Known originally as the Tu-124A, this aircraft is a rear-engined twin-turbofan development of the Tu-124. The new aircraft, designated Tu-134, also had a T-tail and the same basic wing, with an extended centre section. Its joint military/civil design resulted in the aircraft retaining a glazed ‘bomb aimer’ nose until the early 1970s.
First flown in July 1963, it had completed more than 100 test flights when first details and photographs were released in mid-September 1964. The prototype was followed by five preproduction aircraft and the Tu-134 then went into series production at Kharkov.
It entered international service on Aeroflot’s Moscow-Stockholm route in September 1967, after a period on internal services, and was joined by the `stretched’ Tu-134A in the Autumn of 1970. Nato code name Crusty, early models seated 72 passengers, whilst the stretched A-model had a 96-seat capacity. Thrust reversers were also fitted to the twin Solviev D-30 turbofans and the landing gear strengthened.
It has been widely exported despite its high operating costs and lack of cargo/baggage storage capability, and remained in widespread service on thin routes. Aeroflot still had some 400 Tu-134s in service at the beginning of 1992, including a substantial, but unquantified, VIP fleet.
Production ceased in 1985 after 852 had been built.
Tu-134A Engines: 2 x Soloviev D-30-II turbofans, 30.26kN / 14,990 lb Wing span: 95 ft 1.75 in (29 m) Length: 122 ft 0 in (37.1 m) Height: 29 ft 7 in (9.02 m) Wing area: 127.3 sq.m / 1370.24 sq ft Empty weight: 29050 kg / 64045 lb Max TO wt: 103,600 lb (47,000 kg) Max level speed: 540 mph (870 kph) Length: 37.05 m / 122 ft 7 in Cruise speed: 605 mph Range: 3280 sm Ceiling: 11890 m / 39000 ft Range w/max.payload: 1890 km / 1174 miles Pax capacity: 96 Crew: 3
NATO code name ‘Moss’, about 10 surviving Tu-114s were retired and converted to Tu-126 ‘Moss’ configuration as airborne early warning platforms with a rotating radome pylon-mounted over the rear fuselage for the Soviet air force. The aircraft also has an inflight-refuelling probe and a number of blisters and fairings covering operational equipment. The former passenger cabin provides ample space for extensive communications, radar and signal processing equipment, and consoles for specialist operators.
First deployed in the mid-1960s, the Tu-126 carries a crew of 12. It is powered by four NK-I2MV turboprop engines and has a range of 7,700 miles at a cruise speed of 380-485 mph. The endurance at cruising speed for a 1,250-mile radius is six hours, which with flight refuelling can be extended to 17 hours.
Engines: 4 x NK-12MV, 15000hp Max take-off weight: 170000 kg / 374788 lb Wingspan: 51.20 m / 168 ft 0 in Length: 55.20 m / 181 ft 1 in Height: 16.05 m / 53 ft 8 in Wing area: 311.10 sq.m / 3348.65 sq ft Max. speed: 850 km/h / 528 mph Cruise speed: 650 km/h / 404 mph Ceiling: 13000 m / 42650 ft Range: 12550 km / 7798 miles Crew: 5 + 12 systems operators.
Aeroflot’s requirement for a short/ medium-range airliner to replace the llyushin IL-14 led to the design of what was basically a reduced-scale version of the Tu-104. A smaller jet, with better short-field capability, and 44-seat, the original Tu-104 was scaled down by about three-quarters and powered by two new purpose-designed turbofans.
The prototype Tupolev Tu-124 was first flown in June 1960 and introduced aerodynamic and system refinements, plus the Soloviev D-20P twin-spool turbofans.
The Tu-124 entered service with Aeroflot on 2 October 1962, but the major production version was the 56-seat Tu-124V.
Variants included the Tu-124K and Tu-124K2 with de luxe seating for 36 and 22 passengers respectively.
About 100 were built, this number including three for CSA in Czechoslovakia and two for Interflug in East Germany, but Aeroflot has now retired its Tu-124s. A small number entered military service, and it is believed that some were used for research and test purposes. The NATO reporting name is ‘Cookpot’.
Versions: Tu-124- serial variant with 44 seats Tu-124- project for 48 or 52 seats Tu-124- for 60 seats Tu-124V- serial variant for 56 seats Tu-124B- version with D-20P-125 engines Tu-124K- saloon version Tu-124TS Tu-124SPS Tu-124- VSTOL version Tu-124Sh-1 Tu-124Sh-2 Tu-127- military transport
Tu-124B Engines: 2 x Soloviev D-20P turbofans, 52.9kN Max take-off weight: 38000 kg / 83776 lb Empty weight: 22500 kg / 49604 lb Wingspan: 25.55 m / 84 ft 10 in Length: 30.58 m / 100 ft 4 in Height: 8.08 m / 27 ft 6 in Wing area: 119.0 sq.m / 1280.90 sq ft Ceiling: 11700 m / 38400 ft Range w/max.payload: 1220 km / 758 miles Crew: 3 Passengers: 44-56
The Soviet government had planned for several years that the General Secretary of the Communist Party and Premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, should address the United Nations General Assembly. As a matter of national prestige, he had to travel on a Soviet airliner.
When this matter first arose, in the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union had no medium- or long-range aircraft in commercial service. Although the Tu-104 was shortly to enter service, it was not considered suitable because of its relatively short range. The -114 was in the early stages of design, but whether it would be operational before the end of the decade was difficult to determine. The Soviet Union had, of course, the remarkable Tu-95, but the nation’s leader could not travel in a strategic bomber – or could he? Tupolev was called in.
Nikolai Bazenkov was diverted from other duties to prepare a passenger version of the Tu-95. Two aircraft were taken from the production line at Kuibyshev. No armaments were fitted, and all military equipment was removed. With the original airframe of the Tu-95, a passenger compartment was installed behind the wing spar; it consisted of a pressurised cabin with two sections, each of which could accommodate twenty passengers in VIP luxury. A kitchen, toilet and service room were also installed. A fitted stairs was installed so passengers could board and disembark without a need for special airport equipment.
Although the work began only in mid-1957, the Tu-116, which was sometimes called the Tu-114D, was airborne in November 1957. Usually, the ‘D’ suffix in an aircraft designation represented ‘Dalnii’ (long distance), but this time it stood for ‘Diplomaticheskii’ (diplomatic).
In April 1958, the prototype Tu-116, Air Force Number 7801, a number probably derived from its manufacturer’s block and line number, made a high-altitude, long-distance trial flight to demonstrate its ability for the task. Flying at levels between 10,000m and 12,200m, it flew non-stop from Moscow to Irkutsk and back to Moscow, covering 8,500km at an average speed of 800km/h. After landing, it was calculated still to have fuel for another 1,500 to 2,000km. The second aircraft was intended as a reserve in the event of a problem with the first, but neither were needed. Instead, Khrushchev flew to the New York headquarters of the United Nations Assembly in the prototype Tu-114.
Never intended for normal commercial service, the two Tu-116s were little used. Originally painted in military marks (7801 and 7802), one aircraft was later given the civilian registration SSSR-76462, and is now preserved in the Ulyanovsk Museum of Civil Aviation.
While the Tu-114 was derived from the military Tu-95, it was given a totally new fuselage. However, three Tu-116s were also built, and were designated Tu-114Bs by Aeroflot and retained the much narrower fuselage of its predecessor.
Engines: 4 x NK-12MV turboprops, 15000hp Max take-off weight: 121920 kg / 268789 lb Wingspan: 51.1 m / 168 ft 8 in Length: 47.5 m / 156 ft 10 in Wing area: 311.1 sq.m / 3348.65 sq ft Max. speed: 770 km/h / 478 mph Ceiling: 12000 m / 39350 ft Range: 10500 km / 6525 miles
The Tu-114 flew for the first time on 3 October 1957 and remained the world’s largest and heaviest commercial aircraft until the introduction of the Boeing 747. The prototype Tu 114, named Rossiya (Russia) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1917 Revolution, established a large number of speed, height and distance records with payloads of up to 66,216lb (30,035 kg). The first public appearance was at the 1959 Paris Airshow.
On April 9, 1960 Tu-114 set the world speed record with 25000kg payload on a 5000 km circuit at 877.212kph.
The production versions entered Aerofllot service since 1961. Seating 170 on internal services or 120 on intercontinental routes, the Tu-114 proved fast and reliable and operated Moscow-Havana, Moscow-Delhi, Moscow-Montreal and Moscow-Tokyo services until replaced by the four-jet Ilyushin Il-62 from 1967. Many speed-and-altitude-with-payload records set by the Tu-114 stood for many years. Its final retirement on international routes came in 1969, and the last domestic services were flown in 1973.
About 30 Tu-114s were built and about 10 surviving Tu-114s were retired and converted to Tu-126 ‘Moss’ configuration as airborne early warning platforms for the Soviet air force.
Engines: 4 x Kuznetsov NK 12MV turboprop, 14,795 eshp / 11033kW Props: 8 ft 41 in (5.60 m) diameter 8 blade contra rotating Wing span: 167 ft 8 in (51.10 m) Length: 177 ft 6 in (54.10m) Height: 15.5 m / 51 ft 10 in Wing area: 3,349 sq ft (311.1sq.m) Empty weight: 91000 kg / 200622 lb Gross weight: 376,990 lb (171,000 kg) Max cruising speed: 478 mph (770 km/h) at 29,500 ft (9,000m) Range: 3,850 miles (6,200km) with max payload of 66,140 lb (30,000 kg) Ceiling: 12000 m / 39350 ft Accommodation: Crew of 10 15 (Incl cabin staff) and 120 220 passengers
In order to meet Aeroflot’s requirement for a 100-seat jetliner, Dmitri Markov installed four 5,000shp Lyulka AL-7P engines in place of the two larger AM-3s in a slightly stretched fuselage of a Tu-104 – the stretch, of 1.2m, gave the Tu-110, as the new version was numbered, a fuselage length of 40.06m. The span was also increased by 2.96m to give space for the extra two engines to be installed. The third change was to the interior, where the cabin was divided into two sections to provide for first and economy class passengers. Take-off weight of the four-engined aircraft, at 79,300kg, was 3,300kg higher than the original Tu-104. With a maximum speed of 1,000km/h, a ceiling of 12,000m, and a range of 3,300km, there was little difference in performance.
One aircraft was built at factory N 156 from parts manufactured at factory N 22 in Kazan and brought to Moscow, and it made its first flight on 11 March 1957. Although it flew well, it offered little advance on the Tu-104, and no production orders followed, although two others were completed at Kazan. Instead, Aeroflot and Tupolev agreed that the slightly larger body should become standard on the Tu-104B, which began service in 1959.
Engines: four 5,000shp Lyulka AL-7P Length: 40.06m Span: 37.5 m Take-off weight: 79,300kg Maximum speed: 1,000km/h Ceiling: 12,000m Range: 3,300km Passengers: 100
With an urgent Aeroflot need in the early 1950s for a modern airliner of greater capacity, range and speed than in-service aircraft, the Tupolev design bureau developed as the Tupolev Tu-104 a minimum-change civil version of the Tu-16 bomber, basically by introducing a new pressurised fuselage.
The first Soviet jet airliner was the Tu-104, which utilised the wings, engines, undercarriage and tail unit of the Tu-16 bomber in order to obtain a production jetliner in the minimum possible time. The navigator even had access to a bomber-style glazed nose.
The prototype made its first flight on 17 June 1955 and the type entered Aeroflot service in September 1956. Introduced first on the Moscow-Irkutsk route, the 50-passenger Tu-104 was powered by two 6750kg thrust Mikulin AM-3 turbojets and immediately reduced flight times by more than half, bringing transformation to the airline’s medium-range routes. In March 1956 the prototype visited Londons Heathrow Airport, and the aircraft was in regular service by that September.
The powerplant was later uprated to the 8700kg thrust Mikulin AM-3M, which also powered the improved Tu-104A featuring a revised cabin for 70 passengers. About 20 Tu-104s were built before production switched to the stretched, 70-seat Tu-104A.
Continuing development of the Mikulin engine encouraged development of the lengthened-fuselage (by 1.21m) Tu-104B, with standard seating for 100 passengers. This entered service on 15 April 1959. A four-engined derivative, the 100-seat Tu-110, was flown in prototype form only, but its larger fuselage was combined with standard Tu-104 wings to produce the Tu-104B. The Tu-104B was basically a stretched and re-engined version.
A handful of Tu-104Gs were produced for crew training duties by the simple expedient of converting Tu-16 bombers, without any real passenger accommodation.
On 15 February, 1961, at an altitude of 10 km, the first in the Soviet Union observation of the solar eclipse was made from a Tu-104.
When production ended the following year about 200 Tu-104s of all versions had been built, these serving Aeroflot reliably until 1981. The designations Tu-104D and Tu-104V were applied to Tu-104As with in-service modifications to accommodate 100 and 85 passengers respectively, without the fuselage stretch. Six aircraft supplied to the Czechoslovakian airline CSA were basically Tu-104As seating 81 passengers, and small numbers of Tu-104s have been used by the WS for cosmonaut training and as personnel transports. One, with a pointed nose, served as a weather research aircraft.
The Tu-104E was used to set a 2000km closed circuit record while carrying a 15-tonne payload. The NATO reporting codename for the Tu-104 was ‘Camel’. At least one aircraft was converted on the production line to serve as the Tu-110 prototype, with four engines in the wingroots. It was assigned to the VVS after rejection by Aeroflot despite superior economy, field length requirements, performance and handling.
Tu-104A Engines: 2 x 19,180 lb. (8,700 kg.) thrust Mikolin AM 3M turbojet. Length 126.3 ft. (38.50 m.) Wing span 113.3 ft. (34.54 m.) Max. T.O. Weight 166,450 lb. (75,500 kg.) Max cruise 560 m.p.h. (900 km.p.h.) Cruise alt: 39,000ft. (12,000 m.) fully loaded. Range: 2,610 miles (4,200 km.) with 17,640 lb. (8,000 kg.) payload.
Tu-104B Engines: 2 x Mikulin AM-3M-500 turbo-jets, 95.1kN Max take-off weight: 76000 kg / 167552 lb Empty weight: 41600 kg / 91713 lb Wingspan: 34.54 m / 113 ft 4 in Length: 40.05 m / 131 ft 5 in Height: 11.9 m / 39 ft 1 in Wing area: 183.5 sq.m / 1975.18 sq ft Ceiling: 11500 m / 37750 ft Range w/max.payload: 2650 km / 1647 miles Crew: 5 Passengers: 50-100
