezh, Russia by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association.

It performed 102 commercial flights with fifty-five passengers on board at 52,000 feet. The aircraft also served in the Soviet space program for training pilots of the Buran spaceplane, and also used for supersonic research by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) up to 1999.

The aircraft was retired from passenger service in 1978 and from commercial service in 1983. On June 26, 1999, the Tu-144 performed its last flight. The aircraft was produced from 1967 to 1983.

The Tu-144 can accommodate three crew members and 150 passengers in flight; eleven first-class and 139 tourist class. It has an external length of 65.7 meters, an external height of 6.8 meters, and a fuselage width of 3.3 meters. The tail height is 12.55 meters and the wheelbase is 20 meters. It has a wingspan of 28.8 meters and a wing area of 506.35 square meters. The aircraft has an empty weight of 99,200 kg, a gross weight of 125,000 kg, a maximum payload of 12,000 kg, and a fuel tank capacity of 93,000 kg. The maximum takeoff weight is 207,000 kg.

The passenger airliner is powered by four Kolesov RD-36-51 or Kuznetsov NK-144 engines. The RD-36-51 is a supersonic turbojet engine with an axial compressor while the NK-144 is an afterburning turbofan engine. The Tu-144 has a maximum speed of 1,300 knots and a cruise speed of 1,147 knots. It has a travel range of 3,500 nautical miles. It can fly up to 66,000 feet and can climb at a rate of 9,800 feet per minute.

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