Saw this pic in the database, from this month.

Apparently a cleaned TU-144 ("Concordski") is being towed and given the Shower of Affection.



I'm under no delusion that this has anything to do with a RTF, so I'm guessing it's to celebrate a fresh cleaning/painting?
Who's sponsoring this? Are there plans for refreshing others?

Anyone got the details?

***********************************
PS, how come seemingly no one captions their pics anymore?

I haven't attempted to upload any pics since the site changed, but so few photogs choose to give any information about their uploads nowadays. Does the new site's process discourage or make it difficult?

I'll take a guess, given the amount of pics of the aircraft taken in various years but all on a similar date in August including one with a caption stating it was taken at 'MAKS 2007' that this is either being cleaned for an airshow/open day or it's an event being put on for said open day by the airport fire crews ?

LAX772LR wrote:

Saw this pic in the database, from this month.

Apparently a cleaned TU-144 ("Concordski") is being towed and given the Shower of Affection.

I'm under no delusion that this has anything to do with a RTF, so I'm guessing it's to celebrate a fresh cleaning/painting?
Who's sponsoring this? Are there plans for refreshing others?

Anyone got the details?

***********************************
PS, how come seemingly no one captions their pics anymore?

I haven't attempted to upload any pics since the site changed, but so few photogs choose to give any information about their uploads nowadays. Does the new site's process discourage or make it difficult?

Maybe there are no details given because it sparks curiosity, so viewers ask more details and share the photo link. More views! Call me cynical.

Might be just a planned photo shoot. Some years ago, 77115 was given a restoration and then rolled out for the MAKS airshow if I remember right. It looks superb.

WIederling wrote:

https://www.facebook.com/UAC.RUSSIA.EN/posts/2013448368966944

Interesting text from the facebook post. I doubt the TU-144 ever flew as high as any Concorde, and certainly not the prototypes G-AXDN and F-WTSB.

Regardless, the TU-144 is still quite a remarkable plane. Not simply just "Concordski" - but that's for the technical forum.

This particular frame, as far as I understand, was the last of the production Tu-144D (or "Article 004D" - the D for long-range) aircraft, although one more frame was commenced but never completed.

It was never actually delivered to Aeroflot and was retained by Tupolev at Zhukovsky before being used in pilot training for the Buran programme. The Tu-144 SST website states it first flew on 04/10/84 and last flew on 12/05/86, logging 38 hours and 34 minutes over 54 cycles. Apparently it was also selected for the Tu-144LL laboratory programme but ultimately only CCCP-77114 was used.

cpd wrote:

WIederling wrote:

https://www.facebook.com/UAC.RUSSIA.EN/posts/2013448368966944

Interesting text from the facebook post. I doubt the TU-144 ever flew as high as any Concorde, and certainly not the prototypes G-AXDN and F-WTSB.

http://www.tu144sst.com/techspecs/performance.html -> Maximum operating altitude 65,500 ft - 20,000 m

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/jetliner/tu144/ -> Service Ceiling 59,055 ft (18,000 m)

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/ ... -DFRC.html -> an absolute ceiling of 62,000 feet. ( D-Model )

Not every datum finds its way into a p*ing contest?

more pics...

https://fotografersha.livejournal.com/

(scroll to Tu-144 photo, captions in Russian only)


Water salute to the Tu-144 at Moscow Zhukovsky airport on the occasion a chartered Tu-134 airliner brought participants of this year action called 'Flight on behalf of flying' (russian "Полет ради полета" )
and both airliner again stand together at apron after 40 years!

XAM2175 wrote:

This particular frame, as far as I understand, was the last of the production Tu-144D (or "Article 004D" - the D for long-range) aircraft, although one more frame was commenced but never completed.

It was never actually delivered to Aeroflot and was retained by Tupolev at Zhukovsky before being used in pilot training for the Buran programme. The Tu-144 SST website states it first flew on 04/10/84 and last flew on 12/05/86, logging 38 hours and 34 minutes over 54 cycles. Apparently it was also selected for the Tu-144LL laboratory programme but ultimately only CCCP-77114 was used.

Amazing how it flew just that small amount of hours. I believe a TU-154 was also used for the Buran program, there are videos of it landing in a quite unconventional (for an airliner manner).

WIederling wrote:

Not every datum finds its way into a p*ing contest?

Nobody is getting into any contests about anything - but if it makes things better, I'll request deletion of my post.

cpd wrote:

... I'll request deletion of my post.

That would be a bit of an over the top reaction, wouldn't it?

It's MLG arrangement is most unusual. What other aircraft had double bogeys with 8 wheels?

Erebus wrote:

It's MLG arrangement is most unusual. What other aircraft had double bogeys with 8 wheels?

Well, there was the B-58 Hustler

LAX772LR wrote:

Saw this pic in the database, from this month.

Apparently a cleaned TU-144 ("Concordski") is being towed and given the Shower of Affection.

I'm under no delusion that this has anything to do with a RTF, so I'm guessing it's to celebrate a fresh cleaning/painting?
Who's sponsoring this? Are there plans for refreshing others?

Anyone got the details?

This picture was taken on August 4th 2018 during the organised event at ZIA (Moscow region).
This particular TU-144 aircraft (CCCP-77115) was restored and repainted in 2007 for static displays on MAKS airshows.
The event itself was organised by aviation enthusiasts to commemorate the 40th anniversary of TU-144 withdrawal from commercial service and consisted of overflight of Moscow airports on one of the few remaining civil TU-134 (RA-65726), landing at ZIA and photo session of TU-134 and TU-144.
The full report by Marina Lystseva is here: https://fotografersha.livejournal.com/1011135.html

I don't think there is a chance this plane is even going to fly again. It didn't work properly when it was new, it had a lot of problems.

IWMBH wrote:

I don't think there is a chance this plane is even going to fly again. It didn't work properly when it was new, it had a lot of problems.

...which is probably why not a single person, here or in reference, brought "flying again" up.

This year is also 50 years after the first flight, then.

IWMBH wrote:

I don't think there is a chance this plane is even going to fly again. It didn't work properly when it was new, it had a lot of problems.

77114 did fly again, but nobody here said anything about this one flying. It would be nice to hear the engines running though.

Erebus wrote:

It's MLG arrangement is most unusual. What other aircraft had double bogeys with 8 wheels?

The way the thing cycled if I remember correctly was also quite complex, trying to fit a sizeable landing gear into a small space. There are other parts of it that are also unusual.

So basically, the axles of the undercarriage with the wheels as you see them from the front, they swivel 90 degrees and then the whole thing swings forward and upwards in between the two engines on each side.

XAM2175 wrote:

This particular frame, as far as I understand, was the last of the production Tu-144D (or "Article 004D" - the D for long-range) aircraft, although one more frame was commenced but never completed.

It was never actually delivered to Aeroflot and was retained by Tupolev at Zhukovsky before being used in pilot training for the Buran programme. The Tu-144 SST website states it first flew on 04/10/84 and last flew on 12/05/86, logging 38 hours and 34 minutes over 54 cycles. Apparently it was also selected for the Tu-144LL laboratory programme but ultimately only CCCP-77114 was used.

I'd love to know what happened with the planned 77116 that was never completed.