American supersonic passenger aircraft. Cool peak

In the OKB. An. Tupolev develops on a supersonic passenger aircraft (ATP) of the second generation, which was assigned to the name of Tu-244.

Work on ATP 2 was conducted and conducted in OKB A.N. Tupolev for 30 years. Over the years, several different projects of Tu-244 (TU-244-400, TU-244A-200, TU-244B-200, and others) were prepared (TU-244-400, and others), characterized by aerodynamic layout, concrete structural solutions on planeer, power installation and flight technical data. .

The main designer on the topic of ATP 2 is al. Puhov, technical guide for work on Tu-244 carries out M.I. Cossacks.

The Tu-244 aircraft embodies the "Neuthe" scheme, the absence of a horizontal plumage, the plane will have four turbojet engines. placed one by one in separate motorcycle.

The Tu-244 layout is subordinate to ensure high aerodynamic quality both on supersonic cruising and running modes to reduce the noise level, as well as the creation of increased comfort for passengers.

The Tu-244 wing of the trapezoidal shape in the plan with the influx. Bom has a complex deformation of the median surface and a variable profile in spindle.

In the wing there are fuel caisson-tanks, niches for cleaning the main chassis racks.

The fuselage consists of germocabines, nasal and tail compartments. The choice of the optimal diameter of the fuselage depends on the passenger complex. For the number of passengers 250- 320, the fuselage is 3.9 m wide and 4.1 m height.

The plane does not provide an unqualted nose, as on Tu-144. There is no conventional "lantern" of the pilot cabin. The glazing of the crew cab gives the necessary overview in flight, and on the rise, landing and movement on the ground The required visibility of the WFP is ensured by a systemopotic electron view acting in any meteleservices.

The chassis consists of anterior rack and three main, of which the external trolley have three-axis trolleys and are removed in the curl, and the middle stand has a two-axis trolley and removed

in the fuselage. The prototype of the nasal support is the rack of the Tu-144 aircraft.

The project ATP-2 TU-244 is worked out quite deeply and in principle can be implemented. But you need money, and considerable.

The main data of the aircraft Tu-244A-200

Preliminary mass, kg mass of empty hamolet, kg Commercial load, kg Mass of fuel, kg Pzhcgazhirovatility, people Cruising speed, km / hour flight height, m \u200b\u200bflight range, km Length of the aircraft, m Height of the aircraft, m wing span, m The area of \u200b\u200bthe wing, m "The diameter of the fuselage, m required WFP length, m

325 000 172 000 25 000 160 000 268 m \u003d 2 18 000-20 000 9200 88 15 45 965

Supervice aviation will find its place on passenger trains. Supervice air ships of the new generation will already be significantly different from their senior counterparts (Tu-144, Cord Cord) and at speeds, and in altitudes, and in design, and materials.

The birth of the passenger "supersonic", which meets all modern international standards and norms - the task is not only structurally complex, but also very expensive.

March 17, 1996 at the Flight Town Base of the OKB. A.N. Tupolev in Zhukovsky took place a solemn shootout of a modified Tu-144l. And on November 29, 1996, the first flight Tu-144l took place. He was raised into the sky leading test pilot, the chef Plot Tupolev S.G Borisov and the second pilot, hero Soviet Union, Honored Test pilot USSR B.I. Ridim.

A significant contribution of Russia to the development of ATP-2 was the creation on the basis of the Serial Tu-144D of the Flying Laboratory Tu-144l "Moscow". Work on the Tu-144l walked within the framework of international cooperation with the United States, with active financing by the Americans. For reworking the flying laboratory, serial Tu-144D was selected, on which the RD-36-51A engines are replaced by the NK-321 motors (modifications of the Tu-160 strategic supersonic bomber). Maximum take-off traction - 4 x 2100 kg. On the aircraft installed new Motogondals with modified air intakes, the wing amplified, the fuel and other systems were improved, installed a large number of control and recording equipment on board.

According to the program on supersonic Tu-144LL, it was planned to perform two terrestrial and six-year experiments.

Total 32 flights and all - in Russia.

After performing the scheduled research program as part of the creation of a supersonic passenger passenger aircraft of the second generation Tu-244, the car Tu-144l turned out to be unclaimed, and it was sold in 2001 through an anonymous inhabitant of Texas (USA) for 11 million dollars. Tu-144 is not first sold abroad. In October 2000, one such a plane for half a million dollars bought the German Museum.

Basic aircraft Tu-144L

Run weight, kg mass of empty aircraft, kg Flight range, km Flight height, m \u200b\u200bCruising speed, km / h Maximum speed, km / hour Speed \u200b\u200bof separation, km / h Randing speed, km / h Fuel supply, kg

Crew (in the experimental version), people

Airplane length, m

Wing span, m

Wing Square, M2

Aircraft height, m

Length of scattering, m

Logs "Mileage, m

M \u003d 2.37 370 280 102 000

96810 6500 18 800 m \u003d 2

In the second half of the 90s on the OKB IM.A.N. Tupolev in initiative chief designer ATP (supersonic passenger aircraft) A.L. Puhov prepared a technical proposal for the conversion of the Tu-22m3 serial rocket bombard to the administrative supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-344. It was proposed by several options for the alteration of the basic construction of Tu-22m3. It was supposed to be placed in the fuselage 10-12 and 24-30 passenger seats For business flights. The expected Tu-344 flight range at the subsonic mode is 7700 km.

The project of the supersonic administrative aircraft Tu-444 is visited by the most promising. This is essentially the concept of ATP 2 in a reduced scale.

OJSC "Tupolev" has been formed the appearance of a supersonic administrative aircraft Tu-444, which will be able to deliver 6-10 passengers to a distance of 7500 km.

The Tu-444 aircraft was made according to the aerodynamic scheme with a low-locked free curl with developed root ingun. Vertical plumage one-cell, all-turning.

On the Serial Tu-444, it is planned to use the Filter-based Turbojet engine Al-32m NPO "Saturn".

The plane will be equipped with a complete complex of systems and means of life support passengers and crew in flight and rescue equipment.

On the way of creating such an aircraft there are great difficulties, the main of which are related to the environment. If the plane does not meet the requirements of ICAO for the noise on the ground, the market will be extremely narrow for it. The fact is that in this case the aircraft will be allowed to fly on the supersonic only over the ocean. Over the land supersonic administrative aircraft will be forced to fly at the subsonic speed, without differing from modern business class aircraft.

Serial production Tu-444 will begin after the funds necessary for this will be found.

The aircraft designers believe that the supersonic business-class aircraft have a great future, even despite their high cost.

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

The main data of the supersonic administrative aircraft Tu-444

Maximum take-off weight. kg Mass of an empty aircraft, kg Maximum commercial load, kg Maximum fuel mass, kg Cruising speed:

Supersonic, km / h

Dzvvvukovaya, km / h Practical flight range with fuel reserve, km Number of passengers, people. Crew (pilots + flight attendants), people. Number of engines starting thrust engine, kg aircraft length, m

Wing scope, m The area of \u200b\u200bthe wing, the height of the aircraft, m Miracle Length of the WFP, m

7500 6-10 2+ 1 2

After a person began to master the heavenly expanses, he always sought to improve as much as possible aircrafts, make them more reliable, faster, more good. One of the most advanced inventions of humanity in this direction is supersonic passenger aircraft. But, unfortunately, with rare exceptions, most of the developments were closed or are currently at the project stage. One such projects is the Tu-244 supersonic passenger aircraft, which we will talk about.

Faster sound

But before you start a conversation directly about Tu-244, let's do short excursion In the story of overcoming humanity of the turn of sound speed, because this aircraft will be the immediate continuation of scientific developments in this direction.

A significant impetus in the development of aviation was given to the Second World War. It was then that the real projects of aircraft with capable of developing the speed of more screws appeared. From the second half of the 40s of the last century, they actively become accepted both in the military and in civil aviation.

The next task was to increase as much as possible if it was not difficult to enter the supersonic barrier, simply by increasing the power of the engines, then its overcoming was a significant problem, since the laws of aerodynamics are changing at such speeds.

Nevertheless, the first victory in the race with sound was achieved in 1947 at the American experimental aircraft, but massively used supersonic technologies began only since the late 50s - early 60s of the XX century in military aviation. There are such serial models like MiG-19, North American A-5 Vigilante, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and many others.

Passenger supersonic aviation

But civil aviation is so lucky. The first supersonic passenger aircraft appeared only in the late 60s. Moreover, only two serial models were created to be created - the Soviet Tu-144 and the Franco-British Concord. These were typical distant aircraft. Tu-144 was in operation from 1975 to 1978, and "Concord" from 1976 to 2003. Thus, at the moment there are no supersonic aircraft under passenger air transportation.

There were many projects on the construction of super- and hypersonic airliners, but some of them were eventually closed (Douglas 2229, Super-Caravelle, T-4, etc.), and the implementation of others stretched out indefinitely (Reaction Engines A2, Spaceliner, NEXT Generation SuperSonic Transport). The latter includes the project of the Tu-244 aircraft.

Start of development

The project to create an aircraft, which was supposed to be replaced by Tu-144, launched Tupolev OKB soviet time, in the early 70s of the last century. When designing a new airliner, designers used the development of its predecessor, "Concord", as well as materials of American colleagues who participated in the work. All development was conducted under the leadership of Alexey Andreevich Tupolev.

In 1973, the projected aircraft was called Tu-244.

Project tasks

The main task of this project was really a competitive supersonic aircraft for passenger traffic in comparison with subsonic reactive airliners. Like the only advantage of the first over the second there was a speed gain. In all other years, supersonic airliners lost their slower competitors. Passenger traffic on them simply did not pay off. In addition, the flights on them were more dangerous than on simple aircraft with a jet engine. The last factor, by the way, was the official reason for which the operation of the first supersonic aircraft Tu-144 was discontinued just a few months after it began.

Thus, it is the solution to these problems and was supplied to the developers of Tu-244. The plane should be reliable, quick, but, at the same time, its operation in order to transport passengers was to be economically beneficial.

Specifications

The final model of the aircraft TU - 244, the development should have had to have the technical and operational characteristics below.

The crew of the airliner included three people. The capacity of the cabin was taken at the rate of 300 passengers. True, in the final version of the project, it had to cut to 254 people, but in any case it was much more than that of Tu-154, which accommodate only 150 passengers.

The planned cruising velocity was 2,175 thousand km / h, which doublely exceeded the comparison, the same indicator on Tu-144 was equal to 2,300 thousand km / h, and "Concord" - 2,125 thousand km / h. That is, the plane was planned to make a little slower than his predecessor, but due to this, significantly increase its capacity, which was to ensure the economic benefit from passenger traffic. The movement provided four flight range of the new aircraft was to be 7500-9200 km. Load capacity - 300 tons.

The airliner was supposed to have a length of 88 m, in a height of 15 m, while its wing is 45 m, and the operating surface area is 965 m 2.

The main external difference from Tu-144 should have become a change in the design of the nose.

Continuation of development

The construction project of the supersonic airliner of the second generation Tu-244 took a rather protracted character and has undergone significant changes several times. Nevertheless, even after the collapse of the USSR, OKB Tupolev did not stop developing in this direction. For example, in 1993, the air show in France was provided detailed information About development. However, the economic situation of the country in the 1990s could not affect the fate of the project. In fact, his fate threw in the air, although the project work continued, and there was no official report on his closure. It is at this time that American experts actively began to be activated to the project, although contacts with them were held during the USSR.

To continue research on the creation of passenger supersonic second-generation airliners, in 1993, two Tu-144 aircraft were converted to flying laboratories.

Closing or freezing?

Against the background of continuing developments and applications that by 2025, Tu-244 aircraft will go into operation of civil aviation in the amount of 100 units, a very unexpected lack of this project in state Program According to the development of aviation for 2013-2025, which was adopted in 2012. It must be said that this program did not have a number of other notable developments, which were considered promising in aircraft enterprise, for example, a supersonic aircraft of the Tu-444 business aircraft.

This fact could say that the Tu-244 project is either finally closed, or frozen indefinitely. In the latter case, the release of these supersonic aircraft will be possible only much later than 2025. However, there was no official explanation on this subject, which leaves a fairly wide field for various interpretations.

Perspectives

Considering all the above, it is possible to state that the Tu-244 project is currently at least hung in the air, and may be generally closed. The official announcement of the fate of the project was not yet. It is also not voiced by the reasons why it has been suspended or forever closed. Although it can be assumed that they can be in a lack of public funds to finance such developments, economic disadvantage of the project, or the factor that in 30 years he could simply be outrageous, and now there are more promising tasks on the agenda. However, it is quite possible to influence all three factors at the same time.

In 2014 in the means mass media Assumptions were made about the resumption of the project, but until they received official confirmation, as, however, and refutations.

It should be noted that the foreign developments of supersonic passenger aircraft of the second generation have not yet reached the finish line, and the implementation of many of them under a big question.

At the same time, there is no official statement of authorized persons yet, one should not fully put a cross on the project of the Tu-244 aircraft.

The development of a supersonic passenger aircraft of the second generation, abbreviated by the ATP-2, enters the final phase. By 2025, the first flight of Tu-244 is expected. A new Russian commercial liner will differ constructively from the Soviet Tu-144 according to characteristics, flight range, comfort, capacity, sizes, engine power, avionics. His supersonic speed of 2 Mach will remain the same as the predecessor of the Tu-144L "Moscow", it is still the best indicator in the world in a serious civilian aircraft construction. At the height of its flight 20 km, the routes are free.

The restriction for aircraft designers and developers can be the length of the 1st class runway, is required not less than 3km. There are no such concrete bands at all airports in the world and countries. No illusions may not be at that expense that the best aircraft will not be in demand by the West countries, which are more interesting to sell their European Airbus and American Boeing, flying at a speed of 700 - 900 km / h, 2.5-3 times slower. It will be necessary to calculate only on the needs of Russia and BRICS, as well as on rich customers who can afford such aircraft.

Project tasks

The first Tu-244 model is expected to see the proven NK-32 engines, the same as the Tu-160m2 strategic bombarder in modernization 11/16/2017. The very first development of ATP-2 started too early, in 1973, thanks to the development of the Soviet military designers of the 1950s, which were ahead of the time for 50 years. Then there was still no high-quality composite materials to apply them in large quantities, and the power plants had an insufficient burden. In the 1960s, stood engines with a 20-ton burden, in the 1970s with a 25-ton, and now 32-tonne are already applied.

Before aircraft designers, 2 main tasks are delivered:

Flight range - 9 200 km.

Reducing fuel consumption for this class of technology.

The first and second tasks can be solved according to the example of the Tu-160 and Tu-22m3, apply the changeable sweep of the wing by making a multi-mode aircraft. You can analyze the closed projects of T-4 and T-4MS Chernyakov, to study the development of meatishchev on modifications M-50, ingenious and fantastic then more suitable today. In KB Tupolev, everything is for this, here are the materials of all the leading CB of the USSR, engaged in heavy strategic aviation, on the basis of which the world's best military galleries have been created Tu-22M3M and Tu-160m2.

Advantages of jet aircraft

Advantage reactive aircraft - speed. This guarantees the comfort of the flight and reduces the distance in time. Conduct in the chair three years less hours - this is a good adolescence of passengers, for example, Vladivostok - Kaliningrad flight. Economies business time. Using the services of the Tu-244 airliner services, you can spend on vacation for 1 day more, and, by arrival without fatigue, immediately go to work. It is important to receive the moral satisfaction of our citizens from the prestigiousness of Tu-244, to experience the pride in Russia. Civil release jet airplanes From the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation - meaningful self-sufficiency of defense enterprises of the country, this is a commercial focus, jobs, warranty of stability and accumulation of profits in the rigid market conditions.

class \u003d "Eliadunit"\u003e

Disadvantages of ultra-speed passenger liners

In KB Tupolev in the 1960s noticed that the creation of civil supersonic passenger liner According to military principles, it will not be possible due to the requirements for comfort and security. The experience of the United States, France and England began to study in this regard, which was considered the best, then, according to the intention of the chief designer, Alexei Andreevich Tupolev, went to work. The disadvantages of the first Tu-144 and "Concord" should include high fuel consumption, the volume of the engine, sound blows, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

The main disadvantage of Tu-244 is the commercial, military and political institutions of the West, because their "concords" flew out in 2003, and there are no new plans, because our ways of aircraft are disagree. Explanation of this: firstly strategic supersonic aviation NATO is not needed, because At the heart of their power stands the airborne ocean fleet, and nuclear airbones and rockets are enough to deliver by airplanes with a radius of action of 1.5 km (fighters) from military bases, scattered around the world, which is why military projects of this class in the West are not very in demand. Also a fairly high cost of flight sharply narrows the potential market segment for these aircraft, so there can be no speech about the mass. However, simultaneous order for military and passenger traffic, this is exactly what can give a serious push supersonic passenger aviation.

What will be the Tu-244 in flight and technical characteristics

The design was delayed, Tu-144 in the 1968 configuration reached its first design characteristics by the mid-1970s. Work on its improvement since the 1992th - the beginning of the Tu-244 project, has passed since then 25 years have passed, to finish the started will need 10 more. It is clearly seen that the attraction of the USA, England and France to the development of the Tu-244 program with the collapse of the USSR What good did not lead to, as in all such cases on the former USSR. Only collecting scientific data from Tu-144LL for the NASA military-space program and the braking of our enterprises in development.

Today, many options for projects Tu-244. Nobody will say exactly what the aircraft will be. In unofficial sources, ambiguous information is distributed. The characteristics described below are conditional, composed on the basis of current opportunities. Characteristics: Length 88.7 m; wings span 54.77 m, area 1,200 sq.m., and elongation 2.5 m; The sweat of the wing along the edge is 75 degrees. - The console is 35 degrees; Fuselage width 3.9 m, height 4.1 m, luggage compartment for 32 sq.m.; Harf weight 350 tons, including fuel 178 tons; NK-32 engines - 4 units; Cruising speed 2.05 m; range 10 thousand km; Max. Height 20 km.

TU-244 layout

TU-244 design

Imagine a trapezoid wing and complex deformation of its average trapezium. Managing the ailers in balancing, on the roll and pitch. The front edge of the socks deviate mechanically. In the design of the wing, division is divided into parts, front, middle and console. The average and console parts with multi-barrier and multi-rigorous power schemes, there are no ribs in the front. In vertical plumage, the same as in the design of the wing and the guide two-section steering wheel.

The fuselage with germocabine, nose and tailing compartments - the dimension will be selected under the order from the calculation of the number of passenger seats. The fuselage diameter from 3.9 to 4.1 m will be suitable for 250 and 320 passengers. The salon will share the classes, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The comfortability of Tu-244 will be at the level of the last modification of the Tu-204th. The plane is equipped with a cargo compartment. Four pilots, their armchairs with the catapults (in Russian), shit up. On board again everything is automated and subordinated to the central software control.

Tu-244 can lose a deflected nose, similar to Tu-144L, due to the development of the newest optical-electronic equipment and the ability to deviate vectors of controlled thrust in modern power domestic installations. In places of maximum load, Titanium alloy WT-64 can be used, in the wheel area. The nasal stand can remain the same, 3 new main supports for the concrete strip, designed for high loads. Navigation and aerobatic equipment will correspond to a meteorological minimum for the international classification of IIIA ICAO.

Class \u003d "Eliadunit"\u003e

After the end of World War II, piston aircraft reigned in passenger aviation, our modern lookwho have absolutely unacceptable comfort rates, speed and range. Add a lesome and, of course, the unheated interior, and now imagine that you need to get from Moscow to Khabarovsk. Because of several intermediate landings, such a flight occupied several days and demanded fairious courage and health from passengers, since the flight at altitudes of about 1500-2500 meters is often accompanied by "Boltanka". Civil aviation, like military, rather quickly passed to the use of jet, and later thought about the use of supersonic aircraft.

The catastrophes of the British "comet" DH-106 (created back in 1949) initially questioned the prospects for all passenger jetsters, but the investigation followed by the investigation returned them a good name, and in addition, in the mid-1950s, Soviet Tu-104 rose in the sky , French Sud Aviacion Caravelle and American Boeing-707.

If in the 1950s fighters have already switched to supersuals, then strategic bombers, most of all the most appropriate passenger aircraft, still lagged behind. In the USA, dialing B-47 and B-52 were in service, the USSR was M-4, while both countries worked on projects of supersonic strategic bombers who could be guaranteed to overcome the electronic air defense.

Civil aviation, like a military man, rather quickly moved to the use of jet aircraft.

So, North American Aviation is building an XB-70 Valkyrie aircraft, a bomber at 3 Mach speed. In the Soviet Union, the Constructive Bureau of Mezishchev raises an experienced M-50 into the sky and works on its modifications, including M-55 - a supersonic passenger aircraft. CB Tupolev leads design work on the supersonic shock aircraft Tu-135, which was never built. In all cases, the work was discontinued, despite the huge state support, but they still gave the practical result. After all, at that time, the problem itself is the problem of supersonic flight as a whole, and even more so in the case of large aircraft, it was clearly not well understood.

Work on the creation of supersonic bombers was given at the same time practical experience in creating such aircraft, and some theoretical issues had been allowed. And despite the fact that the military in the 1960s refused the very idea of \u200b\u200busing too expensive and complex in the operation of supersonic strategic bombers who lost their advantages in connection with the development of air defense, the idea of \u200b\u200ba passenger supersonic liner is becoming more and more hot supporters.

Supersonic bombers

XB-70 Valkyrie
Tu-135.

Years of operation

SPEED

Range of flight

At the end of 1962, the Government of France and the United Kingdom signed an agreement, in accordance with which the development of a supersonic liner, who later became famous called Concorde (from French "consent" or "Union"), was jointly. The reason was simple: such a project was in its cost, even for the United States, in the end, refused to build a 300-seater Boeing-2707, which was to run on transatlantic flights with a speed of 2.7 Mach.

The creation of "Concord" was the result of the joint efforts of a huge number of aircraft manufacturers who proved the leading positions of England and France in the aircraft industry and the huge scientific potential of both countries. The main role belonged to the French Sud Aviacion in collaboration with the National Society for the Development and Construction of Aviation Motors and British British Aircraft Corporation and Rolls-Royce. As a result, the aircraft, which became the fruit of the cooperation of aircraft designers from both banks of La Manches, turned out to be like the imagination of people even in those days of the first space flights.

The aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft were made dependent on its main purpose - supersonic flight, therefore it is not surprising that its appearance and design radically distinguished "Concord" from subsonic fellow. As the most suitable for aircraft such a class, the scheme of the Necklessness was chosen - the aircraft had no control plane in the tail part, the role of which was performed by an elongated triangular wing; In the nose of the fuselage there was a fairing in the form of a cone, which deviated down and provided pilots overview when boarding and landing.

A separate mention deserves the fuel system of "Concord", which also served to overbalance the aircraft when producing fuel generated a significant part of the take-off weight. When accumulating speed and before further acceleration of the pumps of the fuel system, about 20 tons of fuel from the front balancing tanks in the tail balancing tank were moved. This allowed to shift the center of severity of the aircraft approximately two meters backwards, which was a necessary condition for supersonic flight.

Designers managed to achieve a range of 6,500 kilometers away with a cruising supersonic speed of 2150 km / h. During the supersonic flight, the fuselage was heated to 127 degrees Celsius, and the plane became 25 centimeters longer due to thermal deformation. Passengers quickly learned that it is better not to touch the windows of the portholes, which also become burning hot.

Creating "Concord" was the result of joint
the efforts of a huge number of aircraft companies who have proven the leading positions of England and France
in the aircraft industry.

The plane, first rising in the sky on March 2, 1969, began flights with passengers only in 1976. At first, the "Concords" was operated on London lines - Bahrain, Paris - Rio de Janeiro, London - Singapore and other exotic directions. But immediately after receiving a certificate for the use of US airports, which their American competitors opposed, air carriers moved to a single economically informed route: transatlantic flights.

These flights and created the legend of "Concord", replacing the disappeared ocean liners, running between Europe and America. In the same way, like Normandie or Queen Mary - the fastest and comfortable ships of their time, "Concord" offered its passengers the fastest and most luxurious of all possible methods cross Atlantic Ocean. The price was appropriate: In 1979, a ticket in one direction along the route London - New York cost 1,300 dollars, and by 2003 the price reached 4000-5000 dollars.

For this money, passengers able to pay for the ticket received and corresponding to their requests the level of service: the indispensable attribute of flights on the "Concord" was comfortable chairs, champagne, black caviar and partridges on lunch. In such an atmosphere, even the roar of four Olympus 593 engines 593, compared to which ordinary turbojet engines seemed almost silent, was moved much calmer.

Quite quickly, "Concord" gained a cult status. They often flew businessmen who were required by the frequent movement between New York and european capitals, actors, musicians and other celebrities. French presidents periodically committed state visits on them, as well as Queen Elizabeth II. Once, even Pope Sami, John Paul I, preferred it for his visit to the United States.

Passengers quickly learned that it is better not to touch the windows of the portholes, which also become burning hot.

RESULTS

Despite the complexity of the design, for the operation of the "Concord" showed the highest reliability. One-only accident on July 25, 2000 in Paris was caused by the hit of the "Concord" on a metal detail, filled from the engine of the took earlier American DC-10. As a result, the wheel was damaged, which, broke, damaged the trim and fuel tank Together with the chassis management wires. When the plane broke away from the Earth, there was a fire, and the aircraft was already in the air, and the only possible solution was to land at the Le Bourget airport, which was right at the rate a few kilometers. The plane continued the flight on three engines and with the chassis released, but soon the destruction of the wing began, due to which the device lost control and collapsed to the ground. 100 passengers died, nine crew members and four people located in the hotel located in the Paris suburb of the Hans, to which Concorde fell.

Immediately for the disaster 2000 followed the suspension of the flights of all "Concords". After the investigation into the construction of the aircraft, changes were made, allowed to avoid repetition of the tragedy, and passenger flights resumed in November 2001. But the reputation of the aircraft, shaken after the catastrophe, as well as the fear of flights in general, spread after September 11, led to a drop in demand for tickets. It became obvious that the continuation of the operation of aircraft, and so approaching the term of service, meaningless. November 26, 2003 "Concord" made his last flight, landing in Bristol, one of the cities where it was created 30 years earlier.

Years of operation

SPEED

range of flight

If the creation of a passenger supersonic aircraft was too expensive for the United States, then for the Soviet Union, the price in cases where it was about prestige, did not matter. In addition, Nikita Khrushchov, who was at that moment in power, turned out to be a fan of the idea of \u200b\u200bsupersonic airliners. According to legend, watching supersonic Tu-22 at the parade, the Secretary General asked Tupolev's aircraft designer, whether he could carry not only bombs on such airplanes, but also the passengers to develop a supersonic passenger aircraft. For the Soviet aircraft industry, he had to become a new border, to overcome which the modernization of the aircraft industry itself was upgraded.

An important feature of the design of the aircraft was an additional wings in the nose for the cabin of pilots, which, with a speed set, were removed into special niches on the fuselage. Despite its own small squareThey significantly improved the controllability of the aircraft at low speeds, that is, during takeoff and landing. An already standard solution was the nose of the fuselage, which changed its tilt during takeoff and landing. The braking was carried out by braking the chassis wheels, as well as the brake parachute - the reverse for the NK-144 engines was not envisaged. The engines provided a cruising supersonic speed of 2,300 km / h, while the flight range was only 3,000 kilometers (against 6500 at the "Concord"). The new aircraft rose into the sky on December 31, 1968, earlier than "Concord", thus becoming the first supersonic passenger aircraft. True, as in the case of the "Concord", it was still quite far from passengers.

On June 3, 1974, at the air show in Le Bourget during demonstration flights, Tu-144 made a sharp maneuver, evading the fighter "Mirage" who flown over him. The multiple aircraft collapsed from overload not provided for by its design, all six people who were on board were killed, as well as eight people living in homes that fell fragments of the car. The investigation could not give an unequivocal response about the cause of the catastrophe, but at the same time no evidence was found clearly indicating the "congenital" disadvantages of the Soviet apparatus. Despite this bad sign, Tu-144 was planned to put on passenger lines, and his future seemed clear and cloudless.

If the creation of a passenger supersonic aircraft was too expensive for the United States,
then for the Soviet Union Price
in cases where it was a prestige, did not matter.

From November 1, 1977, two new lines appeared in the schedule of Domodedovo airport: flight number 499 Moscow - Alma-Ata, departure at 8:30 am and flight number 500 Alma-Ata - Moscow, departure at 14:00. Unlike Concord, a ticket for Tu-144 was more accessible to the ordinary passenger: its cost was 68 rubles, which was 20 rubles more expensive than the flight at the subsonic aircraft. In general, the flight was enjoying great popularity, and the ticket quickly moved to the discharge of the deficit.

Each flight Tu-144 in Alma-Atu raised the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation, in which many people tensely followed the reports of meteorologists about the weather throughout the entire route of the flight, and especially at the airport of arrival and the airport in Tashkent. Other airfields capable of accepting Tu-144, in Central Asia did not have. Due to the special requirements for training, even on passenger flights, Tu-144 was piloted with a mixed crew from the pilots of Aeroflot and pilots of the Ministry of Aviation Industry, which had been trained at Tupolev.

The NK-144A engines that stood on Tu-144 were distinguished by special voraciousness, because of which the flight range was only 3,000 kilometers. Therefore, a new modification of the aircraft was previously developed - Tu-144D (long) with RD-36-51A engines, which increased the range of flights to 5,000 kilometers, which still had less distance that Concord could overcome.

Tu-144 piloted mixed crew
from the pilots "Aeroflot"
and pilots of the Ministry of Aviation
industry.

RESULTS

On May 23, 1978, Tu-144D crashed during the test flight in the Moscow region. One of the engines caught fire in the air, but the crew was able to plant the car in a clean field. Two flight guards could not leave the burning machine. Despite the fact that it was a new modification with experienced engines, very different from serial aircraft on passenger linesAn accident was used as a reason for the termination of all Tu-144 flights. On the evening of May 30, 1978, under the pressure of the leadership of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the General Designer A. A. Tupolev agrees to stop exploitation. Passengers who were supposed to fly to Alma-ATU on the morning of June 1, transplanted to IL-62.

After the abolition of passenger flights, Tu-144 rose into the air only as a cargo aircraft and as part of test flights. The largest Tu-144LL (flying laboratory) flights in 1996-1999, which were performed within the framework of NASA's research aimed at creating a new generation supersonic passenger aircraft. Engines were installed on the aircraft with a supersonic strategic bomber Tu-160, a lot received from the construction of Tu-144, so after stopping the flights, they were dismantled, and all attempts to buy a restored aircraft with engines were rejected.

Paradoxically, the supersonic passenger aircraft turned out to be no one needed.

Paradoxically, but supersonic passenger aircraft It turned out to be no one. Too expensive, too complicated, too noisy, they eventually lost the spacious airliners of the new generation, the first of which was Boeing-747.

Thus, the early modifications of Boeing-747 could take on board 400-500 passengers, while Concorde received only 144 people. Is it worth talking about fuel consumption, special requirements for pilots and other factors, due to which supersonic airplanes There were less profitable. Meanwhile, when "747th" only appeared, they were preparing the role of cargo aircraft and it was possible to lightly alterars made by airliners for freight transportation, because it was expected that all passenger aircraft would be only supersonic. In addition to war Judgment day And the oil blockade that followed it caused a significant jump in fuel prices, which made the flights of "Concord" unjustifiably expensive.

A separate headache was aircraft service. Colossal loads on the design and lining with complex equipment required a more qualified, long and expensive repair and constant, more strict control over all systems.

However, as can be seen from the interest of NASA and other developers to this topic, we can quite be witnesses to the appearance of the heirs of Tu-144 and "Concord". In addition, interest in supersonic aircraft is noticeable in the private and corporate aviation market. The main problems there are still high fuel consumption and excessive loads on the glider, and it remains only to hope that new technologies in aircraft operating inaccessible in the 1960s will help to circumvent these obstacles.

In the United States showed the prototype XB-1 SuperSonic Demonstrator, capable of flying to London from New York for three and a half hours.

The developers of the aircraft who received the nickname Baby Boom promise the first supersonic flights next year, and passenger Transportation - at 2020.

Correspondent.net. Remembers the unsuccessful history of the commercial use of supersonic passenger aircraft.

The first and soles

Works on supersonic passenger aircraft Started in the sixties of the last century immediately in several countries.

The British and the French who work each over their project decided to unite in 1962. Their plane was called Concorde, which is translated from French as "agreement."

The Americans worked, as they usually happen, immediately over several projects - Boeing 2707 and Lockheed L-2000, but they never reached production.

Layout Boeing 2707.

The USSR managed to create a successful supersonic Tu-144 aircraft. He began to design later Concord, but he took off for a couple of months earlier.

It turns out that for half a century, humanity managed to create only two workers of supersonic liners. Will their details.

Concord

Created as a result of a merger in 1962 two national programs for the development of supersonic passenger air transport. The main developers were French Sud Aviation and British BAC.

A total of 20 aircraft were made. The first flight of the prototype took place in 1969, the commissioning of commercial operation occurred in 1976.

Concordes flew under British Airways and Air France airlines, which had seven aircraft. For 27 years of regular and charter flights, more than three million passengers were transported.

Characteristics

The crew is three people (commander, pilot, flight engineer), passengers - a maximum of 128.

Length - 56 meters, wing span - 25 meters, height is 12 meters.

Empty weight - 78.7 thousand kilograms, maximum takeoff - 187.7 thousand.

Maximum speed - 2 330 km / h

Career end

July 25, 2000 airlines Air. France performed a flight from Paris to New York, but during overclocking the plane caught fire the left engine.

The crew raised a burning plane into the air to make it later forced landingBut a liner in two minutes after the take-off collapsed on the hotel building three kilometers from Charles de Gaulle airport.

All those who were on board 109 people were killed (100 passengers and 9 crew members), as well as four people on Earth.

Later it turned out that the cause of the catastrophe was an accident - a small titanium plate from another aircraft. When Concorded accelerated, hooked this part with the wheel, the tire burst and her fragments struck the benzobak, which was the cause of the fire.

This is the first and only concord catastrophe for 27 years of operation.

In 2003, flights stopped Air France, and then British Airways due to the increase in the price of fuel.

Tu-144.

Work on the creation of a supersonic passenger airliner in the Soviet Union began in Tupolev OKB in the early 60s of the last century.

The first flight took place on December 31, 1968, two months before Concord. Tu-144 is also the first in history passenger airlinerovercoming the sound barrier.

A total of 16 aircraft were built, which committed a total of 2556 flights and flew 4110 hours.

Due to the forcing of Tu-144 deadlines, a little "raw" came out. But it was believed that the aerodynamics of him is better than the overseas Concord.

Catastrophe

Soviet hypersonic aircraft suffered also in Paris. In 1973, Tu-144 crashed during an indicative flight at the air show in Le Bourget. All six crew and eight people died on Earth.

Causes of the catastrophe were classified. It is believed that the collapse occurred because of the too sharp maneuver, which the crew was to be made to avoid a collision with an unexpectedly appearing French Mirage, from whom the photograph was conducted, violation of the control system, or the inadmissibility for the design of the maneuver airplane structures, which the crew tried to make.

Flights

On the regular flights Tu-144 was first staged in 1977. Then from Moscow in Almaty he flew in two hours.

But after halfway, seven months later there was a disaster - in the suburbs during the test flight Tu-144 collapsed. After that, the Problem decided to close.