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By
Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-134
The Tupolev Tu-134 (NATO codename: Crusty) is a Soviet twin-engined airliner, similar to the American Douglas DC-9. One of the most important and widely used aircraft in the former Warsaw Pact countries, the number in active service is decreasing because of noise restrictions. The model has seen long-term service with some 42 countries, with some European airlines having made very intense use of the 134 (as many as 12 takeoffs & landings per plane daily). In addition to regular passenger service, it has also been used in various airforce, army and navy support roles; for pilot and navigator training; and for aviation research and test projects. In recent years, a number of planes have been converted for use as VIP transportation. A total of 853 Tu-134s were built (of all versions, including research/test bed examples) with Aeroflot as the largest user: by 1995, the Tu-134 had carried 360 million passengers for that airline.
Design and development
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Tu-134 CCCP-65600 (00-02) |
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Tu-134 CCCP-65600 (00-02) |
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Tu-134 CCCP-65600 (00-02) |
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The first tested Tu-134 prior to series CCCP-65600 (00-02) with 2 x D-20P-125 Soloviev engines (14 August 1965 Kharkov) |
Following the introduction of engines mounted on pylons on the rear fuselage by the French Sud Aviation Caravelle, airliner manufacturers around the world rushed to adopt the new layout. Its advantages included clean wing airflow without disruption by nacelles or pylons and decreased cabin noise. At the same time, placing heavy engines that far back created challenges with the location of the center of gravity in relation to the center of lift, which was at the wings. To make room for the engines, the tailplanes had to be relocated to the tail fin, which had to be stronger and therefore heavier, further compounding the tail-heavy arrangement.
During a 1960 visit to France, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was so impressed by the quiet cabin of the Caravelle, that on 1 August 1960 the Tupolev OKB received an official directive to create the Tu-124A with a similar engine arrangement. In 1961, the Soviet state airline, Aeroflot, updated its requirement specifications to include greater payload and passenger capacity.
The first Tu-124A prototype, CCCP-45075, first flew on 29 July 1963. Then, on 22 October 1963, the British BAC One-Eleven, which had a similar layout, crashed with the loss of all crew. The aircraft had stalled shortly after takeoff and entered pitch-up: The high-mounted tailplane became trapped in the turbulent wake produced by the wings (see deep stall), which prevented recovery from the stall. Tupolev took notice and the tailplane on Tu-124A was enlarged by 30% for greater control authority. Since Aeroflot's requirements dictated a larger aircraft than initially planned, the Soloviev design bureau developed the more powerful D-30 low-bypass turbofan engines. On 20 November 1963, the new airliner was officially designated Tu-134.
Design curiosities of the Tu-134 included a sharp wing sweepback of 35 degrees, compared to 25-28 degrees in its Western analogues. The engines on early production Tu-134s lacked thrust reversers, which made the aircraft one of the few airliners to use a brake parachute for landing. The majority of onboard electronics operated on direct current. The lineage of early Soviet airliners could be traced directly to the Tupolev Tu-16 strategic bomber, and the Tu-134 carried over the glass nose for the navigator and the landing gear fitted with low-pressure tires to permit operation from unpaved airfields.
In 1968, Tupolev began work on an improved Tu-134 variant. The fuselage received a 2.1 m (6 ft 10 in) plug for greater passenger capacity and an auxiliary power unit in the tail. The upgraded D-30 engines now featured thrust reversers, replacing the cumbersome parachute. The first Tu-134A, converted from a production Tu-134, flew on 22 April 1969. The first airline flight was on 9 November 1970.
Operational history
In September 1967, the Tu-134 made its first scheduled flight from Moscow to Adler. The Tu-134 was the first Soviet airliner to receive international certification from the International Civil Aviation Organization, which permitted it to be used on international routes.
The type is still in widespread use in Russia and other former Soviet countries, but high fuel and maintenance costs limit the number used today. 69 Tu-134 have been destroyed in accidents and wars, 35 of these were non-fatal incidents, and in one of the remaining 34 fatal incidents none inside the plane died. The Tu-134 has also found a new life as a business jet with many having an expensive business interior. With the introduction of new ICAO noise regulations, Tu-134s have been effectively banned from much of European airspace due to loud D-30 engines dating back to the 1960s.
The largest fleet of Tu-134 still exists in Russia (146 of about 230 planes of this model). In March 2007 the Russian Minister of transportation Igor Levitin claimed that Tu-134s (as well as Tu-154s) are old and obsolete and should be replaced by Sukhoi Superjet 100 or its foreign analogues within five years.
Variants
- Tu-134
- The glass nosed version. The first series could seat up to 64 passengers, and this was later increased to 72 passengers. The original designation was Tu-124A.
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Tupolev Tu-134A with its radar and glass nose |
- Tu-134A
- Second series, with upgraded engines, improved avionics, seating up to 84 passengers. All A variants have been built with the distinct glass nose and chin radar dome, but some were modified to the B standard with the radar moved to the nose radome.
- Tu-134A-2
- The glass nose was replaced.
- Tu-134A-3
- Second series, powered by two uprated Soloviev D-30 turbofan engines.
- Tu-134A-5
- Most recent version.
- Tu-134B
- Second series, 80 seats, radar moved to the nose radome, eliminating the glazed nose. Some B models have long-range fuel tanks fitted under the fuselage; these are visible as a sizeable bulge.
- Tu-134BV
- Space shuttle work model.
- Tu-134LK
- Cosmonaut training version.
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Tupolev Tu-134 UBL |
- Tu-134UBL
- Bomber aircrew training version.
- Tu-134UBK
- Naval version of Tu-134UBL. Only one was ever built.
- Tu-134BSh
- Navigation training version, fitted with a Tu-22M radar in the nose.
- Tu-134SKh
- Crop survey version.
Operators
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Operators of the Tu-134 in red (countries without military operators in blue) |
Civil operators
As of 5 June 2009 a total of 242 Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service. Major operators include: Aeroflot-Nord (13), Belavia (1), Moskovia Airlines (6), Kogalymavia (6), Rossiya (4), S-Air (6), Samara Airlines (6), Sirius-Aero (6), UTair Aviation (32) and Yamal Airlines (10).
Past and present operators: Adjarian Airlines, Aeroflot, Aeroflot-Don, Aeroflot-Nord, Aeroflot-Plus, Aero Rent, Air Armenia, Airest, Air Kharkov, Air Koryo, Air Lithuania, Air Moldova, Air Ukraine, Alania, Albanian Airlines, Alrosa-Avia, Armavia, Armenian Airlines, Astrakan Airlines, Astral, Atlant-Soyuz Airlines, Atyrau Airways, Aurela, Avcom, Aviaenergo, Aviaprima, Arkhangelsk Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines, Aviogenex, BAL Bashkirian Airlines, Belair, Belavia, Benin Golf Air, Black Sea Airlines, Cheboksary, Chelyabinsk Air Enterprise, Chernomorskie Airlines, CSA, Dagestan Airlines, EgyptAir, Enkor, Estonian Air, Euro-Asia Air, FlyLal, Gazpromavia, Georgian National Airlines, Gomelavia, Grizodubovoy, Moskovia Airlines, GST Aero, Harka Air, Interflug, Iraqi Airways, Izshavia, KD Avia, Karat, Kazair West, Kirov Air, Kavminvodyavia, Kolkov Air, Komi Avia, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Airlines, LatCharter, LOT Polish Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Marsland Aviation, Moscow Airways, NAPO, Orbi Georgian, Orenburg Airlines, Orient Avia, Perm Airlines, Polet Airlines, Progress, Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise, Rossiya, Rusline, Samal Air, Samara Airlines, Sibaviatrans, Syrian Arab Airlines, Tajik Air, Tatarstan Airlines, UM Airlines, UTair Aviation, UTAGE, Vietnam Airlines, Volga Aviaexpress, Voronezh Avia, Yamal Airlines, Yukos Avia.
Military operators
 Azerbaijan- Azerbaijan Air Force
 Angola- People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola
 Belarus- Belarus Air Force
 Czech Republic- Czech Air Force. Retired.
 Czechoslovakia- Czechoslovakian Air Force. Passed on successor states.
 Bulgaria- Bulgarian Air Force. Retired.
 Georgia- Georgian Air Force
 East Germany- East German Air Force
 Hungary- Hungarian Air Force
 Kazakhstan Moldova- Moldovan Air Force
 North Korea- North Korean Air Force
 Poland- Polish Air Force
 Russia
 Soviet Union
 Syria- Syrian Air Force
 Ukraine- Ukrainian Air Force
Accidents and incidents
Specifications (Tu-134A)
Data from OAO Tupolev
General characteristics
- Crew: 3-4
- Capacity: 72-84 passengers
- Payload: 8,200 kg (18,075 lb)
- Length: 37.10 m (121 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 29.00 m (95 ft 1 in)
- Height: 9.02 m (29 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 127.3 m² (1,370.24 ft²)
- Empty weight: 27,960 kg (61,640 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 47,600 kg (104,940 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Soloviev D-30-II turbofans, 66.68 kN (14,990 lbf) each
- Fuselage diameter: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
- Fuel capacity: 13,200 l (3,485 US gal)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 950 km/h (485 kn, 559 mph)
- Cruise speed: 850-900 km/h (405 kn, 466 mph)
- Range: 1,900 km (1,025 nmi, 1,180 mi)
- Ferry range: 3,200 km (1,890 nmi, 2,175 mi)
- Service ceiling: 12,100 m (39,040 ft)
See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
External links
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Published in July 2009.
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