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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 0918.PDF
FLIGHT International, J June 1971 817 by the Soviet delegation's disclosure that there is still only one prototype flying. It is hard to see how this can be reconciled with a service entry date even as late as 1973 which the Russians gave as realistic. One British test pilot has been told by one of the Russians that the aircraft has made 100 flights and reached Mach 2-28. The Russians have so far given no flight demonstrations of the Tu-144, apart from two impressive and quiet passes over Le Bourget before it landed. But Concorde 001 was airborne on May 27, making a really impressive showing on behalf of Aerospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation. (Flight was due to fly in the aircraft on Tuesday evening). Steep climbing turns directly after take off were really impressive and made a profound impact on the Boeing team, including Mr John Swihart, erstwhile chief engineer of the American SST, who enthusiastically asserted that Concorde will make money for the airlines. The US 1972 Fiscal appropriation request has already been made for the US SST, so despite the abortive revival attempt on this year's money the aircraft could just live on. But Boeing says it wants new quieter engines —either oversized turbojets or turbofans. The Russians claim that the Tu-144 achieves "signifi cantly greater lift-drag ratios" by virtue of having the engines in pairs under the fuselage, but it obviously loses out in structural weight through having to use very long intakes. These could be the result of variable geometry which is less advanced than that on Concorde, or from debris-ingestion problems. The intakes are claimed to be in the area of uniform stagnation and downwash and are said to be effective diffusers and to provide practically ideal velocity fields at the faces of NK-144 turbofans. Surplus thrust will allow the Tu-144 to "meet international noise requirements when flying over populated regions". Mr Tupolev said that extensive use is made of titanium steel. First impressions are of a typically Russian approach to quality of construction—if it needs a good finish then give it one, otherwise don't bother. The Tu-144 was well finished in marked contrast to the 11-76. The 144 has a number of interesting points, such as a nose undercarriage which retracts into a ventral spine and not into the fuse lage. The main gear goes up into the wing and, surprisingly for a supersonic aircraft, requires blister fairings on both upper and lower surfaces. The twelve-wheel bogie units are crude. By comparison with Concorde, the wing plat form and fuselage are more blended but the lack of complex camber is plainly obvious. The Tu-144 sports the w^00^0mB® Above, the European Airbus mock-up, which was open to the public, attracted the crowds. A CF-6 engine mock-up was attached Above, BAC adopted the term QSTOL for studies that have been under way for some time, but collaboration with Aerospatiale cannot be ruled out now that the French company has come up with a remarkably similar geared-fan, mechanically flapped 130-seater project (below). Both would have M45s with v.p. fans. Bottom, the Tu-144 stands with its nose in supersonic cruise configuration in front of the 11-62, now re-engined with Soloviev D-30s %<.-,.C:, ISiAc 1 i ...J: miiim1 « m m i MM m J 1
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