TU144 Concordski
The Tupolev Tu-144 was the Soviet Union’s answer to supersonic passenger travel—developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau and first flown in 1968, two months before Concorde. Nicknamed “Concordski” in the West, the Tu-144 was the world’s first commercial supersonic transport, capable of cruising at Mach 2.0 and reaching altitudes of 52,000 feet. Despite its technical achievements, the Tu-144 faced reliability challenges and was retired from passenger service in 1978 after only 55 passenger flights.
This category features high-resolution prints of Tu-144 aircraft in flight, on takeoff, and in museum preservation—captured by aviation photographer Stuart H. Bourne. Included are early prototypes, production variants like the Tu-144S and Tu-144D, and preserved examples from Sinsheim and Monino. Each image is cataloged with verified serials, variant details, and historical context.
Whether you're drawn to the Tu-144’s Cold War origins, its role in Soviet aerospace innovation, or its final flights under NASA’s supersonic research program, these prints offer a visually rich tribute to one of aviation’s boldest experiments
