Supersonic passenger plane: from the president’s idea to reality. Supersonic passenger aircraft - wings of the superpower Tu 244 return of supersonic airliners

Supersonic aviation in the Soviet Union had enormous potential. The legendary Tu-144 airliner became the first supersonic passenger aircraft in the world. And now, decades later, Russia can once again return promising air passenger transportation technology to the air. This event is evidenced by the resumption of activity on the Tu-244, a revolutionary project of the 1970s that was never realized in its time.

Work on the creation of a second-generation supersonic airliner began back in 1971 at the Tupolev design bureau. Taking the experience of developing the Tu-144 as a basis, in the next decade it was planned to launch a fundamentally new supersonic aircraft Tu-244.

The project was approached with the utmost seriousness. The calculation included not only design features, but also the aircraft’s economic competitiveness, environmental safety and passenger comfort. Given the significantly higher flight speed compared to subsonic airliners, it was possible to build much less Tu-244, but the commercial efficiency would be greater.

In turn, increased noise, greater emissions of harmful substances and damage to the Earth’s ozone layer were significantly higher than that of conventional jet aircraft. All these factors had a negative connotation for the future project. However, in those years, much less attention was paid to environmental safety than now. The Tu-244 was developed in at least two versions: a gigantic 360-ton machine with a passenger capacity of more than 300 people and a smaller aircraft weighing about 275 tons. The technology of both prototypes relied heavily on new, innovative engines that were in the early stages of production in the 1970s.

The first approved model was the SPS-1 model, developed in 1973. The liner was equipped with four engines with a total thrust of 37.5 kgf. When reaching a cruising speed of 2400 km/h, the aircraft could cover a distance of 8000 kilometers at an altitude of up to 20 thousand kilometers. At the same time, the SPS-2 prototype was considered, which used liquid hydrogen engines.

The development of SPS-2 was personally led by Andrei Tupolev. An important difference between the Tu-244 and its predecessor Tu-144 was the absence of a downward tilting nose and minimal glazing in the cockpit. Ultimately, in 1985, the Tupolev team settled on a 275-ton prototype with an engine take-off weight of 24 thousand kgf. According to the website, the use of variable cycle engines made it possible to fully realize the operation of the power unit in different flight modes.

It would seem that the release of a promising airliner was just around the corner, but the approaching restructuring brought to naught all grandiose plans. Full technical information about the future project became available to the public in 1993 at the Paris Air Show. And that’s all... For more than twenty years no news was heard about the Tu-244, and only in 2014 information about a possible revival of the project began to appear on the Internet.

On January 29, 2019, work on the creation of a domestic second-generation supersonic airliner was officially resumed. Currently, the Tu-244 is at the development stage, which is planned to be completed in a few years. According to sources, the first prototype will take to the skies in 2025. Certainly, appearance The new Tu-244 will be somewhat different from the Soviet developments of thirty years ago, but in technical terms the airliner will suffer virtually no changes.

Are you interested in aircraft technology? Then read about.

SUPERSONIC PASSENGER AIRCRAFT

At OKB im. A.N. Tupolev, development is underway on a second-generation supersonic passenger aircraft (SPS), which has been given the name Tu-244.

Work on SPS-2 was and is being carried out at the A.N. Design Bureau. Tupolev for 30 years. Over the years, several different Tu-244 designs were prepared (Tu-244-400, Tu-244A-200, Tu-244B-200 and others), differing in aerodynamic layout, specific design solutions for the airframe, power plant and flight performance data .

The chief designer on the SPS-2 theme is A.L. Pukhov, technical supervision of work on the Tu-244 is provided by M.I. Kazakov.

The Tu-244 aircraft embodies the “tailless” design, with the absence of horizontal tail, the aircraft will have four turbojet engines, placed one at a time in separate engine nacelles.

The layout of the Tu-244 is aimed at ensuring high aerodynamic quality both at supersonic cruising and at takeoff and landing modes to reduce noise levels, as well as creating increased comfort for passengers.

The wing of the Tu-244 is trapezoidal in plan with an influx, has a complex deformation of the middle surface and a variable profile along the span.

The wing contains fuel caisson tanks and niches for cleaning the main landing gear.

The fuselage consists of a pressurized cabin, nose and tail compartments. The choice of the optimal fuselage diameter depends on passenger capacity. For a number of passengers of 250-320, the optimal fuselage is 3.9 m wide and 4.1 m high.

The plane does not have a fixed nose, like the Tu-144. There is no ordinary cockpit “canopy” either. The glazing of the cockpit provides the necessary visibility during flight, and during takeoff, landing and movement on the ground, the required visibility of the runway is ensured by an optical-electronic vision system that operates in all weather conditions.

The landing gear consists of a front strut and three main ones, of which the outer ones have three-axle bogies and are retracted into the wing, and the middle strut has a two-axle bogie and is retracted into the fuselage. The prototype of the nose support is the strut of the Tu-144 aircraft.

The SPS-2 Tu-244 project has been worked out quite deeply and, in principle, can be implemented. But we need money, and a lot of it.

BASIC DATA OF THE TU-244A-200 AIRCRAFT

Take-off weight, kg 325,000

Empty weight of the aircraft, kg 172,000

Fuel mass, kg 160,000

Passenger capacity, persons 268

Cruising speed, km/h M=2 Flight altitude, m 18,000-20,000

Flight range, km 9200

Aircraft length, m 88

Aircraft height, m ​​15

Wingspan, m 45

Wing area, m2 965

Fuselage diameter, m 3.9

Required runway length, m 3000

Supersonic aviation will find its place on passenger routes. The new generation of supersonic aircraft will differ significantly from their older brothers (Tu-144, Concorde) in speed, altitude, design, and materials.

The birth of a passenger “supersonic” aircraft that meets all modern international standards and norms is not only a structurally complex task, but also a very expensive one.

March 17, 1996 at the flight test base of the Design Bureau named after. A.N. Tupolev in Zhukovsky a ceremonial rollout of the modified Tu-144LL took place. And on November 29, 1996, the first flight of the Tu-144LL took place. It was lifted into the sky by the leading test pilot, chief pilot of the Tupolev company S.G. Borisov and co-pilot, Hero Soviet Union, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR B.I. Veremey.

Russia’s significant contribution to the development of SPS-2 was the creation of the Tu-144 LL “Moscow” flying laboratory on the basis of the serial Tu-144D. Work on the Tu-144LL was carried out within the framework of international cooperation with the United States, with active funding from the Americans. For conversion into a flying laboratory, a serial Tu-144D was chosen, on which the RD-36-51A engines were replaced with NK-321 engines (modifications of the NK-32 of the Tu-160 strategic supersonic bomber). Maximum takeoff thrust - 4x21,000 kg. New engine nacelles with modified air intakes were installed on the plane, the wing was strengthened, the fuel and other systems were modified, and a large amount of monitoring and recording equipment was installed on board.

According to the program, it was planned to carry out two ground and six flight experiments on the supersonic Tu-144LL. A total of 32 flights and all on Russian territory.

After completing the planned research program as part of the creation of the second-generation supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-244, the Tu-144LL aircraft turned out to be unclaimed, and in 2001 it was sold through an Internet auction to an anonymous resident of Texas (USA) for $11 million. This is not the first time that the Tu-144 has been sold abroad. In October 2000, a German museum bought one such aircraft for half a million dollars.

BASIC DATA OF THE TU-144LL AIRCRAFT

Take-off weight, kg 20 700

Empty weight of the aircraft, kg 96,810

Flight range, km 6500

Flight altitude, m 18,800

Cruising speed, km/h M = 2

Maximum speed, km/h M = 2.37

Lift-off speed, km/h 370

Approach speed, km/h 280

Fuel capacity, kg 102,000

Crew (in experimental version), people. 7

Aircraft length, m 65.7

Wingspan, m 28.9

Wing area, m2 507

Aircraft height, m ​​12.6

Run length, m 2225

Run length, m 1310

In the second half of the 90s at the OKB im. A.N. Tupolev on his own initiative, chief designer of SPS (supersonic passenger aircraft) A.L. Pukhov prepared a technical proposal for the conversion of the serial missile carrier-bomber Tu-22MZ into the administrative supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-344. They were offered several options for reworking the basic design of the Tu-22MZ. It was planned to accommodate 10-12 and 24-30 passenger seats in the fuselage for business flights. The expected flight range of the Tu-344 in subsonic mode is 7,700 km.

The project of the supersonic administrative aircraft Tu-444 seems to be the most promising. This is, in fact, the SPS-2 concept on a reduced scale.

JSC Tupolev has created the appearance of the supersonic administrative aircraft Tu-444, which will be able to carry 6-10 passengers over a distance of 7500 km.

Airplane. The Tu-444 is made according to the “tailless” aerodynamic configuration with a low-mounted cantilever wing with developed root overhangs. The vertical tail is single-fin, all-moving.

On the serial Tu-444 it is planned to use the AL-32M afterburning turbojet engine from NPO Saturn.

The aircraft will be equipped full complex systems and means of life support for passengers and crew in flight and emergency rescue equipment.

There are great difficulties on the way to creating such an aircraft, the main of which are related to the environment. If the aircraft does not meet the requirements of the KAO for local noise, then the market for it will be extremely narrow. The fact is that in this case the plane will be allowed to fly at supersonic speed only over the ocean. Over land, a supersonic executive aircraft will be forced to fly at subsonic speeds, no different from modern business class aircraft.

Serial production of the Tu-444 will begin after the necessary funds have been found.

Aircraft designers believe that supersonic business jets have a bright future, even despite their high cost.

Undoubtedly, the implementation of this program will become a real link between the Tu-144 and promising supersonic civil aviation.

BASIC DATA OF SUPERSONIC ADMINISTRATIVE AIRCRAFT TU-444

Maximum take-off weight, kg 41,000

Empty weight, kg 19,300 Maximum payload, kg 1000

Maximum fuel weight, kg 20,500 Cruising speed:

Supersonic, km/h 2125

Subsonic, km/h 1050 Practical flight range

with fuel reserve, km 7500

Number of passengers, people 6-10 Crew (pilots + flight attendants), persons. 2+1

Number of engines 2

Engine starting thrust, kg 9700

Aircraft length, m 36

Wingspan, m 16.2

Wing area, m2 132

Aircraft height, m ​​6.51

Rowing length V P P, m 1830

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Tu-244 is a Soviet-Russian project of the 1970s for a second-generation long-range supersonic passenger airliner. After the cancellation of the first Soviet supersonic passenger airliner, the Tu-144, in 1978, plans for the SPS-2 design were revised and cancelled.

However, work on the development of the Tu-244 is still underway and the expected commissioning date has already been set - 2025.

The main difference between a supersonic aircraft and a jet is its flight speed, which reaches and exceeds the speed of sound, which is approximately 331 m/s or 1191.6 km/h in air. This is precisely the reason for the significant difference in the design of the aircraft from the longitudinal biplane (classical passenger aircraft).

A supersonic airliner has a swept or delta wing shape, as well as a thinner wing profile, pointed tail, nose fuselage and leading edges of the wings. All these models are equipped with a jet (sometimes air-breathing or rocket) engine.

Their development began in the 1970s of the 20th century, as a logical step after the creation of jet and turbojet winged aircraft and as another symbol of the progress of the socialist system in the country.

Story

Initially, the creation of supersonic aircraft became the task of the military industry. This was caused by the advent of jet fighters and bombers in the 40s, whose higher speed gave them a significant advantage in the air.

Already in the 60-70s, the first Soviet supersonic fighter MiG-19 was created, and later a number of other reconnaissance aircraft, fighters and bombers. Their high speed made it possible to increase the flight ceiling over 20 km, which was extremely useful.

In the 1970s, the first supersonic passenger airliners were created - the Soviet Tu-144 and the British-French Concorde.

Work on the Tu-144 was carried out at the Tupolev Design Bureau, an experimental aviation design bureau that was considered the most knowledgeable in the construction of passenger airliners. At that time, they also owned the design of the Tu-22, a supersonic bomber.

The plane itself consisted of large quantity advanced developments and solutions. For example, for the construction of the wing, a special flying laboratory was created based on the MiG-21I fighter.

The first test flight occurred on December 31, 1968, beating its British-French rival by 2 months. The Tu-144 could also reduce its speed when landing, which allowed it, unlike its competitor, to land at almost any airport in the country.

But this was the end of the lucky streak for the first Soviet supersonic airliner - in 1973, during a demonstration flight in Le Bourget, Tu-144 No. 77102 crashed along with all 6 crew members, also taking the lives of 8 more civilians on the ground.

The actual cause of the crash is still unknown. The most popular is making a sharp maneuver to avoid a collision with the French Mirage, invited to the show for photographs.

Despite the disaster, already in 1977 the Tu-144 performed its first passenger flight (after 2 years of transporting mail and cargo) from Moscow to Almaty. Two Tu-144 aircraft were piloted by specially trained Aeroflot and Tupolev Design Bureau pilots. The cost of such a flight was only 1.5 times higher than the price of a ticket for a regular subsonic passenger airliner.

However, after 7 months, the operation of the aircraft was suspended due to commercial unprofitability - special maintenance and high fuel consumption were not covered even by the increased cost of tickets, and it was pointless to increase the price further.

Another reason was technical problems - the initial goal of the Tu-144 was a higher flight range of 5-6 thousand km, and the Moscow-Khabarovsk route was planned. But it was not possible to increase the fuel reserve, and the route was shortened, but this did not eliminate the problem - if the Almaty airport had not been accepted, and the alternate airport in Tashkent had closed due to weather conditions, there would have been nowhere to land the plane. Because of this, every such flight the entire ministerial apparatus and the management of Aeroflot were on their ears.

The actual reason for the end of operation was another accident during a training flight of the Tu-144D at the end of May 1978, in which two people died.

This video briefly talks about the history of the design and operation of the first supersonic passenger airliner Tu-144.

All this did not cancel the development of the SPS-2 Tu-244 project, which began in the early 1970s in the design bureau of the Tupolev Design Bureau. Several prepared schemes for 1973 differed in the functional solutions of the airframe, engines, aerodynamic layout, etc.

A significant event in the development of the long-range supersonic jet airliner was the equipment of the Tu-144LL, a flying laboratory called “Moscow”, which was based on the Tu-144D in close cooperation and with significant US funding.

Detailed information about the Tu-244 appeared in the general public in 1993 at an air exhibition in the capital of France.

Specifications

• Liner length: 88 m (initially - 88.7 m);
• Wingspan: 45 m (in the foreground - 54.47 m);
• Airliner height: 15 m;
• Fuselage diameter: 3.9 m;
• Wing area: 965 sq. m (initially 1200 sq. m);
• Wing sweep along the leading edge: 75╟/35╟;
• Aircraft wing aspect ratio: 2.5;
• Passenger seats: 254 (according to other sources - 269, initially - 300);
• Turbofan engines: 4 with take-off thrust of 25 tons each (initially 4xTRDDx33000 kgf);
• Airliner weight without fuel: 172 tons;
• Fuel weight: 150 t (in the first plan - 178 t);
• Commercial load weight: 25 t;
• Take-off weight: 300 t (initially - 350 t);
• Maximum flight range: 7500 km (according to other sources - 9200 km);
• Airliner cruising speed: 2.0 (originally 2.05);
• Required runway length (at sea level at: 30 °C, 730 mm Hg): 3000 m;
• Cruising aerodynamic quality: 10 at cruising speed equal to 2, 15 at equal to 0.9;
• Cruising altitude: 20 km.

Design

The wing structure is similar to the SPS-1, but also has several significant differences: the main part has the smallest sweep angle along the leading edge, with the same large sweep of the float element, which makes a compromise solution between flights at supersonic and subsonic speeds possible.

The trapezoidal overlapping wing has a variable spanwise profile and complex deformation of the central plane. The vertical tail, like a wing, has a rudder with two sections. Elevons provide balancing of the airliner, as well as pitch and roll control; leading edge with deflectable toe.

The nose element of the SPS-2 fuselage is not deflectable. The required visibility is achieved by an optical-electronic device and a glazed cabin.

The fuselage consists of a pressurized cabin made of aluminum alloys and a tail and nose compartment made of composite materials.

The Tu-244 chassis consists of 1 front and 3 main struts. The outer ones have three-axle bogies and are hidden in the wing, and the middle pillar has a two-axle bogie and is hidden in the body.

Problems

Now designers are faced with several tasks:

1. Increased flight range.
2. Creation of an engine with minimal fuel consumption.
3. Development of an airframe and aerodynamic shape of such a design that the aircraft creates the smallest possible number of low-intensity shock waves to suppress flight noise.

conclusions

Tu-244 is the second generation of supersonic passenger airliners of the USSR, which has more than 25 years of history, and whose operational date is 2025.

Tu-244 is based on Tu-144, a supersonic passenger liner, 7 months in the late 70s, producing passenger transportation, canceled due to unprofitability. However, SPS-2 has a number of significant design differences and should solve all the problems that arose with SPS-1.

The idea of ​​Russian President Vladimir Putin, inspired by the flight of the new “White Swan”, to create a supersonic aircraft made not only the employees of the Kazan Aircraft Plant, but also many other observers think. Could a missile carrier inspire designers to create new types of supersonic aircraft?

The largest and most powerful in history military aviation The Tu-160 supersonic aircraft, known to many by its nickname "White Swan", recently received new life. For the first time in many years, the Kazan Aircraft Plant presented to the public the updated Tu-160M ​​bomber, named after the first commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, Pyotr Deinekin.

The first flight of the missile carrier was personally observed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The head of state was deeply impressed by the flight of the new “White Swan” and highly appreciated the professionalism of the pilots performing the maneuver, asking them to thank the pilots even before the landing of the aircraft. The president’s emotions were not surprising, since Putin himself piloted the Tu-160 missile carrier back in 2005.

Upon completion of the flight, the President expressed a proposal to Kazan aircraft designers to create a version of the passenger supersonic “Swan” based on the new Tu-160M ​​for civil aviation.

But in order to understand how realistic it is to realize Vladimir Putin’s idea, you should turn to history Russian aviation and remember what steps have already been taken by aircraft designers in this direction.

Tu-144

One of the greatest industrial successes in Russian history was the creation of the Tu-144 aircraft. It was manufactured long before the Tu-160 and became the first supersonic passenger airliner in the history of mankind. In addition, the Tu-144 to this day is one of two famous history types of supersonic passenger aircraft.

The airliner was created on the instructions of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, issued on July 19, 1963. The first supersonic passenger aircraft had serious requirements. The aircraft was supposed to be capable of flying at a cruising speed of 2,300 to 2,700 km/h over a distance of up to 4,500 kilometers, while carrying up to 100 passengers on board.

The Tupolev Design Bureau created the first prototype of the aircraft in 1965. Three years later, the plane took to the skies for the first time, two months ahead of its main and only competitor, the famous British-French Concorde.

The Tu-144 had a number of design features that even outwardly distinguished it from other aircraft. There were no flaps or slats on its wings: the plane slowed down thanks to the deflecting nose of the fuselage. In addition, the ancestor of modern GPS navigators was installed on the airliner - the PINO (Projection Indicator of Navigation Situation) system, which projected the necessary coordinates onto the screen from a filmstrip.

However, due to the excessive costs of operating and maintaining the airliner, the Soviet Union abandoned further production of the Tu-144. By the time production was abandoned, a total of 16 aircraft remained, two of which were later destroyed as a result of the tragic famous disaster at the international air show in Le Bourget in 1973 and in the crash over Yegoryevsk in 1978. On this moment There are only eight assembled aircraft left in the world, three of which can be fully restored and ready for further use.

SPS-2 and Tu-244

Photo: Stahlkocher / wikimedia.org

Another project that had serious expectations was the SPS-2, which was later given the promising name Tu-244 by its developer, the Tupolev Design Bureau.

The first information about work on a second-generation supersonic passenger airliner dates back to approximately 1971–1973 of the last century.

When developing the Tu-224, the designers took into account both the experience of creating and operating its predecessors - the Tu-144 and Concorde, and the Tu-160, as well as American supersonic aircraft projects.

According to the plans of the SPS-2 developers, the new airliner was supposed to lose the main “ business card» its predecessor - the downward deflecting nose of the fuselage. In addition, the glass area of ​​the cockpit had to be reduced to a minimum sufficient for visibility. It was planned to use an optical-electronic vision system for takeoff and landing of the aircraft.

Also, the designed aircraft was supposed to rise to a height of up to 20 kilometers and accommodate about 300 passengers on board. To achieve such parameters, it was necessary to dramatically increase its size in all respects, which is what was planned to be done: with a fuselage length of almost 90 meters and a wingspan of about 50 meters, the Tu-244 would look like a giant compared to any existing analogues.

But the maximum speed of the airliner, compared to its predecessors, practically remained the same: the speed limit of the SPS-2 did not exceed 2500 km/h. In contrast, it was planned to increase the maximum flight distance to about 9,000 kilometers by reducing fuel consumption.

However, the production of such a supersonic heavyweight in the realities of the modern world turned out to be economically infeasible. Due to increased requirements for environmental standards, the costs of operating such a Tu-244 aircraft are currently prohibitive both for the aircraft manufacturer itself and for the country’s economy as a whole.

Tu-344 and Tu-444

These aircraft were developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau (later Tupolev OJSC, now Tupolev PJSC) as a response to the growing global demand for fast and small business-class aircraft. This is how various SBS projects - supersonic business aircraft - appeared.

Similar aircraft had to be small in size and able to carry about 10 passengers. The first SBS project from Tupolev, the Tu-344, was planned to be produced back in the 90s of the last century on the basis of the military supersonic bomber Tu-22M3. But its development turned out to be a failure in the initial stages, since for international flights the aircraft also had to meet high requirements in the field, which it did not meet already in the first stages of the project’s development. Therefore, the designer refused further work on the creation of the Tu-344.

Work on the project of its successor, the Tu-444, began in the early 2000s, its development reached the stage of the first sketches. Despite the fact that environmental problems had been resolved, the project required the attraction of large financial investments, but Tupolev was unable to find investors interested in this.

S-21 (SSBJ)

Photo: Slangcamm/ wikimedia.org

The only domestic project to create a supersonic aircraft for civil aviation, the development of which was not carried out by the Tupolev Design Bureau, was the project of the S-21 aircraft, also known as the Sukhoi Supersonic Business Jet (SSBJ).

The Sukhoi Design Bureau began work on this project in the 80s. The design bureau understood that the demand for large supersonic airliners had fallen since the days of Concorde and Tu-144 and would only decline in the future for reasons of economy. Therefore, Sukhoi designers were among the first to come up with the idea of ​​​​creating a supersonic business aircraft designed for direct flights between world capitals.

But the development of the S-21 was hindered by the collapse of the USSR, along with which government funding for the project ceased.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sukhoi tried for many years to attract private investors to the project in Russia and abroad. The volume of incoming investments made it possible to conduct the first tests of engines for the S-21 in 1993.

But to complete the creation and start of serial production of the aircraft, according to the statement of Mikhail Simonov, the head of Sukhoi at that time, about one billion US dollars was required, but new investors for the company could not be found.

The exploration of the sky has been an unattainable dream for mankind for many centuries. After the expanses were finally conquered, the aircraft became more and more sophisticated and durable. A significant achievement in this field was the invention of supersonic military and passenger aircraft. One of these airliners was the Tu-244, the features and characteristics of which we will consider further. Unfortunately, this project did not develop into mass production, like most similar developments. Funds are currently being sought to resume development of this project or similar aircraft.

How did it all begin?

Aviation began to develop rapidly after the Second World War. Various projects of aircraft with jet engines were developed, which were supposed to replace conventional power units. An important point the creation of supersonic airliners was not about achieving the speed of sound, but about overcoming this barrier, since aerodynamic laws change at such speeds.

Similar technologies began to be used en masse in the fifties of the last century. Among the serial modifications we can note domestic MiGs, American North American fighters, Delta Dagger, French Concordes and many others. IN passenger aviation implementation supersonic speeds happened much more slowly. The Tu-244 is an aircraft that could not only compete in this industry, but become a world leader in it.

Development and creation

The first experimental civil aircraft capable of breaking the sound barrier appeared in the second half of the sixties of the 20th century. From then until now, only two models have been put into mass production: the Tu-144 and the French Concorde. The airliners were typical aircraft for ultra-long flights. The operation of these machines ceased to be relevant in two thousand and three. Currently, supersonic airliners are not used to transport passengers.

There have been attempts to create new modifications of civilian jet airliners, but most of them remained under development or were closed altogether. Such long-term projects include the Tu-244 supersonic passenger aircraft.

It was supposed to replace its predecessor and have improved characteristics borrowed from prototypes - Concorde and some American aircraft. The project was fully developed by the Tupolev design bureau; in 1973, the aircraft under development received the name Tu-244.

Purpose

The main objective of the project being developed was the creation of a supersonic jet aircraft capable of transporting passengers safely, quickly and over long distances. Moreover, the device had to be significantly superior in all respects to conventional jet aircraft. The designers placed a special emphasis on speed.

In other aspects, supersonic aircraft were inferior to their counterparts. Firstly, transportation was not economically profitable. Secondly, flight safety was lower. By the way, serial production and use in civil aviation of the predecessor of the Tu-244 was discontinued precisely for the second reason. During the first year of operation, the Tu-144 suffered several accidents that led to the death of the crew. The new project was supposed to eliminate the shortcomings.

Tu-244 (aircraft): technical characteristics

The final model of the airliner in question was supposed to have the following tactical and technical indicators:

1. The crew piloting the aircraft includes three pilots.
2. Passenger capacity varied from 250 to 300 people.
3. The estimated cruising speed is 2175 kilometers per hour, which is twice the sound barrier.
4. Power plants - four motors with turbine fans.
5. The flight range is from seven to nine and a half thousand kilometers.
6. The carrying capacity is three hundred tons.
7. Length / height - 88 / 15 meters.
8. Working surface area - 965 sq. m.
9. The wingspan is forty-five meters.

If we compare the speed indicator, the projected Tu-244 passenger aircraft, the history of which is quite interesting, has become a little slower than its direct competitors. However, due to this, the designers wanted to increase capacity and increase the economic benefits of operating the machine.

Future prospects

The development of a new project, the result of which was supposed to be a supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-244, dragged on for many years. A lot of changes and improvements were made to the design. However, even after the collapse of the USSR, the Tupolev Design Bureau continued to work in the given direction. In 1993, detailed information about the project was even presented.

Nevertheless, the economic crisis of the nineties had a negative impact on this area. There was no official message about the closure of developments, nor any active actions. The project was on the verge of being frozen. Specialists from the United States are joining the work, negotiations with whom have been ongoing for a long time. To continue research, two aircraft of the one hundred and forty-fourth series were converted into flying laboratories.

What's next?

The supersonic Tu-244 (the aircraft whose photo is presented below) unexpectedly disappeared from the design documentation as an object of research. It was adopted in two thousand and twelve and assumed that the first hundred units of passenger airliners would enter service no later than 2025. This leapfrog with documentation raised a number of questions and misunderstandings. In addition, several other interesting and promising developments have disappeared from this program.

This prospect was seen in a negative way. Facts indicated that the project was frozen or closed completely. However, there was no official confirmation or denial about this. Given the instability of the economy, a lot of assumptions can be made in a subjective configuration, but the facts speak for themselves.

Today's realities: Tu-244 (aircraft)

History of creation of this aircraft was stated above. How are things going now? Considering all that has been said, it can be assumed that the project in question is currently at least hanging in the air, if not completely covered. There is no official submission of a statement about the fate of the development, as well as the reasons for the reduction and suspension of the project. It is quite possible that the main problem is insufficient funding, economic inadequacy or obsolescence. Alternatively, all three of these factors together may be present.

Not so long ago (2014) in the means mass media information leaked about the possible resumption of the Tu-244 project. However official version Again, no action was taken on this issue. For the sake of objectivity, it is worth noting that foreign developments of passenger supersonic airliners are also far from complete, many of them are closed or are under big question. I would like to believe that this grandiose machine will be built according to all modern standards in the near future.

A little about the predecessor

The development of TU-144 by decision of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union began in nineteen sixty-nine. Construction of a supersonic civil aircraft began at MMZ "Experience". The estimated flight range of the airliner should be three and a half thousand kilometers. To improve aerodynamics, the aircraft received a modified wing planform and an increased area.

The length of the fuselage is designed to accommodate internal accommodation of one hundred and fifty passengers. Two pairs of engines were placed under each wing. The jet aircraft made its first flight in 1971. The factory test program included about two hundred and thirty flights.

Comparative characteristics

The supersonic Tu-244 is an aircraft whose dimensions are somewhat larger than those of its predecessor. It has distinctive parameters in other tactical and technical meanings. For comparison, consider the performance of the Tu-144 airliner:

• crew - four people;
• capacity - one and a half hundred passengers;
• length / height - 67 / 12.5 meters;
• thrust with afterburner - 17,500 kg/s;
• maximum weight - one hundred eighty tons;
• cruising speed is 2,200 kilometers per hour;
• practical ceiling - eighteen thousand meters;
• maximum range - six and a half thousand kilometers.

The main external difference between the new aircraft (Tu-244) and its predecessor was supposed to be a change in the design of the curved nose.

The cardinal feature of the two hundred and forty-fourth project from its prototype under the symbol “144” is the absence of a downward deflecting nose. The cabin glazing is minimally equipped. This solution is designed to provide the necessary visibility during the flight, and takeoff and landing, regardless of weather conditions, are controlled by an electronic vision optics unit.

It is worth noting that modern environmental requirements for civil airliners significantly impede the creation of a supersonic aircraft of this class, since its operation a priori becomes economically detrimental. Developments have been undertaken to create a supersonic business class aircraft capable of overcoming supersonic barrier. However, the Tu-444 project was also suspended. Its advantages over its competitors are its relative low cost compared to the Tu-244 airliner, as well as the solution to technical issues related to environmental requirements for modern aircraft. For reference: the supersonic airliner in question was presented to the general public in France (1993, Le Bourget air show).

Finally

If all Soviet initiatives in aviation had been finalized and implemented, it is quite possible that this industry would have made a huge leap forward. However, economic, political and other problems significantly slow down this process. One of the most prominent representatives in the world of supersonic civil aviation was to be the Tu-244 airliner. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, the project is still in development or in a “suspended” state. I would like to hope that there will be people who will finance the project, and this will ultimately lead to the creation of not only the fastest passenger aircraft, but also the transport of the future, characterized by efficiency, capacity and safety.