TUPOLEV TU-144

Developed in the 1960s/1970s, the Tu-144 was the Soviet Unions only practical venture into supersonic commercial aviation. Though its career was all too brief, it was a major technological achievement for the Soviet aircraft industry. The book provides in-depth coverage of the Concordski, including projected versions, the Tu-144s production and service history, and a comparison with the Concorde. First flown on the last day of 1968ahead of the Concordethe Tu-144 had to undergo a long gestation period before the production version entered service in November 1977. Unfortunately, its career proved to be brief; two accidents and a powerful anti-Tu-144 lobby caused the type to be withdrawn in May 1978. The book describes the Tu-144s versions (including the Tu-144LL research aircraft developed under a Russian-U.S. program) and touches on the projected military derivatives. It is illustrated with color side views and previously unpublished photographs.