Tupolev Tu-144 NATO Code: Charger

The Tupolev Tu-144 (NATO name: Charger) was the first supersonic transport aircraft (SST), constructed under the direction of the Soviet Tupolev design bureau headed by Alexei Tupolev.

A prototype first flew on 31 December 1968 near Moscow, two months before Concorde. The Tu-144 first broke the sound barrier on 5 June 1969, and on 15 July 1969 it became the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2, and was at the time the fastest commercial airliner.

The aircraft had two major crashes, and never sold commercially outside Russia. Additionally it was unsuccessful at finding a market within the Soviet Union.

The aircraft was part of the development of supersonic aircraft within Tupolev, other supersonic aircraft such as the Tu-160 bomber were more successful.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Tupolev
• Tu-144
• Charger
• SST
• Soviet
• Union
• supersonic
• airliner
• Concordski

[Modellpecs]

@beeroosterm Tell me that fact. pls. I already know your feelings. ;) Prices have nothing to do with the aircraft? Are you kidding? (Sorry. You are a kid...) If there is like half of the $ you need to maintain the plane? What than? Try to think pls...

[beeroosterm]

@Modellpecs Of course it's "my opinion", you twerp! Would you like me to give you someone else's? What a fatuous remark. My opinion is based on facts - not wishful thinking. And your "logic" about ticket pricing has nothing to do with the quality of the aircraft. Have another vodka, comrade...

[Modellpecs]

@beeroosterm That is your opinion. I say, it was the same for Concorde. Concorde had just as many problems. Concorde was also a failure in the same way. The difference between them is that 144 was meant to serve in the CCCP. If you have lived, in a socialist country, you would clearly see the point. The prices are kept artificially low. The ticket price was a fraction of the price of foreign. Etc etc. In this conditions, you could not keep a SST in service. Not only 144, but Concorde also!

[beeroosterm]

@Modellpecs Your "reasoning" and "facts" were anything but. The -144 was not a dismal failure and a death trap due to "Western propaganda" - it failed miserably on its own - to the point that even Russian propagandists could not make it function as a propaganda machine. It was there for all to see - it was not merely a concept to deny. It was a coffin for several people and it was a miracle that it wasn't for many, many more before the government shut the program down

[Modellpecs]

@mrjkt123 Was not a copy. It is a totally different plane.

[Modellpecs]

@MrWoodoop Don't forget, that it was bigger also.

[Modellpecs]

@beeroosterm :D While i was reasoning, yo wrote bad words. I give you facts, you wrote about your feelings. I always try to be neutral. But it makes me a bit angry when people don't know what they are talking about, especially in a situation like this. 144 deserves much more. Just like TU-154 etc... like 154 was one of the safest planes on the planet, it is still safer than some Boings, and almost everyone think that it was a coffin because of western propaganda.

[Modellpecs]

@MrWoodoop If you really are, than you should know. Actually it was not a turn. It was a dive straight down. than the pilot pulled much more g that any passenger plane could take. Its canards was them most advanced of its time. Which type are you talking about? It is important. Also the landing gear is way better on the 144. At least it would newer make the plane go down... Also it was planned to fit thrust reversers but development was stopped. Instable? Not at all. I am not russian.

[coldfarted]

@telemetry9 all Russia is good for is the Ukrainian whores

[ddioppp]

@coldfarted And they stole this tech fromt he concorde