Tupolev TU-144

In 1983, this TU-144D was designated as aircraft "101" and established 14 world altitude and speed records. A few years later, in the late 1990s, it was heavily modified and operated by Tupolev and NASA on joint missions for experimental flights.

Following the 1:200 and 1:400 scale versions, the _"lying Laboratory" ("Letyeshaya Laboratoriya" in Russian, abbreviated LL) operated jointly by NASA, Boeing, Rockwell and Tupolev for supersonic tests is now also released in the 1/500 scale.

In 1996 and 1997, Tupolev together with NASA, Rockwell and Boeing modernized and operated this TU-144 as a flying testbed on numerous test flghts to help in creating a new generation of supersonic airliners. The abbreviation �LL� stands for �Letayuschaya Laboratoriya� - flying laboratory.

CCCP-77101 was the first aircraft to be modified close to the production standard, including such new features as the retractable canard wings for increased stability. It first flew in 1971 and was used by Tupolev for several years as a test and demonstration aircraft in a combined Tupolev-Aeroflot color scheme.