Tupolev Tu-144

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tupolev-tu-144

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the design bureau?Tupolev Design Bureau
2. What is the total aircraft manufactured?16
3. How fast could the Tu-144 fly?It could cruise at about 2,200 kilometers per hour, which is Mach 2—twice the speed of sound.
4. Why did the Tu-144 stop flying?It had reliability problems, a crash at the Paris Air Show, high operating costs, and environmental concerns that made it hard to keep in service.

Commercial Supersonic Transport (SST): An aircraft designed to carry passengers at supersonic speeds for commercial purposes.
Cold War Competition: The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union from the mid-20th century, often manifesting in technological races.
Aerodynamic Principles: The scientific laws governing how air moves around objects and the forces it creates.