Tupolev Tu-155
| Company type | Experimental aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | April 15, 1988 |
| Headquarters | Zhukovskiy (preserved at Ramenskoye Airport) , Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Products | Experimental hydrogen and natural gas powered aircraft |
The Tupolev Tu-155 represents a modified version of the Tupolev Tu-154 (registration СССР-85035), serving as a pioneering platform for testing alternative fuel technologies. It holds the distinction of being the first aircraft worldwide to operate on hydrogen fuel and subsequently on liquid natural gas. The related Tu-156 project, however, never progressed to production.
Design and development
The inaugural flight of the Tu-155 took place on 15 April 1988. Initially, it was powered by liquid hydrogen and later transitioned to using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. The aircraft remained operational until the dissolution of the Soviet Union and is currently preserved at Ramenskoye Airport near Zhukovskiy. Plans for the Tu-156 to enter service around 1997 were abandoned following the Soviet Union's collapse. The Tu-155 employed cryogenics technology for fuel storage. It was a hybrid design: among its three Kuznetsov NK-8 engines—redesignated NK-88—only one was adapted to run on hydrogen fuel. The specialized fuel tank was situated in the rear compartment, which was air-cooled or filled with nitrogen. A notable characteristic of this aircraft is the visible ventilation system extension located on the tail section adjacent to engine number two. The propulsion system consisted of Kuznetsov NK-88 engines, whereas the planned Tu-156 would have been equipped with Kuznetsov NK-89 engines. Over approximately 100 test flights, only a portion utilized hydrogen, with testing from January 1989 focusing primarily on natural gas as a kerosene alternative.
See also
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References
External links
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- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Hydrogen-powered aircraft
- 1980s Soviet experimental aircraft
- Tupolev aircraft
- Trijets
- T-tail aircraft
- Low-wing aircraft
- Aircraft first flown in 1988
- Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear