Operational History
During 1999, final preparations were made for first flight. The aircraft was finally completed after missing components were purchased. It underwent ground tests, including high-speed taxis during which the aircraft was rotated. On 29 February 2000, the aircraft performed its first flight at the hands of Vladimir Gorboonov. During the 18-minute flight, 1.44 reached a maximum height of 1,000 m and reached speeds of 600 km/h. The aircraft touched down at 11:43 am Moscow time, amid tight security. Gorboonov later described the aircraft as docile. After the 22-minute second flight on 27 April, engineers probably uncovered some problems, since there were no reported flights thereafter. The programme had since apparently been cancelled, with the aircraft's status unknown.
Read more about this topic: Mikoyan Project 1.44
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