Editing Tupolev Tu-144 (section)

==After project cancellation==
After ceasing the Tu-144 programme, Tu-144D No. 77114 (aircraft 101 or 08-2) carried out test flights between the 13–20 July 1983 to establish 13 world records registered with the [[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)]].<ref name="fai-records">{{cite web |title=Tu-144 records |url=http://records.fai.org:81/astronautics/aircraft.asp?id=1098 |publisher=[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|FAI]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607075233/http://records.fai.org:81/astronautics/aircraft.asp?id=1098 |archive-date=7 June 2010 |access-date=31 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |title=Records - Sub-class C-1 |url=http://www.samolet.co.uk/c1_g3.html |publisher=Samolet.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109162410/http://www.samolet.co.uk/c1_g3.html |archive-date=9 November 2007 |access-date=31 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> These records established an altitude of {{convert|18200|m|ft}} with a range of loads up to 30 tonnes, and a sustained speed of {{convert|2032|km/h|mph kn|abbr=on}} over a closed circuit of up to {{convert|2000|km|mi nmi|abbr=on}} with similar loads.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

To put the numbers in perspective, Concorde's service ceiling under a typical [[Transatlantic flight]] payload of 10 tonnes is {{convert|18290|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}},{{#tag:ref|The actual altitude of the regular Concorde flight depends on the state of [[troposphere]], which in turn depends on latitude of the flight. Concorde flights across the tropical region is 60,000&nbsp;ft, with flights across North Atlantic at only 56–58,000&nbsp;ft to ensure the most economic service.<ref name="calvert2002" />|group=N}} and this is higher than the record set by the Tu-144D. According to unverified sources, during a 26 March 1974 test flight a Concorde reached its maximum speed ever of {{convert|2370|km/h|mph kn|abbr=on}} (Mach 2.23) at an altitude of {{convert|19415|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}, and during subsequent test flights reached maximum altitude of {{convert|20700|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}.

Concorde was originally designed for cruising speeds up to Mach 2.2,<ref>'Design for Mach 2.2',Flight International,23 April,1964,p.649</ref> but its regular service speed was limited to Mach 2.02 to extend airframe life.<ref>Brian Trubshaw Test Pilot,{{ISBN|0 7509 1838 1}},p.99</ref> One of Tupolev's web site pages states that "TU-144 and TU-160 aircraft operation has demonstrated expediency of limitation of cruise supersonic speed of M=2.0 to provide structure service life and to limit cruising altitude".<ref name="Tu-444">{{cite web |title=Tu-444 |url=http://www.tupolev.ru/English/Show.asp?SectionID=199 |website=tupolev.ru |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918125526/http://www.tupolev.ru/English/Show.asp?SectionID=199 |archive-date=18 September 2012 |access-date=31 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>