What happened to the Tu-144LL ?

[atakacs]

I was wondering - what happened to Tu-144LL (the much improved version of the original Tu-144) that was used as a test platform by NASA in the late 90's ?

Mothballed ? Destroyed ? Still airworthy .... ?

Also was there any publication of the data collected during those flights ?

[DaveReidUK]

Still intact at Zhukovsky:

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[twochai]

Also was there any publication of the data collected during those flights ?

IIRC the stated purpose of NASA/Boeing of the data gathering was for some cabin noise measurements - not a particularly exciting data set!

[atakacs]

IIRC the stated purpose of NASA/Boeing of the data gathering was for some cabin noise measurements - not a particularly exciting data set!

Hmh... from the horse's mouth (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-062-DFRC.html)

Data collected from the flight and ground experiments during the NASA-funded Tu-144LL flight research program are being used to develop the technology base for a proposed future second-generation American-built supersonic jetliner. Although development of an advanced SST is currently on hold, commercial aviation experts estimate a market for up to 500 such aircraft could develop by the third decade of the 21st century.

From recollection it was a $100m+ project - I'm sure it was for more than cabin noise measurement...

[atakacs]

Still intact at Zhukovsky

Interesting, thanks.

Is there any maintenance performed, however minimal ? I'm sure it is not flight capable but is there some preservation effort ? Outside storage, especially in Moscow's climate, doesn't seem ideal.

[Airclues]

Latest Tu-144 news here;

TU-144 SST : LATEST NEWS (http://www.tu144sst.com/latestnews.html)

[atakacs]

Great - didn't know about this "fan" site :D

[WHBM]

Contrary to some writings the use of the Tu144 77114 for the NASA experiments did not involve the aircraft being taken over to the USA. The (relatively few) experimental flights were made from Moscow Zhukovsky.

From it's construction number, 08-2, I would presume it started assembly in 1978, but the aircraft was first noted in 1981, well after the experimental service from Moscow to Alma Ata (now Almaty) had been and gone, the NASA flights started at the end of 1996, and petered out around the turn of the century.

Outside storage, especially in Moscow's climate, doesn't seem ideal.77106 has been outside at Monino museum, Moscow, for the last 25 years, and still looks passable

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.8320525,38.1835725,226m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Bushfiva]

I was there for other reasons in, I think, 1998. My Russian hosts showed me all over the thing. A couple of US nationals got all bitter and twisted about it, telling us in no uncertain terms to go away. My hosts explained the shape of the planet, and we'd look at anything we wanted to. Interesting times. I've got photos somewhere of NASA stickers on the side of the plane.

[DaveReidUK]

My hosts explained the shape of the planet

I guess at the height it flies it's easy to appreciate the curvature of the Earth. :O

[atakacs]

I was there for other reasons in, I think, 1998. My Russian hosts showed me all over the thing. A couple of US nationals got all bitter and twisted about it, telling us in no uncertain terms to go away. My hosts explained the shape of the planet, and we'd look at anything we wanted to. Interesting times. I've got photos somewhere of NASA stickers on the side of the plane.

I've done some further research and the whole NASA test flights project is reported to have a budget of $400mn! This is serious money, whatever they were doing.

[TCU]

$400m? Wow

Given the BAC Type 102 did not leave service until 2003, would it not have been cheaper for NASA to have booked a few BA001/002 returns and stashed a bit of recording kit in the cabin?

Their rocket scientists would also have also got the benefit of a Concorde Lounge send off, caviar, grouse, a lovely cheese course, fine wine, champagne and a Certificate!

Just thinking out of the box

One has to say, whilst Concorde "looked right", there is a sinister beauty to the Tu-144

[atakacs]

ok still digging this one (quite an interesting story).

The cost of the "Tu-144LL flying lab" was about $18M.

The $350M was the total cost of the NASA HST research program.

[WHBM]

One has to say, whilst Concorde "looked right", there is a sinister beauty to the Tu-144
Likewise the Sukhoi T-4 of the 1970s, designed as a Mach 3 bomber. It would probably outrun most missiles. That certainly looks sinister. Openly stated to attack and sink US aircraft carriers. No external visibility at all once the nose was raised to go supersonic. It's parked at Monino museum next to the Tu144 pictured above.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_T-4#/media/File:Sukhoi_T-4_(Monino_museum).JPG