Editing Tupolev Tu-144 (section)

===Failure to acquire Western technology===
{{See also|Soviet industrial espionage of Concorde}}
In the late 1970s, Soviet insiders were intensely hopeful in conversations with Western counterparts of reintroducing Tu-144 passenger service for the [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Moscow Olympic games]], even perhaps for flights to Western Europe, given the aircraft's high visibility, but apparently the technical condition of the aircraft weighed against such re-introduction even for token flights.{{sfn|Moon|1989|pp=199–200}}

There were unprecedented Soviet requests for Western technological aid with the development of the Tu-144. In 1977, the USSR approached [[Lucas Industries]], a designer of the engine control system for Concorde, requesting help with the design of the electronic management system of the Tu-144 engines, and also asked BAC-Aérospatiale for assistance in improving the Tu-144 air intakes. (The design of air intakes' variable geometry and their control system was one of the most intricate features of Concorde, contributing to its fuel efficiency. Over half of the wind-tunnel time during Concorde development was spent on the design of air intakes and their control system.) In late 1978, the USSR requested a wide range of Concorde technologies, evidently reflecting the broad spectrum of unresolved Tu-144 technical issues. The list included de-icing equipment for the [[leading edge]] of the air intakes, fuel-system pipes and devices to improve durability of these pipes, drain valves for fuel tanks, fireproof paints, navigation and piloting equipment, systems and techniques for acoustical loading of airframe and controls (to test against acoustic fatigue caused by high jet-noise environment), ways to reinforce the airframe to withstand damage, firefighting equipment, including warning devices and lightning protection, emergency power supply, and landing gear spray guards (a.k.a. water deflectors or "[[Mudflap|mud flaps]]" that increase engine efficiency when taking off from wet airstrips).{{#tag:ref|It is claimed sometimes that in the absence of landing gear spray guard, engine thrust during takeoff from a wet airstrip can drop by as much as 10%. While the claim source requires verification for numbers, that is the purpose of Concorde's spray guards.|group=N}} These requests were denied after the British government vetoed them on the ground that the same technologies, if transferred, could be also employed in Soviet bombers.{{sfn|Moon|1989|pp=199–200}}{{rp|pages=199–200}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Technical Aid Sought for Tu-144 |magazine=Aviation Week & Space Technology |date=4 December 1978 |pages=26–27 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |url=https://archive.aviationweek.com/issue/19781204 |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 November 2023 |archive-date=29 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929162304/https://archive.aviationweek.com/issue/19781204 |url-status=live }}</ref> Soviet approaches were also reported in British tabloids at the time, such as the ''[[Daily Mirror]]''.<ref name="dailymirror-19761111">{{cite news |last1=Stephens |first1=Peter |title=Concorde plea by Kremlin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror-concorde-plea-by-kremlin/135115591/ |access-date=13 November 2023 |work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date=11 November 1976 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113080736/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror-concorde-plea-by-kremlin/135115591/ |archive-date=13 November 2023 |location=Paris, France |page=7 |url-status=live |issue=22,640 }}</ref>