avia-su.ru

The twin-engine fighter produced by the Sukhoi Design Bureau was adopted by the USSR Air Force in 1985, although it made its first flight in May 1977.

This aircraft can reach a maximum supersonic speed of Mach 2.35 (2,500 km/h), which is more than twice the speed of sound.

The Su-27 earned a reputation as one of the most capable units of its time, and some models are still used by the armies of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

www.f-16.net

The tactical strike aircraft was developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics. Designed to carry two crew members, the first aircraft entered service with the US Air Force in 1967, and was used for strategic bombing, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The F-111 was able to reach speeds of Mach 2.5 (2,655 km/h), or 2.5 times the speed of sound.

letsgoflying.wordpress.com

The twin-engine tactical fighter was developed by McDonnell Douglas in 1967. The all-weather aircraft is designed to gain and maintain air superiority over enemy forces during air combat. The F-15 Eagle made its first flight in July 1972 and officially entered service with the US Air Force in 1976.

The F-15 is capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 2.5 (2,655 km/h) and is considered one of the most successful aircraft ever created. The F-15 Eagle is expected to be in service with the US Air Force until 2025. The fighter is currently being exported to a number of foreign countries, including Japan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

airforce.ru

A large, twin-engine supersonic aircraft produced by the Mikoyan Design Bureau is designed to intercept foreign aircraft at high speeds. The aircraft made its first flight in September 1975, and was adopted by the Air Force in 1982.

The MiG-31 reaches a speed of Mach 2.83 (3,000 km/h) and was capable of flying at supersonic speeds even at low altitudes. The MiG-31 is still in service with the Russian and Kazakh air forces.

XB-70 newspaceandaircraft.com

The six-engine XB-70 Valkyrie was developed by North American Aviation in the late 1950s. The aircraft was built as a prototype for a strategic bomber with nuclear bombs.

The XB-70 Valkyrie reached its design speed on October 14, 1965, when it reached Mach 3.02 (3,219 km/h), at an altitude of 21,300 m above Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Two XB-70s were built and flown on test flights from 1964 to 1969. One of the prototypes crashed in 1966 after a mid-air collision, and another XB-70 is on display in National Museum US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Bell X-2 Starbuster

X-2 wikipedia.org

The rocket-powered aircraft is a joint development of Bell Aircraft Corporation, the US Air Force and the National advisory committee in Aeronautics (predecessor to NASA) in 1945. The aircraft was built to study aerodynamic properties during supersonic flight in the range of Mach 2 and 3.

The X-2, nicknamed Starbuster, made its first flight in November 1955. The following year, in September 1956, Captain Milburn at the helm was able to reach a speed of Mach 3.2 (3370 km/h) at an altitude of 19800 m.

Shortly after reaching this maximum speed, the aircraft became uncontrollable and crashed. This tragic incident put an end to the X-2 program.

airforce.ru

The aircraft, produced by Mikoyan-Gurevich, was designed to intercept enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds and collect intelligence data. The MiG-25 is one of the fastest military aircraft to enter service. The MiG-25 made its first flight in 1964 and was first used by the Soviet Air Force in 1970.

The MiG-25 has an incredible top speed of Mach 3.2 (3524 km/h). The aircraft is still in service with the Russian Air Force and is also used by a number of other countries, including the Algerian Air Force and the Syrian Air Force.

wikipedia.org

A prototype aircraft developed by Lockheed in the late 50s and early 60s. The aircraft was built to intercept enemy aircraft at Mach 3.

Testing of the YF-12 took place at Area 51, a top-secret US Air Force test site that has been linked to aliens by ufologists. The YF-12 made its first flight in 1963 and reached a top speed of Mach 3.2 (3,330 km/h) at an altitude of 24,400 m. The USAF eventually canceled the program, but the YF-12 still made a number of research flights for the Air Force and NASA. The plane finally stopped flying in 1978.

Throughout history, man has been drawn to overcome all possible barriers. One of them has long been the speed of sound. On this moment There are many supersonic aircraft, some of which are actively used by various countries, while others, for one reason or another, no longer take to the skies.

In the course of developments that were carried out over many decades, not only supersonic fighters military purposes, but also civilian airliners, some of which carried passengers for a time.

The development of aircraft capable of exceeding it began in the middle of the last century. This happened during the Second World War, when German scientists were hard at work trying to develop a supersonic aircraft that could turn the tide of the war.

However, the war ended, and many German scientists who worked on these developments were captured by the Americans. Largely thanks to them, the USA developed an aircraft with rocket engines - the Bell X-1, on which in 1947 Chuck Yeager was the first in the world to exceed the speed of sound.

A year later, the Soviet Union achieved a similar result by developing the LA-176, which first equaled the speed of sound at an altitude of 9,000 meters, and a month later, having received improved engines, exceeded it at an altitude of 7,000 meters.

Unfortunately, the project was closed due to the tragic death of O.V. Sokolovsky, one of the pilots of this plane. Further progress in the design of supersonic aircraft slowed down due to some physical obstacles: air liquefaction at too high a speed, changes in aerodynamics and streamlining. A serious obstacle was the overheating of aircraft breaking the sound barrier. This phenomenon is called "flutter".

Over the next few years, designers worked on streamlining, aerodynamics, body materials and other improvements.

Military aviation in the 1950s

At the beginning of this decade, the F-100 Super Saber and MiG-19 were developed by the USA and USSR, competing in all spheres. At first, the American F-100 overtook the Soviet MiG, reaching a speed of 1215 kilometers per hour in 1953, but a year later the Soviet MiG was able to outpace it, accelerating to 1450 kilometers per hour.

Despite the absence of open military clashes between the USA and the USSR, in the local conflicts of the Vietnam and Korean wars it was established that the Soviet MiG was in many ways superior to its American competitor.

The MiG-19 was lighter, took to the air faster, surpassed its competitor in dynamic characteristics, and its combat range was 200 kilometers longer than the F-100.

Such circumstances led to increased interest in Soviet developments on the part of the Americans, and after the end of the Korean War, officer No Geum Seok stole a MiG-19 from a Soviet airbase, providing it to the United States, for which he received a reward of $100,000.

Civil supersonic aviation

The technical developments obtained during the wars gave impetus to the rapid development of aviation in the 60s. The main problems caused by breaking the sound barrier were solved, and designers were able to begin designing the first supersonic civil aircraft.

The first supersonic airliner designed to carry passengers flew in 1961. This aircraft was a Douglas DC-8, piloted without passengers, with ballast placed on board to simulate their weight for testing in conditions as close to real as possible. At the time of descent from a height of 15877, the speed was 1262 km/h.

Also, the speed of sound was unplannedly exceeded by a Boeing 747 when the plane, en route from Taipei to Los Angeles, went into an uncontrolled dive as a result of malfunction and incompetence of the crew. Diving from an altitude of 125,000 meters to 2,900 meters, the plane exceeded the speed of sound, sustaining damage to the tail and causing serious injuries to two passengers. The incident occurred in 1985.

In total, two aircraft were built that were capable of truly exceeding the speed of sound in regular flights. They were the Soviet Tu-144 and the Anglo-French Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde. Apart from these aircraft, no other passenger aircraft could not maintain supersonic cruising speed.

Tu-144 and Concorde

The Tu-144 is rightfully considered the first supersonic passenger aircraft in history, because it was built before the Concorde. These liners were distinguished not only by excellent specifications but also elegant appearance– many consider them the most beautiful aircraft in the history of aviation.

Unfortunately, the Tu-144 became not only the first supersonic passenger aircraft to take to the skies, but also the first airliner of this type to crash. In 1973, 14 people died during a crash at Le Bourget, which served as the first impetus for the cessation of flights on this machine.

The second Tu-144 crash occurred in the Moscow region in 1978 - a fire broke out on the plane, causing the landing to be fatal for two crew members.

During the inspection, it was determined that the cause of the fire was a defect in the fuel system of the new engine, which was being tested at that time, but otherwise the aircraft showed excellent performance, as it was able to land when it caught fire. Despite this, commercial rail service on it was discontinued.

Concorde served European aviation much longer - flights on it lasted from 1976 to 2003. However, in 2000, this liner also crashed. While taking off from Charles De Gaulle, the plane caught fire and crashed to the ground, killing 113 people.

Throughout the history of flights, Concorde never began to pay off, and after the disaster, the flow of passengers decreased so much that the project became even more unprofitable, and three years later flights on this supersonic aircraft ceased.

Technical characteristics of Tu-144

Many people wonder what the speed was supersonic aircraft? Let's look at the technical characteristics of the aircraft, which has long been the pride of domestic aviation:

• Crew – 4 people;
• Capacity – 150 people;
• The ratio of length and height is 67/12.5 meters;
• Maximum weight – 180 tons;
• Thrust with afterburner – 17500 kg/s;
• Cruising speed -2200 km/h;
• Maximum flight altitude – 18,000 meters;
• Flight range – 6500 kilometers.

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 are domestic MiGs, American North American fighters, Delta Daggers, French Concordes and many others. IN passenger aviation the introduction of supersonic speeds was much slower. 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 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 passenger airliners will go into operation 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 started 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 breaking the 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 plane, but also the transport of the future, characterized by efficiency, capacity and safety.

On December 31, 1968, the world's first supersonic passenger aircraft, the Tu-144, made a test flight. Three years later, in the summer of 1971, he made an incredible impression on the organizers and guests of the International Aviation Exhibition in Paris. To demonstrate the capabilities of the “Soviet bird,” the developers sent the plane from Moscow at 9 a.m. and at the same time, at 9 a.m., it landed in the capital of Bulgaria.

Design of the supersonic aircraft Tu - 144.

Tu-144 is a Soviet supersonic aircraft developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. Along with Concorde, it is one of only two supersonic airliners ever used by airlines for commercial travel.
In the 60s, projects to create a passenger supersonic aircraft with a maximum speed of 2500-3000 km/h and a flight range of at least 6-8 thousand km were actively discussed in aviation circles in the USA, Great Britain, France and the USSR. In November 1962, France and Great Britain signed an agreement on the joint development and construction of Concorde (Concord).

Creators of a supersonic aircraft.

In the Soviet Union, the design bureau of academician Andrei Tupolev was involved in the creation of a supersonic aircraft. At a preliminary meeting of the Design Bureau in January 1963, Tupolev stated:
“Reflecting on the future of air transportation of people from one continent to another, you come to a clear conclusion: supersonic airliners are undoubtedly needed, and I have no doubt that they will come into use…”
The academician's son, Alexey Tupolev, was appointed as the lead designer of the project. More than a thousand specialists from other organizations worked closely with his design bureau. The creation was preceded by extensive theoretical and experimental work, which included numerous tests in wind tunnels and natural conditions during analogue flights.

Concorde and Tu-144.

The developers had to rack their brains to find the optimal design for the machine. The speed of the designed airliner is fundamentally important - 2500 or 3000 km/h. The Americans, having learned that the Concorde is designed for 2500 km/h, announced that just six months later they would release their passenger Boeing 2707, made of steel and titanium. Only these materials could withstand the heating of the structure when in contact with air flow at speeds of 3000 km/h and above without destructive consequences. However, solid steel and titanium structures still have to undergo serious technological and operational testing. This will take a lot of time, and Tupolev decides to build a supersonic aircraft from duralumin, designed for a speed of 2500 km/h. The American Boeing project was subsequently completely closed.
In June 1965, the model was shown at the annual Paris Air Show. Concorde and Tu-144 turned out to be strikingly similar to each other. Soviet designers said - nothing surprising: the general shape is determined by the laws of aerodynamics and the requirements for a certain type of machine.

Supersonic aircraft wing shape.

But what should the wing shape be? We settled on a thin delta wing with the front edge shaped like the letter “8”. The tailless design - inevitable with such a design of the load-bearing plane - made the supersonic airliner stable and well controllable in all flight modes. Four engines were located under the fuselage, closer to the axis. The fuel is placed in coffered wing tanks. The trim tanks, located in the rear fuselage and wing swells, are designed to change the position of the center of gravity during the transition from subsonic to supersonic flight speeds. The nose was made sharp and smooth. But how can pilots have forward visibility in this case? They found a solution - the “bowing nose.” The fuselage had a circular cross-section and had a cockpit nose cone that tilted downward at an angle of 12 degrees during takeoff and 17 degrees during landing.

A supersonic plane takes to the sky.

The first supersonic aircraft took to the skies on the last day of 1968. The car was flown by test pilot E. Elyan. As a passenger aircraft, it was the first in the world to overcome the speed of sound in early June 1969, at an altitude of 11 kilometers. The supersonic aircraft reached the second speed of sound (2M) in mid-1970, at an altitude of 16.3 kilometers. The supersonic aircraft incorporates many design and technical innovations. Here I would like to note such a solution as the front horizontal tail. When using PGO, flight maneuverability was improved and speed was reduced during landing. The domestic supersonic aircraft could be operated from two dozen airports, while the French-English Concorde, having a high landing speed, could land only at a certified airport. The designers of the Tupolev Design Bureau did a colossal job. Take, for example, full-scale tests of a wing. They took place on a flying laboratory - the MiG-21I, modified specifically for testing the design and equipment of the wing of the future supersonic aircraft.

Development and modification.

Work on the development of the basic design of "044" went in two directions: the creation of a new economical afterburning turbojet engine of the RD-36-51 type and a significant improvement in the aerodynamics and design of the supersonic aircraft. The result of this was to meet the requirements for supersonic flight range. The decision of the commission of the USSR Council of Ministers on the version of the supersonic aircraft with the RD-36-51 was made in 1969. At the same time, at the proposal of the MAP - MGA, a decision is made, before the creation of the RD-36-51 and their installation on a supersonic aircraft, on the construction of six supersonic aircraft with the NK-144A with reduced specific fuel consumption. The design of serial supersonic aircraft with the NK-144A was supposed to be significantly modernized, significant changes in aerodynamics would be made, obtaining a Kmax of more than 8 in supersonic cruising mode. This modernization was supposed to ensure the fulfillment of the requirements of the first stage in terms of range (4000-4500 km), and in the future it was planned to transition to series on RD-36-51.

Construction of a modernized supersonic aircraft.

Construction of the pre-production modernized Tu-144 (“004”) began at MMZ “Experience” in 1968. According to calculated data with NK-144 engines (Cp = 2.01), the estimated supersonic range was supposed to be 3275 km, and with NK-144A ( Average = 1.91) exceed 3500 km. In order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics in cruising mode M = 2.2, the wing planform was changed (the sweep of the floating part along the leading edge was reduced to 76°, and the base one was increased to 57°), the shape of the wing became closer to the "Gothic". Compared to the "044", the wing area increased, a more intense conical twist of the end parts of the wing was introduced. However, the most important innovation in the aerodynamics of the wing was the change in the middle part of the wing, which ensured self-balancing in cruising mode with minimal loss of quality, taking into account optimization of flight deformations of the wing in this mode. The length of the fuselage was increased to accommodate 150 passengers, and the shape of the nose was improved, which also had a positive effect on aerodynamics.

Unlike "044", each pair of engines in paired engine nacelles with air intakes was moved apart, freeing the lower part of the fuselage from them, unloading it from increased temperature and vibration loads, while changing the lower surface of the wing in the place of the calculated area of ​​flow compression, increasing the gap between the lower surface wing and the upper surface of the air intake - all this made it possible to more intensively use the effect of compressing the flow at the entrance to the air intakes on the Kmax than was possible to achieve on the "044". The new layout of the engine nacelles required changes to the chassis: the main landing gear was placed under the engine nacelles, with them retracted inside between the air ducts of the engines, they switched to an eight-wheeled trolley, and the scheme for retracting the nose landing gear also changed. An important difference between “004” and “044” was the introduction of a front multi-section destabilizer wing retractable in flight, which extended from the fuselage during takeoff and landing modes, and made it possible to ensure the required balancing when the elevons-flaps were deflected. Design improvements, an increase in payload and fuel reserves led to an increase in take-off weight, which exceeded 190 tons (for "044" - 150 tons).

Pre-production Tu-144.

Construction of pre-production supersonic aircraft No. 01-1 (tail No. 77101) was completed at the beginning of 1971, and made its first flight on June 1, 1971. According to the factory test program, the vehicle completed 231 flights, lasting 338 hours, of which 55 hours flew at supersonic speed. On this machine, complex issues of interaction of the power plant in various flight modes were worked out. On September 20, 1972, the car flew along the Moscow-Tashkent highway, while the route was covered in 1 hour 50 minutes, the cruising speed during the flight reached 2500 km/h. The pre-production vehicle became the basis for the deployment of serial production at the Voronezh Aviation Plant (VAZ), which, by decision of the government, was entrusted with the development of a supersonic aircraft in a series.

First flight of the production Tu-144.

The first flight of serial supersonic aircraft No. 01-2 (tail No. 77102) with NK-144A engines took place on March 20, 1972. In the series, based on the results of tests of the pre-production vehicle, the aerodynamics of the wing were adjusted and its area was once again slightly increased. The take-off weight in the series reached 195 tons. By the time of operational testing of production vehicles, the specific fuel consumption of the NK-144A was intended to be increased to 1.65-1.67 kg/kgf/hour by optimizing the engine nozzle, and subsequently to 1.57 kg/kgf/hour, while the flight range should was increased to 3855-4250 km and 4550 km, respectively. In reality, they were able to achieve by 1977 during testing and development of the Tu-144 and NK-144A series Av = 1.81 kg/kgf hour in cruising supersonic thrust mode 5000 kgf, Av = 1.65 kg/kgf hour in takeoff afterburner thrust mode 20000 kgf, Av = 0.92 kg/kgf hour in the cruising subsonic mode of thrust 3000 kgf and in the maximum afterburning mode in the transonic mode we received 11800 kgf. A fragment of a supersonic aircraft.

First stage of testing.

In a short period of time, in strict accordance with the program, 395 flights were completed with a total flight time of 739 hours, including more than 430 hours in supersonic modes.

Second stage of testing.

At the second stage of operational testing in accordance with the joint order of ministers aviation industry and civil aviation dated September 13, 1977 No. 149-223, there was a more active connection of civil aviation facilities and services. A new testing commission was formed, headed by Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation B.D. Rude. By decision of the commission, then confirmed by a joint order dated September 30 - October 5, 1977, crews were appointed to conduct operational tests:
First crew: pilots B.F. Kuznetsov (Moscow State Transport Administration), S.T. Agapov (ZhLIiDB), navigator S.P. Khramov (MTU GA), flight engineers Yu.N. Avaev (MTU GA), Yu.T. Seliverstov (ZhLIiDB), leading engineer S.P. Avakimov (ZhLIiDB).
Second crew: pilots V.P. Voronin (MSU GA), I.K. Vedernikov (ZhLIiDB), navigator A.A. Senyuk (MTU GA), flight engineers E.A. Trebuntsov (MTU GA) and V.V. Solomatin (ZhLIiDB), leading engineer V.V. Isaev (GosNIIGA).
Third crew: pilots M.S. Kuznetsov (GosNIIGA), G.V. Voronchenko (ZhLIiDB), navigator V.V. Vyazigin (GosNIIGA), flight engineers M.P. Isaev (MTU GA), V.V. Solomatin (ZhLIiDB), leading engineer V.N. Poklad (ZhLIiDB).
Fourth crew: pilots N.I. Yurskov (GosNIIGA), V.A. Sevankaev (ZhLIiDB), navigator Yu.A. Vasiliev (GosNIIGA), flight engineer V.L. Venediktov (GosNIIGA), leading engineer I.S. Mayboroda (GosNIIGA).

Before testing began, it was carried out big job to review all received materials with a view to using them “for credit” for meeting specific requirements. However, despite this, some civil aviation specialists insisted on implementing the “Operational Test Program for Supersonic Aircraft,” developed at GosNIIGA back in 1975 under the leadership of leading engineer A.M. Teteryukov. This program essentially required the repetition of previously completed flights in the amount of 750 flights (1200 flight hours) on MGA routes.
The total volume of operational flights and tests for both stages will be 445 flights with 835 flight hours, of which 475 hours are in supersonic modes. 128 paired flights were performed on the Moscow-Alma-Ata route.

The final stage.

The final stage of testing was not stressful from a technical point of view. Rhythmic work according to schedule was ensured without serious failures or major defects. The engineering and technical crews “had fun” by assessing household equipment in preparation for passenger transportation. Flight attendants and relevant specialists from GosNIIGA, who were involved in the tests, began to conduct ground training to develop the technology for servicing passengers in flight. The so-called “pranks” and two technical flights with passengers. The “raffle” was held on October 16, 1977 with a complete simulation of the cycle of ticket check-in, baggage check-in, passenger boarding, flight of actual duration, passenger disembarkation, baggage check-in at the destination airport. There was no end to the “passengers” (the best workers of OKB, ZhLIiDB, GosNIIGA and other organizations). The diet during the “flight” was top level, since it was confirmed according to the first class menu, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The “raffle” made it possible to clarify many important elements and details of passenger service. On October 20 and 21, 1977, two technical flights were carried out along the Moscow-Alma-Ata highway with passengers. The first passengers were employees of many organizations that were directly involved in the creation and testing of the supersonic aircraft. Today it is even difficult to imagine the atmosphere on board: there was a feeling of joy and pride, great hope for development against the backdrop of first-class service, to which technical people are absolutely not accustomed. On the first flights, all the heads of the parent institutes and organizations were on board.

The road is open for passenger traffic.

The technical flights took place without serious comments and showed the full readiness of the supersonic aircraft and all ground services for regular transportation. On October 25, 1977, the Minister of Civil Aviation of the USSR B.P. Bugaev and the Minister of Aviation Industry of the USSR V.A. Kazakov approved the main document: “Act on the results of operational tests of a supersonic aircraft with NK-144 engines” with a positive conclusion and conclusions.
Based on the presented tables of compliance of the Tu-144 with the requirements of the Temporary Airworthiness Standards for Civilian Tu-144 of the USSR, the full volume of submitted evidentiary documentation, including acts on state and operational tests, on October 29, 1977, Chairman of the State Aviation Register of the USSR I.K. Mulkijanov approved the conclusion and signed the first airworthiness certificate in the USSR, type No. 03-144, for a supersonic aircraft with NK-144A engines.
road for passenger transportation was open.

The road was open for passenger traffic.
The supersonic aircraft could land and take off at 18 airports in the USSR, while Concorde, whose takeoff and landing speed was 15% higher, required a separate landing certificate for each airport.

The second production copy of a supersonic aircraft.

In June 1973, the 30th International Paris Air Show took place in France. The interest generated by the Soviet Tu-144 airliner, the world's first supersonic aircraft, was enormous. On June 2, thousands of visitors to the air show in the Paris suburb of Le Bourget watched the exit to runway the second production copy of a supersonic aircraft. The roar of four engines, a powerful take-off - and now the car is in the air. The sharp nose of the airliner straightened and aimed at the sky. The supersonic Tu, led by Captain Kozlov, made its first demonstration flight over Paris: having gained the required altitude, the car went beyond the horizon, then returned and circled over the airfield. The flight proceeded normally, no technical problems were noted.
The next day, the Soviet crew decided to show everything that the new one was capable of.

Disaster during a demonstration.

The sunny morning of June 3 did not seem to foretell trouble. At first everything went according to plan - the audience raised their heads and applauded in unison. Supersonic aircraft showing " top class", went down. At that moment, a French Mirage fighter appeared in the air (as it later turned out, it was filming an air show). A collision seemed inevitable. In order not to crash into the airfield and spectators, the crew commander decided to rise higher and pulled the steering wheel towards himself. However, the height had already been lost, creating large loads on the structure; As a result, the right wing cracked and fell off. A fire started there, and a few seconds later the flaming supersonic plane rushed to the ground. A terrible landing occurred on one of the streets of the Parisian suburb of Goussainville. The giant machine, destroying everything in its path, crashed to the ground and exploded. The entire crew - six people - and eight Frenchmen on the ground were killed. Goosenville also suffered - several buildings were destroyed. What led to the tragedy? According to most experts, the cause of the disaster was the attempt of the crew of a supersonic aircraft to avoid a collision with the Mirage. During landing, the Tu was caught in a wake from the French Mirage fighter.

The photograph contains the signature of the first cosmonaut who landed on the moon, Neil Armstrong, pilot cosmonaut Georgiy Timofeevich Beregovoy and all the dead crew members. Supersonic aircraft No. 77102 crashed during a demonstration flight at the Le Bourget air show. All 6 crew members (Honored test pilot Hero of the Soviet Union M.V. Kozlov, test pilot V.M. Molchanov, navigator G.N. Bazhenov, deputy chief designer, engineer Major General V.N. Benderov, leading engineer B.A. Pervukhin and flight engineer A.I. Dralin) died.

According to the employees of the A.N. Tupolev Design Bureau, the cause of the disaster was the connection of an undebugged analog block of the control system, which led to a destructive overload.
According to the pilots, emergency situations occurred on almost every flight. On May 23, 1978, the second supersonic plane crashed. An improved experimental version of the airliner, Tu-144D (No. 77111), after a fuel fire in the engine nacelle area of ​​the 3rd power plant due to the destruction of the fuel line, smoke in the cabin and the crew turning off two engines, forced landing in a field near the village of Ilyinsky Pogost, not far from the city of Yegoryevsk.
After landing, crew commander V.D. Popov, co-pilot E.V. Elyan and navigator V.V. Vyazigin left the plane through the cockpit window. Engineers V.M. Kulesh, V.A. Isaev, V.N. Stolpovsky, who were in the cabin, left the aircraft through the front entrance door. Flight engineers O. A. Nikolaev and V. L. Venediktov found themselves trapped in their workplace by structures that were deformed during landing and died. (The deflected nose cone touched the ground first, worked like a bulldozer blade, picking up soil, and rotated under its belly, entering the fuselage.) On June 1, 1978, Aeroflot stopped supersonic passenger flights forever.

Improving supersonic aircraft.

Work on improving the supersonic aircraft continued for several more years. Five production aircraft were produced; another five were under construction. A new modification has been developed - Tu-144D (long-range). However, the choice of a new engine (more economical), RD-36-51, required significant redesign of the aircraft, especially the power plant. Serious design gaps in this area led to a delay in the release of the new airliner. Only in November 1974 the serial Tu-144D ( tail number 77105) took off, and nine (!) years after its first flight, on November 1, 1977, the supersonic aircraft received a certificate of airworthiness. Passenger flights opened on the same day. During their short operation, the liners carried 3,194 passengers. On May 31, 1978, flights were stopped: a fire broke out on one of the production Tu-144Ds, and the airliner suffered a disaster, crashing during an emergency landing.
The disasters in Paris and Yegoryevsk led to the fact that interest in the project on the part of the state decreased. From 1977 to 1978, 600 problems were identified. As a result, already in the 80s, it was decided to remove the supersonic aircraft, explaining this with “a bad effect on people’s health when crossing the sound barrier.” Nevertheless, four out of five Tu-144Ds in production were still completed. Subsequently, they were based in Zhukovsky and took to the air as flying laboratories. A total of 16 supersonic aircraft were built (including long-range modifications), which made a total of 2,556 sorties. By the mid-90s, ten of them had survived: four in museums (Monino, Kazan, Kuibyshev, Ulyanovsk); one remained at the plant in Voronezh, where it was built; another one was in Zhukovsky along with four Tu-144Ds.

Subsequently, the Tu-144D was used only for cargo transportation between Moscow and Khabarovsk. In total, the supersonic aircraft made 102 flights under the Aeroflot flag, of which 55 were passenger flights (3,194 passengers were carried).
Later, supersonic aircraft only made test flights and a few flights to set world records.
The Tu-144LL was equipped with NK-32 engines due to the lack of serviceable NK-144 or RD-36-51, similar to those used on the Tu-160, various sensors and test monitoring and recording equipment.
A total of 16 Tu-144 airliners were built, which made a total of 2,556 sorties and flew 4,110 hours (among them, aircraft 77144 flew the most, 432 hours). The construction of four more airliners was never completed.

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  Nowadays, new aircraft are appearing, including those made using Stealth technology to reduce visibility.

  Passenger supersonic aircraft

  There are only two known mass-produced passenger supersonic aircraft that performed regular flights: the Soviet Tu-144 aircraft, which made its first flight on December 31, 1968 and was in operation from 1978 to 1978 and performed its first English flight two months later - on March 2, 1969. French Concorde (French Concorde - “agreement”), which made transatlantic flights from 2003 to 2003. Their operation made it possible not only to significantly reduce flight time on long-distance flights, but also to use unloaded air space at high altitudes (≈18 km), while the main airspace used by airliners (altitudes 9-12 km) was already heavily congested in those years. Also, supersonic aircraft flew along straight routes (outside air routes).

  Despite the failure of several other former and existing projects of passenger supersonic and transonic aircraft (Boeing 2707, Boeing Sonic Cruiser, Douglas 2229, Lockheed L-2000, Tu-244, Tu-344, Tu-444, SSBJ, etc.) and withdrawal from operation of aircraft of two implemented projects, were developed earlier and there are modern projects of hypersonic (including suborbital) passenger airliners (for example, ZEHST, SpaceLiner) and military transport (landing) rapid response aircraft. A firm order for 20 units was placed in November 2015 for the Aerion AS2 passenger business jet under development, with a total cost of $2.4 billion, with deliveries to begin in 2023.

  Theoretical problems

  Flight at supersonic speed, in contrast to subsonic speed, takes place under conditions of different aerodynamics, since when the aircraft reaches the speed of sound, the aerodynamics of the flow change qualitatively, due to which aerodynamic drag increases sharply, and the kinetic heating of the structure from the friction of the air flow flowing at high speed also increases. , the aerodynamic focus shifts, which leads to a loss of stability and controllability of the aircraft. In addition, such a phenomenon, unknown before the creation of the first supersonic aircraft, as “wave drag” appeared.

  Therefore, achieving the speed of sound and effective stable flight at near- and supersonic speeds were impossible by simply increasing engine power - new design solutions were required. As a result, the appearance of the aircraft changed: characteristic straight lines and sharp corners appeared, in contrast to the “smooth” shapes of subsonic aircraft.

  It should be noted that the problem of creating an effective supersonic aircraft cannot still be considered resolved. The creators have to make a compromise between the requirement to increase speed and maintain acceptable takeoff and landing characteristics. Thus, the conquest of new frontiers in speed and altitude by aviation is associated not only with the use of a more advanced or fundamentally new propulsion system and a new structural layout of aircraft, but also with changes in their geometry in flight. Such changes, while improving the aircraft's performance at high speeds, should not worsen their performance at low speeds, and vice versa. Recently, creators have abandoned reducing the wing area and the relative thickness of their profiles, as well as increasing the wing sweep angle of aircraft with variable geometry, returning to low-sweep wings and a large relative thickness, if satisfactory maximum speed and service ceiling values ​​have already been achieved. In this case, it is considered important that a supersonic aircraft have good performance at low speeds and low drag at high speeds, especially at low altitudes.