Guided tour through a Tupolev Tu-144 'Concordski' (includes the cockpit)

[@PaulStewartAviation]

CORRECTION: apologies, I made an error with the comment about the final flight with NASA. It was actually in 1999 rather than 1997.

[@Captain22021971]

Although you call him "Concordski", this airplane saw the sky before Concord.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

@@Captain22021971 yep, it was rushed into the air hence why one fell apart at the Paris airshow killing all onboard.

[@Captain22021971]

@@PaulStewartAviation By the time of the disaster, he had been flying for the fifth year. No one is immune from disasters. But you can't dispute the fact that the "copy" flew earlier than the imaginary original. And only an amateur does not see the difference between them.

[@manipshkarra3098]

@@PaulStewartAviationyes you're right. was a pre-test. that happened then. but....

[@elconquistador932]

​​​@@Captain22021971It saw the sky first only because the Soviet Government pressed them into beating the Concordes time line. So like typical Russian designs, they took short cuts and brushed off safety and efficiency concerns to meet a deadline. A large part of why they were grounded from passenger service. The same service that had only one route with 55 total passenger flights. LMAO, if the British hacked their Concorde together like that they would have flown years before the Russians even put a pencil on the drawing board. But real aircraft manufactures try to avoid building screeching lawn darts, even if it adds another 4 whole months to their build time. I know which aircraft I'd choose to fly, and it wouldn't be the one that required ear plugs or afterburners to maintain cruising speeds. 😂 Edit: Spelling.

[@elation8101]

I landed in Frankfurt from Canada and drove to Stuttgart in a rental car. About s half way down, I saw a freaking Concord mounted on a roof of a building. I made a quick 3 hour stop to see all these planes. Best surprise of the trip.

[@Havazik]

I landed in Frankfurt from Canada specifically to go to this museum (among other things of course) I recommend it to everyone I can

[@deansiracusa3966]

I was driving back to Frankfurt from Friedrichshafen last year and saw the same thing and made the same decision to stop! So glad I did!

[@deansiracusa3966]

I went to that museum for the first time last April and it’s absolutely amazing! I highly recommend it for any aviation, automotive or train enthusiasts!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

It's a really unique place, isn't it? I enjoyed the cars much more than I thought I would have. I went there just for the planes but enjoyed the rest too!

[@freddielaker02]

I was at LeBourget for the Air Salon the day 77102 went down. It was horrendous to see and I will never forget it.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

It would have been awful to see in person

[@freddielaker02]

@@PaulStewartAviation its nothing I want to see again ever.

[@bavan]

This is an incredible tour of the Tu-144! I am so grateful to Paul Stewart for giving us the opportunity to explore this unique aircraft. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise!

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Many thanks!

[@hj8272]

That was not an aircraft.. It was flying coffin.

[@mikelynn4754]

What a contrast. Concorde, beautiful and sleek, Tu 144 so soviet era but still fascinating and pretty cool looking.

[@ronaldpainting5614]

Done this one god knows how many times. I was a trucker and stayed at the autohof yards away for years. Never tired going there. Still got my Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim Das grosse museumsbuch. The best dat out ever.

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

Fantastic display of both aircraft, refreshing to see them outside rather than shoved away in a glorified shed, which is so boring. As long as the custodians are prepared to look after them all aircraft should be outside.

[@naturallyherb]

Very nice! I think Sinsheim is one of the best aviation museums in the world, especially with the Tu-144 and Concorde together! I toured Concorde G-BSST in Yeovil and there are definitely some similarities between the two especially the cockpit windows.

[@sheldonholy5047]

I think the Yeovil display is probably the best. You can walk around it and poke around the open engine bays unrestricted. Very fun!

[@deang5622]

Couldn't give a monkeys about the Tu-144, it was a stolen design. Have no interest in it.

[@duotronicnone4572]

That's an amazing display with both aircraft next to one another and access to the cabins while they're mounted at that steep angle...but I really wish they weren't exposed to the elements.

[@MaticTheProto]

space is limited and this looks cooler

[@idonjohnson6999]

They were designed to operate outside.

[@PintoPopProductions]

I've been there! One of the most fascinating museums I've ever had the privilege to visit. Toured both aircraft. This was back in 2009 so they were a little cleaner. What a shock comparing the cockpits of both planes.

[@JettTyler17]

Never seen a TU-144 in person before, thanks for the guided look around the plane Paul! Amazing video!

[@ronaldpainting5614]

Spent eight years parking at the Autohof, when i could down the road. Could not get enough of the place. One of the perks of being a truck driver. Been on all the aircraft that were open to the public including the TU-144. At one time i myself was taking flying lessons.

[@staralliancefan1245]

Cool video! Nice that they opened the cockpit for you! It would be pretty special sitting inside such a rare aircraft!

[@solderpro9725]

I've been to Technik Museum Sinsheim a few times years ago when i was younger, as i grew up relatively nearby. Watching this makes me wanna go again instantly

[@james312]

I always found the early navigation systems fascinating. In 1981, Honda actually offered a similar navigation system as a first in car GPS, you would feed it real paper maps of the area, and using an onboard gyroscope and a servo gear on the transmission, it would work out where you were at any time on the journey and move the map along accordingly, looking the same as a modern GPS later would. We take GPS for granted now, but it must have looked very futuristic at the time.

[@olegariocamara9308]

Thanks for your video. I'm an enthusiast and this is the first time I see the details of the inside of a TU-144. I was lucky enough to visit a Concorde in NYC Intrepid Museum. Keep up the good work.

[@philipg6463]

What an incredible display layout at this museum.

[@Deepthought-42]

Sad both these wonderful aircraft are outside and exposed to the elements. It would be nice to see them protected under cover for future generations.

[@moldypizza__]

id say they have some sort of anti rust paint on them

[@Sterlingjob]

@@moldypizza__ They corrode…not rust!

[@paulcronin551]

It's funny you mention that. I was in New york last year and on top of the intrepid I seen the a-12, tomcat, concorde, and many others on the deck with peeling paint and yellowed plastics. I asked the guy running it why they weren't maintained he just said " everything has it's day" I was so excited to go see them but left with a tinge of sadness...

[@moldypizza__]

@@Sterlingjob I’m not a master of the elements mr genius

[@Deepthought-42]

@@paulcronin551 IMO they not should have been allowed to take the Concorde exhibits without an undertaking to put them under cover. The Victor V Bomber at UK’s Duxford museum is being restored and much of the restoration work is required as a result of it being left in the open air.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Another fantastic video, Paul! The Tu-144, like the Concorde is a fascinating aircraft. Thank you for sharing!

[@CMan-rt9in]

When I was 15, my family went to Montreal for Expo67. On our last day there we visited the Soviet Pavillion and I saw a model of the 144. My first thought was that I was looking at a space plane, not the worlds first SST. Beautiful plane.

[@marknagle1912]

Nice to see you in this aircraft the tu144 is interesting hope you enjoyed the tour of the museum at sinsheim bring back some memories for me when I lived there in germany

[@Rheilffordd]

Watching this now. I am loving your detailed tour of this aircraft. We all love the Concorde, however this is an aircraft rarely explored in such close detail until this video!

[@zoperxplex]

The different approaches the Soviets took to supersonic transports compared to the Concorde is just as fascinating as the similarities because it only makes sense that the two groups would arrive at the same solution to the same challenges.

[@tacticaldelusion]

Yes and the Soviet spies embedded in both England and France ensured this.

[@shoora813]

Both teams communicated up to some point. To some extent one can say that Concord is a “Tupolevski”

[@tacticaldelusion]

@@shoora813 The Soviets were in a mad dash to beat the Anglo-French Concorde into the air. In order to do so, the KGB spent a large amount of time pilfering Concorde blueprints. This is something the Concorde team was cognizant of and they passed on a lot of technical information to the KGB that was useless to their endeavors, such as blueprints with incorrect dimensions and drawings of systems that simply didn’t work. The Soviets had a few major problems on their hands. The first was their desire to beat Concorde into the air. This forced them to adopt several inelegant solutions to their aerodynamic and power problems as they didn’t have the time to further engineer their aircraft in the time frame presented . An example of this was their wing design that was simplistic at best. Concorde’s wing looked simple but in fact, it was a complex marvel of design providing the plane with both high speed performance and an acceptable slow speed control-ability. The Soviet wing didn’t perform well at approach and landing speeds and they were forced to install retractable canards to improve this. The second was that the Concorde team were working with a new and cutting edge engine, the Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus engine. This was the culmination of decades of advanced high performance engine design. This engine allowed Concorde to “super cruise” or cruise at Mach 2 speeds without the assistance of an afterburner (reheats for our UK friends). Yes, Concorde used an afterburner for transitioning through trans sonic speeds but didn’t require it for Mach 2 cruise. The Soviets, try as they might, didn’t have access to this technology. Soviet engine technology was still in its infancy and most of it was derived from an initial set of Rolls-Royce RB.41 Nene engines that the UK gave then in the late 1940s. This left the Soviets with the Kuznetsov NK-144. This engine compared to the Olympus was down right primitive and the TU-144 could only achieve and maintain supersonic speed with the afterburners lit. This swallowed up enormous amounts of fuel, hurting the aircraft’s range significantly. The engines also tended to become damaged by heat due to the constant use of the afterburners. Finally, the interiors simply couldn’t match what the Concorde produced. The cabin Environmental systems were simplistic, flawed and often failed all together, making the cabin uncomfortably hot. In fact when the aircraft did begin its short career as a passenger aircraft most of the scheduled flights were canceled due to the environmental system breaking down. Another issue was that the Kuznetsov engines were very loud, that coupled with poor cabin insulation made the cabin uncomfortably loud and the few passengers that actually flew on the TU-144 wore earplugs! The TU-144 wasn’t an abject failure. It is incredible what the Soviets were able to produce with the technology they had available to them. However, the jet was unreliable enough that it was never used on routes outside the USSR and was pulled out of service all together in 1978. - lifted from Quora.

[@Frserthegreenengine]

@@shoora813 Concorde was in development well before the Tu-144.

[@4rdF1Hunny]

@@shoora813the soviets rarely had original ideas. Most major accomplishments were stolen or copied.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks for watching everyone! Don't forget to give the video a thumbs up as that really helps the video and the channel and keeps these videos free of sponsors who I'm paid to say I love! 😂

[@airliners6430]

10/10 excellent overview! Thanks for sharing!

[@pilotandy1333]

Amazing to see both side by side. Awesome.

[@michaelmcglynn5863]

Appreciated the "arrows" illustrationing the components being discussed.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks. They’ve very basic arrows have I have no tech knowledge but they do the job

[@Michael-fm6iw]

Thank you for sharing these videos Paul. You always find the coolest planes

[@cwlong9667]

Visited that museum in 2002. Loved it! Great vid!

[@davechapman7735]

another brilliant doco, thanks very much Paul for showing us. cheers NZ

[@alexbernadina3082]

Great video, I live 50 minutes from Sinsheim and 1,5 hours from Speyer so I ve been there with my "babysit" boys several times, alternating every year between Speyer and Sinsheim. Great that the Technik Museum gave you the opportunity to get into the cockpits. Not possible for the "normal" visitors. Oh yeah by the way, one of the boys is now at the space and aviation university. No coincidence. The other one is planning the same in 2 years too.

[@notmenotme614]

Whats the best (or cheapest) way to visit Sinsheim? Would you fly into Frankfurt airport?

[@alexbernadina3082]

@@notmenotme614 yeah airportFrankfurt or Stuttgart, and than by train of rent a car.

[@matthewlaberge]

Thanks for the cockpit tour, I saw this exact aircraft when I visited Sinsheim in 2015, pretty awesome that they have both Tu-144 and the Concorde on display. Looking forward to your updated Concorde video.

[@SatelliteYL]

Fantastic!!! I am reading “Soviet SST” by Howard Moon right now, a great great book all about this exact plane. This is so amazing to be able to see it in such detail with a modern HD camera filming. Absolute perfect pairing for the book. It was published in 1989 and this level of photography was nowhere near available to the general public, and especially not for ‘free’ via internet access! So perfect. Love it Paul 💎💎💎 Such a great channel you run

[@danozism]

Great video Paul. I've always been fascinated by the 144, as well as Concorde. Good work mate!

[@bluebarron351]

Fascinating Paul and really interesting seeing the direct comparison to the Concorde next to it!

[@whatever8282828]

It's fascinating to see that teal color of the cockpit on a civilian plane, because I associate it with Soviet military planes. The idea that it matches visually the view out the window is also new to me, but is as plausible as every other explanation.

[@gtv6chuck]

Thanks for the video. I really learned a lot - I was unaware that the Concorde had "supercruise". I was surprised at the small diameter of both SSTs when I went inside them. For a six footer like me it was a bit cramped. The Sinsheim museum is an amazing place. It's like what I would do if I had huge amounts of money and could afford the real thing instead of models of planes, cars, tanks, etc.

[@InTeCredo]

The cabin crew was carefully selected to be no taller than 5'8" (due to working in the gallery that has curved walls).

[@wanderschlosser1857]

The 2nd TU-144 serial version (TU-144D) was super cruise capable as well using different engines.

[@Frserthegreenengine]

@@wanderschlosser1857 sort of, it's range was still shorter than that of Concorde's. Plus the Tu-144D never saw passenger service. Only the Tu-144S model did.

[@wanderschlosser1857]

@@Frserthegreenengine True, the 144 never reached the performance of the Concorde.

[@jesseruks]

Such a cool looking vehicle! Nice video

[@Robslondon]

Fascinating. Love your work Paul.

[@jgtripreports6556]

I've been last year in August at the museum at Sinsheim. The two Concords are amazing. And the cockpit as well.😊😊

[@helix7671]

Я в детстве видел много раз полёты Ту-144. Впечатления на всю жизнь остались, красавец. У нас в городе их создавали на Воронежском авиационном заводе.

[@junebegorra]

Cyan is my fave color. Awesome video as always!

[@DennisBunnikTravels]

Great video mate, really interesting.

[@willmo1725]

Cool video, always thought this was an interesting plane. Thanks for the view.

[@willmo1725]

@Paul_Stewart2. i dont see any instructions lol

[@MH-gh]

Another great video Paul👍🏻 this Series of information/educational videos you’ve been doing for some time is great! & Simhein looks a super place to visit

[@itslogeyyy]

Thank you very much for making thess videos. Lovely!!!

[@markramsay6399]

Amazing video !! I have been around Concorde at Brooklands - the simulator is fascinating. But this video is something else. Totally subscribed ! Mark.

[@petr-podrouzek]

Fantastic, great job Paul 🙂

[@Bad_Karma1968]

As always Paul a superb vlog

[@ppeters480]

I have seen the TU-144 at an military airfield near Moscow, but I only was able to see the exterior up close. This seems to be the best TU-144 to see on display, plus the Concorde right next to it

[@andrewmcphee8965]

Awesome video, thanks Paul.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

you're welcome Andrew

[@K9rad]

Very detailed and fun to watch. Fabulous, keep up the good work!

[@DexterSkelter]

Very impressive. Amazing aircraft. Thank You Paul.

[@gatewayz75]

Wow that’s so epic!! I would LOVE to see one let alone go inside a TU-144, I always thought that Concorde was much more graceful looking. I visited 2 Concordes on display at Le Bourget and was surprised by how low the entry door was. Thanks for the video 😊

[@marcusdamberger]

Next time your at Le Bourget, note the difference in the size of the passenger windows on the two Concorde's they have. One has larger windows than the other. They decided after the prototype (larger windows) they would reduce the size of the windows to limit depressurization; to give more time for passengers to don their masks on. i.e. give them more time to be conscious and able to put a mask on in time before complete depressurization. At the altitudes the Concorde flew that happens faster, so by limiting the window size you limit how quickly air escapes.

[@firewalker1372]

What a really cool video man. Those wings up by the cockpit makes it look kinda goofy 😂. Keep up the great work bud.

[@forthwithtx5852]

Amazing to me that they have one of each. Cool tour.

[@oldmanc2]

Excellent exterior tour in particular. Great video

[@ChrisCooper312]

At least you got a nice day for the visit. Me and a friend went back in 2019 during a heatwave and it was close to 40 degrees. Even just stepping out onto the roof was a killer, but we were determined to walk through the TU144. Having done so we then stood outside on the roof for about 5mins enjoying the "cool" air before heading back inside. We gave the Concord a miss though, seen one Concord, seen them all.

[@WS-1]

The best overview of this aircraft that I have seen to date . Although its development tends to be overshadowed by claims of industrial espionage , it still has a credible place in the history of aviation . As highlighted , many special features were added to the overall design . Thanks for this very worthy posting .

[@T4A4EV]

Great video and really useful commentary - thank you.

[@janetbruce2430]

Fascinating information and footage eg interesting to hear that the Tupolev needed to keep its afterburners operating while in supersonic flight mode compared to the Concorde which only needed afterburners to accelerate to supersonic speed and then afterburners could be turned off while cruising supersonically. This made the Concorde much more fuel economic. Another great video Paul!

[@alexlo7708]

Tu144 uses turbofan with augmented while Concord uses turbojet. I think Tupolev had this idea becuase he might have parallel design in hand. And this design needs afterburning turbofan engines. Later it was exposed as Tu160.

[@nedobriy911]

Right. In the soviet union, they could never make high-quality engines - neither for water transport, nor for automobiles, nor for aircraft. Therefore, currently russia is losing the war in Ukraine - they do not have any technology.

[@awuma]

@@nedobriy911 That's a dangerously complacent attitude!

[@nedobriy911]

​@@awuma this is the truth, the so-called "russia" never invented anything on its own, and the quality of its products was, as a rule, at a low level.

[@stratoleft]

@@nedobriy911 You don't have any technology. In fact, there is very little the ignorant, and stupid, likes of you actually do have.

[@SaturnCanuck]

Wow hat was amazing. I had no idea a TU 144 was preserved outside of Monino (oh Paul if you go there, let us ALL know!). I believe the British called Concorde's wing and "Ogilvie" design. Oh and a CL-215 was seen outside of the cockpit -- can we see that too. After all, Canadian here!

[@dl3487]

Great video and great channel Paul

[@TrainDriver14]

Wow! Thanks for Tupolev)

[@rod_at_adelaide5766]

Great video Paul

[@Travelsbydreamer]

Never knew this one existed, super interesting to see!

[@Antonius_J]

Thanks Paul, that’s was interesting to compare both and that are quite different. The windows are indeed gold-plated, but the layer is thin and is not really visible. The yellow colour due to the sun UV rays damaging the windows surface.

[@andreiaudio]

Great video, thank you!

[@masonshirley4051]

Love your videos. Thank you!

[@kasyo2526]

Great video Paul. Especially in comparing the 2 supersonic jets.

[@debramage739]

Thanks Paul, nice work.

[@Andrew-sv6zq]

Very cool. I hope to make it to Germany someday to view this museum.

[@MegaGman61]

Wow what a rare one! Great video.

[@Incognito-vc9wj]

Great presentation. Thankyou!

[@carlrobinson2518]

Great report, Paul.

[@auntbarbara5576]

i LOVED this vid!!! Perfect, thank you, almost like being there 👌

[@richierich2534]

Another outstanding video

[@Zerbey]

You briefly mentioned that the Tu-144 worked with NASA, this was serial number 77114 which is now stored in Zhukovsky.

[@zachmatt3]

Really fascinating, Paul.

[@rockguitarist931]

Both of those planes are way too cool, I would love to fly on either one.

[@brentsummers7377]

Fascinating video thanks!

[@AviationFin]

Nice 👍 Thanks for sharing Greetings from Helsinki ❄️ Finland

[@wormyboot]

I've always liked that cockpit color

[@FlyWithDady]

Thank you for the video

[@boxz1984]

Omg this place 😮😮😮🤯🤯

[@bkdexter79]

Wonderful video and narration. Sheer education and minimal needless info or fluff. Cheers!

[@fuffoon]

I like that place. I went during off hours often and would watch multiple IMAX films. It was fun.

[@jasongarufi8187]

Thanks for such a great review of the Tuvolev Tu-144, and other aviation museum to visit.

[@ianmangham4570]

I love how they're outside exposed to the elements.

[@arthur_p_dent4282]

I really like the blue interior.

[@noelht1]

I’m not saying this video made me subscribe, but it made me subscribe. I love it

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Welcome!

[@noelht1]

@@PaulStewartAviation thanks for having me!

[@santey4269]

The name “Concordski” was once assigned to the Tu-144 by Western propaganda. I'm not sure it was worth mentioning this name in the title of this video. In fact, the Tu-144 is a different aircraft compared to the Concorde: it has a different wing profile, a different engine layout (which means a different fuselage power set), the Tu-144 is larger and can accommodate more passengers. I don’t mind the fact that I took off a couple of months before Concorde. The external similarity is explained by the similar tasks of these aircraft. They are no more similar than an Airbus-320 is similar to a Boeing 737-700

[@michaelforbes659]

Great video

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@al-azimahmed1188]

Brilliant video, I didn't realise this museum existed, sad seeing I lived in Germany for six years.

[@RedHotMessResell]

The said puppy ears of Concordski gets me every time. LOL

[@enziogehrig9425]

Great comparison, thank you for sharing. Sinsheim Technik Museum is a fascinating place. I went there shortly after it opened 40 years ago and then again several years later but so many new items have been added after my last visit so hopefully I will visit it again soon. With regard to the TU-144, I wonder how the landing gear fit into the fuselage, the landing gear doors look so much smaller than the gear itself. I wonder if it retracted sideways.

[@duanebonney]

Brilliant! Love to visit this museum! I’m fascinated about the TU144. Even though it was a piece of crap, compared to Concorde!

[@Tirana44]

Back in the 1980s my aviation career had me working with Soviet airliners, mainly Tu134s, Il62s, Il18s, and Il76s. Your video was factual with no deliberately biased input. Being as the USSR was a command economy, its civil aviation policies and aircraft spec reflected that. The craft were not perfect, and profitability was very much of secondary importance. They flew citizens from A to B relatively safely, and that was all that was expected of them. I never felt unsafe on them, but the cabin noise on some of them!

[@tommcewan7936]

"Running through a non-normal checklist." Love that understatement.