Tupolev Design Bureau unveils new supersonic passenger aircraft

Tupolev Design Bureau has published the description of its new civil supersonic aircraft.

Photo: Ту-144, Commons:RIA Novosti

According to senior representative of PJSC Tupolev, Valery Solozobov, in particular, the aircraft will be able to reach the speed from 1,500 to 1,900 km/h  at an altitude of 11 km. The take-off weight of the aircraft is 70 tons. It  was said that there will be about 30 seats in the cabin.

However, developers still have to work together with leading institutes of Russia to solve the main problem of supersonic aviation - overcoming the sound barrier.

There are two models - with a fixed and variable geometry of the wing. The latter will enhance take off and landing performance. It was reported that the new supersonic aircraft would cost a little more than the subsonic Tupolev-214 - about $28 million.

The last supersonic airliner Tu-144 was decommissioned due to financial problems in the 1980s.

In late January of 2018, Russian President Putin suggested resuming the production of supersonic civil aircraft on the basis of the strategic missile carrier Tu-160.