bgm@client1.dciem.dnd.ca (Bruce Matthews) (02/06/89)
The author of this piece requested that it be posted.
Hi -
I've been following the debate about the Concorde and the Tu-144 on space
news with great interest, and want to pass on some information I got from
a reference book on civilian aircraft.
The Concorde had a total production of 22:
2 static, non-flying units
2 prototypes
2 pre-production models
16 production models
The first flight was in early 1969. As of 1986, Air France and British
Airways had 7 each flying.
The Tu-144 had 3 prototypes, with the first flight on 31 December 1968. It
was redesigned and went into service in 1973. It is estimated that 10
production models were built. It was withdrawn from service in June, 1978.
A new model, the Tu-144D has been tried out, but is not in service. Note that
it flew before the Concorde.
A few comparisons between the planes, and the planned, but cancelled Boeing
SST (which was to be the 2707-300).
Concorde Tu-144 B-2707
Max speed (mph/kmph) 1354/2179 1550/2520 1800 (est)
Range in miles/km 3870/6228 4040/6500
Crew/passengers 3/144 3/140 3/234
I flew the Concorde from Dallas to Washington Dulles in the late 70's and
found it to be cramped. The seats are 2 on each side of the aisle, slightly
wider than coach seats, but with leg room comparable to first class. There
was a galley midway down the passenger cabin, and a rest room at each end of
the passenger cabin. The flight deck was very, very cramped and hard to get
into. (I have heard that one reason for this is that the electronics to the
controls and sensors are discrete wired and not multiplexed as on other jets
of that era. Coupled with the thin fuselage, it means that the cable bundles
cramp the cabin area.) On takeoff, the pilot really put it to the wall, and
we climbed out at a very steep angle for a commercial jet. The flight was
quite smooth, and we flew at Mach 0.96 after leaving the Dallas metro area and
climbing to ~40,000 feet. The flight paths out of Dallas and into Dulles were
complex, due to noise abatement requirements. The plane was a British Airways
plane that was leased to Braniff for the flight. After reaching Dulles, the
Braniff crew deplaned and a BA crew came on to fly it in to London, the reverse
happened the day before on the Dulles-DFW leg. The flight was a very expensive
way to get to Washington about 30 minutes faster than the regular flights - it
cost 20% above the normal first class fare to Dulles, and this was before the
deregulation. I lucked out, and it was the only flight available that day!
Edmund Hack
Lockheed ESC
Houston, TX
hack%lock.span@vlsi.jpl.nasa.gov