Published: 3/27/1998

On 25 March, Boeing and Tupolev hosted a ceremony devoted to the successful completion of the US/Russian joint supersonic research effort. That day the key participants in the programme - NASA, Boeing, IBP, Tupolev, TsAGI etc. - held a press-briefing in Moscow on the results of the Tu-144LL flight tests and possible follow-on programmes. Robert Spitzer, vice-president of engineering with Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, said that earlier this month the Russian side handed over to the US delegation a comprehensive package of data obtained on both the flying laboratory and ground testing rigs. In all, after conversion from a Tu-144D airliner into a test-bed, the RA77114 flew 19 missions, in which it logged 38 hours 52 minutes. Out of that total the plane spent 8 hours 40 minutes at supersonic regimes, reaching Mach 2.02 and an altitude of 55,400 feet. Initially, 32 flights had been planned, but in order to economise on fuel Tupolev and its US partners decided to change the methodology of flight tests. Everything that was planned originally has been fulfilled in longer and more extensive missions, where the duration of flight sometimes reached four hours. Admittedly, some flight experiments on the propulsion system (especially in the area of engines and intakes of internal contraction) were "grounded", i.e. moved to a special ground propulsion testing rig. The data gathered in the experiments will be used in the NASA-led High Speed Research Program (HSRP), aimed at working out technologies for a projected second-generation supersonic transport, the SST-2. However, despite the success of the Tu-144LL joint effort with the Russians, the US side has not yet taken a decision whether to launch the SST-2 into full-scale development. Robert Spitzer said that it is a very challenging task to built a supersonic airplane that would not only be environmentally-friendly, technically-acceptable and economically-viable, but "also allow people to travel for the right ticket price". According to him, the Tu-144LL was just a first step to such a design. "We cannot say when we can build the SST-2, but we must be prepared to build such an airplane and for this purpose we must continue working together", he concluded. There appears to be follow-on programmes, including extra Tu-144LL flights. Tupolev general director Igor Shevchuk, said, "To build this unique flying laboratory we sacrificed great money, skills and personal dedication. The Tu- 144LL is an exotic airplane crammed with expensive recording and test equipment. No doubt that there will be new orders for this airplane and, naturally, we hope to continue working with Boeing and NASA." Both Spitzer and Shevchuk confirmed that both the US and Russian sides are in negotiations on possible follow-on programmes. Shevchuk said, "We spent two days in meetings and discussions on the Tu-144LL. Follow-on programmes need careful planning from both technical and economical points of view. Both sides have to find sources for it, but I dare to say that this work is nearing completion." Inside information says the Tu-144LL will resume supersonic flights in June. Although Tupolev has decided to concentrate its limited resources on "regional, short-regional and mid-regional airplanes", Shevchuk says his team will "keep Tupolev's scientific potential in these areas ready for an immediate response to the long-awaited decision to build the second-generation supersonic airplane." (VK) (IN398.3)  

Article ID: 116