Nov 29 1996
From The Space Library
The Russian-built Tu-144LL supersonic passenger jet, which U. S. and Russian aerospace industries and NASA had modified for commercial purposes, performed well in its first test flight after refurbishment. The aircraft took off from the Zhukovsky Airfield south of Moscow. During the Tu-144LL flight, researchers studied the impact of excessive speeds on the aircraft's internal and exterior surfaces, engine temperature, and handling. The aircraft's body, constructed primarily from light aluminum alloy, held up well during the initial test. The Tu-144LL project supported NASA's High-Speed Research Program, which had begun in 1990, to encourage the development of technologies supporting supersonic commercial travel. The Boeing Company had led the U.S. industry involvement in the project, with support from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, Rockwell International Corporation, Pratt & Whitney, and General Electric Company. The project's aim was to prepare flight-research facilities to adapt to market demands of the future. Aviation experts predicted that a commercial market for advanced supersonic transport would evolve early in the 21 st century.
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