Summary

  • The Tu-144 was the first supersonic passenger jet. However, it was louder, more uncomfortable, and unpopular compared to Concorde.
  • A crash at the Paris Air Show in 1973 marred the Tu-144’s reputation and shook confidence in its design.
  • Aeroflot pulled the plug on the program in 1982 after quality control issues, crashing planes, and limited passenger service.

The Russian-built Tupolev Tu-144 was the first supersonic passenger plane ever to fly, but it had some built-in flaws. Bigger, heavier, and less technologically advanced than Concorde, its development was marred by a spectacular crash at the Paris Air Show in 1973.

When it did enter passenger service, it was often an unpleasant experience—the aircraft was loud, uncomfortable, and unpopular. These factors combined to end its production as quickly as it began, with just seven examples preserved.

The world’s first supersonic passenger plane

While Europe was busy working away on what it hoped would be the world’s first supersonic airliner, the Soviets were preparing to pip them to the post. Nicknamed the ‘Konkordski’ due to its resemblance to the Anglo-French Concorde, the Tu-144 took its first flight on December 31, 1968, several months before its competitor.

Tupolev Tu-144

It was an era when nations were throwing everything they had into being first, whether it was sending a rocket into space or putting a man on the moon. As such, the supersonic race became a matter of national pride, and whatever it took, Tupolev was determined for the USSR to be the first to fly a supersonic passenger jet.

The manufacturer achieved this feat, but not without needing to cut some corners. The Soviet aviation industry was far from Europe and the US. Concorde’s development pioneered some genuinely cutting-edge technologies, such as carbon-fiber brakes and a partially fly-by-wire control system.

Furthermore, the Anglo-French design’s computer-controlled flight control systems allowed the aircraft to continually change the shape of the air inlets to maximize efficiency. It even changed, very slightly, the shape of the wings during flight to reduce drag. In response, the Soviets poured everything into the Tu-144, and it was an incredible achievement that they managed to produce such an aircraft.

Tupolev Tu-144

However, there were downfalls in the Tu-144’s design. It was larger and more powerful than Concorde, but it needed to be as it was over 20 tonnes heavier. Engine control was less superior, the aerodynamics were not as good, and the braking system was inferior. These small differences meant it was never likely to be a real competitor, but something much more sinister sealed its fate.

Paris Air Show 1973

The end of the Tu-144 project began in 1973 when both supersonic aircraft were set to wow the crowds at the Paris Air Show. In front of 200,000 spectators, Concorde took off and flew a flawless demonstration in the Parisian skies above Le Bourget. After this, it was the turn of the Tupolev Tu-144.

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The Tu-144 took off and made a successful 360-degree turn, transitioning into a steep ascent. It leveled off and began descending towards the ground. The plan was, reportedly, to fly at a low altitude to demonstrate its rapid acceleration. However, the aircraft could not withstand the stress. It began to break up some 1,500 feet above the crowds and came crashing to the ground in a nearby village. The accident killed all six crew members onboard, as well as eight French civilians on the ground. Furthermore, 60 bystanders suffered severe injuries.

Tupolev Tu-144

There have been several theories as to why the Tu-144 crashed. Some put it down to pilot error, with hard maneuvering at low speed, causing the pilot to lose control. Others said it was the fault of a nearby Mirage fighter jet that had caused the pilot to swerve and lose control. In any case, the crash shook everyone’s confidence in the aircraft and raised questions over the quality of its design.

Passenger service

Aeroflot was the Tu-144’s launch operator. It began flying the jet between Moscow and Almaty in Kazakhstan in 1975, but it only carried mail on those initial flights. They were essentially test flights, and while they broke many records, Aeroflot’s lack of commitment to carrying passengers spoke volumes about its confidence in the jet. Nonetheless, passengers did eventually come onboard.

Tupolev Tu-144 Livery

Photo: Sumit Singh | Simple Flying

It was 1977 before the Tu-144 began carrying passengers. The cabin was incredibly noisy due to the engines and vital air conditioning units, which prevented passengers from becoming dangerously overheated from the air friction on the plane’s skin. Nonetheless, passengers reported being unable to converse onboard, resorting to passing notes to communicate.

Other quality control issues abounded. Passengers complained that the five-abreast seating was too cramped; meanwhile, Concorde had just four seats per row. Furthermore, tray tables were jammed, the toilets didn’t work, and window shades frequently dropped without being touched. Tupolev had succeeded in bringing the Tu-144 to market, but once there, it seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

The end of the Tu-144

Aeroflot released a five-year plan to run from 1976 to 1982, which was notable for the absence of the Tu-144. A modified variant crashed on a pre-delivery flight to Aeroflot in 1978, which was the final straw. Aeroflot pulled the plug on the program after just 102 commercial flights, only 55 of which had carried passengers.

Production of the Tu-144 ended in 1982. At the time, 14 Tu-144s remained, some of which had a brief resurrection training crew for the planned Soviet Space Shuttle flights. But by the end of the 1980s, all the Tu-144s had been mothballed, many in storage at the Soviet aircraft testing base at Zhukovsky, near Moscow.

Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-144

According to data from ATDB.aero, seven Tu-144s remain preserved to this day:

  • Two can be found at Zhukovsky (registered as CCCP‑77114 and CCCP-77115)
  • One at the Auto und Technik Museum at Sinsheim, Germany, where it sits on the facility’s roof alongside a former Air France Concorde
  • One is located at the Museum of Civil Aviation at Ulyanovsk in Southwest Russia
  • Three are at the Research Institute in Samara, the Aviation School in Kazan-North, and the Air Force Museum in Moscow.

All the rest were scrapped. But what is it like onboard one of the preserved examples?

A step back in time

Back in 2021, Simple Flying had the unique opportunity to tour one of the two preserved Tupolev Tu-144s as part of the MAKS 2021 Airshow at Zhukovsky Airport, just outside Moscow. The experience was a fascinating trip back in time, although the aircraft’s toilets were not too dissimilar to modern offerings!

The aircraft was perhaps produced too soon for the Soviet aviation industry’s capabilities. Nonetheless, it remains a fascinating case study in the world of supersonic commercial air travel nonetheless.

See more:

Exclusive: Inside Russia’s Concorde – The Tu-144

What do you make of the Tupolev Tu-144? Can you remember its brief operational career? Let us know your thoughts and recollections in the comments section below.

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