RE: Your Favorite Jet Airliner

Well I’m going to break the rules already and pick one that is no longer in service.

Tu-144

More pax than Concorde, slightly longer range in the D model, US aerospace engineers claim it was cleaner environmentally, definitely the ultimate iteration of an SST. Sorry, Concorde }> And it looks damn striking even sitting on the ramp.

If the French government hadn’t caused the crash of 77102 at Paris in 1973 it may have enjouyed more favor in Russia, and the Tu-244 may have been pursued more fervently.

SOC

“Peace through kinetic solutions”

RE: Your favourite music styles, b

Hmm…got 404 CDs in my collection, and 90% of it is some form of metal. Favorite bands-Megadeth, Carcass, Fear Factory, Slayer, Ozzy/Sabbath.

SOC

“Peace through kinetic solutions”

RE: Putnam Books..

I have the Tupolev and MiG books you mention, both are quite good for data on anything pre-1990’s, most data on newer types can be found in greater detail in other sources. I’d recommend both of them.

If you’re looking for books on Soviet/Russian aviation, here are some others in my collection that might be of interest.

-OKB Sukhoi-excellent reference work, but again don’t expect there to be anything on the Su-47 as it flew after the book was published. Great section on the T-4 though.

-Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft-contains the data in the MiG and Tupolev books (thanks to being written by Gunston), plus data on every other Soviet/Russian aircraft flown since, well, they first flew one. VERY detailed, great reference work, but again, only goes up to about 1995.

-Soviet X-Planes-interesting book describing research and development aircraft. Covers everything up to and including the MFI and Su-47.

-MiG 50 Years Of Secret Aircraft Design-being co-authored by Rostislav Belyakov, this is your best bet for MiGs, although the Putnam book is more in-depth as to newer variants, operators etc.

Hope this helps.

SOC

“Peace through kinetic solutions”

RE: Concord planned to bring back into service

Unfortunately only two countries have done consistent SST research in flight over the past 20 years; the US and Russia. This time around the SST most likely to be successful will either be the Tu-244 or a US equivalent.

RE: Favourite & worst looking airliner of all time

My vote for best looking is the Tu-144, Russia’s SST. Worst? How about the Avro Guppy?

RE: Concorde versus concordski

You people are way off in a lot of areas. First off, the Tu-144 was first envisioned as a way of cutting travel time in Russia, not as an international airliner. National prestige, however, led the Russians to compete on the international market.

The Tu-144 was the first SST to fly (December 31, 1968), the first to go supersonic (5 June 1969), and the first to enter service (albeit carrying cargo, on 26 December 1975). I am very disappointed that all the news programs covering the crash of the Concorde have failed to mention the Tu-144, even going so far as to call the Concorde unique.

The Tu-144 did eventually find its way into Aeroflot passenger service, aircraft 77109 beginning service on flight SU499 on 1 November 1977. The fare was 167 rubles, compared to a normal fare of 110 or 130. After the first Tu-144D crashed on 23 May 1978, the 102nd and last Tu-144 passenger flight took place on May 30.

The Tu-144 was faster than Concorde at Mach 2.3, carried more passengers at 140, and in the D-model was longer ranged and arguably more fuel efficient. Airshow witnesses have called the aircraft quieter and cleaner, thanks to its engines. The Tu-144D, with its Koliesov RD-36-51A turbojets, did not even have afterburners, which would have made it even quieter. The -144D is probably the largest aircraft in the world capable of supercruising, and may have been one of the first.

The aircraft did have its faults. Until the Tu-144D came on the scene, the aircraft were victimized by extremely thirsty variations of the Kuznetsov NK-144 engine and had pitifully poor range as a result. Then there’s the issue of the prototype and its relatively pedestrian aerodynamics. One problem the design bureau had trouble with all the way through the aircraft’s history was cabin noise.

NASA did use a Tu-144LL (an NK-321 re-engined D model, aircraft 77114) for some test flights in 1997. With the Tu-160’s engines, the aircraft would have had an even better range, close to 6500 miles.

Hope this helps.