What happened to the Tu-144LL ?
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What happened to the Tu-144LL ?
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 ?
Mothballed ? Destroyed ? Still airworthy .... ?
Also was there any publication of the data collected during those flights ?
Also was there any publication of the data collected during those flights ?
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by twochai
IIRC the stated purpose of NASA/Boeing of the data gathering was for some cabin noise measurements - not a particularly exciting data set!
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.
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Still intact at Zhukovsky
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.
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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.
77106 has been outside at Monino museum, Moscow, for the last 25 years, and still looks passable
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.83.../data=!3m1!1e3
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.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.83.../data=!3m1!1e3
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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.
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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.
Last edited by atakacs; 12th May 2017 at 18:49.
$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
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
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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.
The cost of the "Tu-144LL flying lab" was about $18M.
The $350M was the total cost of the NASA HST research program.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi...no_museum).JPG
