Volunteers Restore Soviet Supersonic Jet for Potential 2027 Airshow Return

Key points

• A volunteer group led by Pavel Efter is restoring Tu-144D aircraft CCCP-77115 at Zhukovsky airport in Moscow Oblast.
• Recent work includes installing a TA-6A Auxiliary Power Unit and repairing electrical systems, cabin lighting, and the nose-lowering mechanism.
• The restoration is intended for static display only; the aircraft will not return to flight due to unavailable spare parts and regulatory hurdles.
• The MAKS airshow, which previously featured the jet, has been postponed annually since 2021, with a 2027 return currently anticipated.
• Another Tu-144 variant, CCCP-77114, was converted into a static monument in 2019 and also receives seasonal maintenance from the same volunteers.

Background

The Tupolev Tu-144 was the Soviet Union's supersonic airliner, which first flew in 1968, preceding the Anglo-French Concorde. However, it suffered from high maintenance costs, noise, and a fatal crash in 1973, leading to limited commercial service and production ending in 1982. While one variant was used by NASA as a flying laboratory in the late 1990s, the type is now largely preserved as a historical artifact. The current restoration effort is part of a broader volunteer initiative to preserve Soviet aviation history, following similar work on a Tu-144 at the Monino Aviation Museum.

Why it matters

The restoration highlights the ongoing effort to preserve Cold War-era aviation technology despite the suspension of major Russian airshows. It also underscores the challenges of maintaining obsolete aircraft, where the lack of production parts makes flight restoration impossible, limiting preservation to static displays. The potential return of the MAKS airshow in 2027 would mark a significant cultural and industrial event for the Russian aviation sector.

What to watch

The volunteer team will continue seasonal maintenance on the restored aircraft, including raising and lowering the nose cone and servicing canards for display purposes. There is no confirmed schedule for the MAKS airshow, but the restoration work aligns with expectations of a 2027 revival. Separately, Russia is developing a new supersonic passenger aircraft, though details remain scarce.