✈️ Tupolev Tu-144

• Manufacturer: Tupolev Design Bureau (USSR)

• First flight: December 31, 1968 (two months before Concorde)

• Entered service: 1975 (passenger service), 1977–1978

• Top speed: Mach 2.15 (faster than Concorde)

• Nickname: “Concordski” (by Western media)

Key Facts:

• World’s first commercial supersonic transport (SST) to fly.

• Similar delta-wing design to the Concorde but with retractable canards for better low-speed control.

• Flew briefly in passenger service with Aeroflot, but was retired early due to safety, noise, and economic issues.

• Only 55 passenger flights before it was withdrawn.