Retired Tu-144D at Zhukovsky undergoes restoration work ahead of possible MAKS return

A retired Tupolev Tu-144D parked at Zhukovsky airport outside Moscow has been undergoing interior and exterior restoration over the past few years. Video posted by a Russian volunteer involved in the work documents the effort.

The aircraft, registered CCCP-77115, is one of two Tu-144s kept on the shared grounds of the Gromov Flight Research Institute and Zhukovsky airport, the site used for the MAKS airshow. It has lately received a TA-6A auxiliary power unit along with a range of electrical and mechanical repairs.

The other aircraft, CCCP-77114, was moved from the site in August 2019 and set up on stilts as a static display at a road junction near the airport. A charitable fund and an engineering services firm were reported to have taken part in repairs to both aircraft and in the relocation of 77114.

77115 was used as a static exhibit at MAKS until the 2021 edition. The show has not been held since then; its return has been postponed year after year during the war in Ukraine. No date has been confirmed for a revival, though the restoration work is in line with expectations of MAKS returning in 2027.

A volunteer named Pavel Efter has posted videos of the work since 2023.