The TU-134: specifications

One of the legendary aircraft of Soviet aviation took to the air in 1963.

Development

The Beginning of the sixties was characterized by alternation of generations of aircraft. The transition from piston planes to a passenger jet demanded the creation of new machines that extend the capabilities of air transport. In addition, the increasing mobility of the population and the economy have created high demand for services of air transport.

The Most popular areas were already developed piston aircraft regarding the current classification to short-haul. This niche was to take a jet passenger plane TU-134.

General layout

The Project was designed in the Tupolev design Bureau on the basis of the previously implemented models. Rich experience in the design of large military transport and civil aircraft has resulted in successful application of constructive and engineering solutions. We used a backlog of previously designed machines. They brought to the TU-134 technical features that provided many years of successful service.

At the same time, the plane was innovative in many ways. The capacity of the machine ranged from sixty to eighty people, depending on layout. Used on international routes machine cabin, is divided into classes that accommodate fewer passengers.

For internal areas projected salons without passenger classes, the capacity of which amounted to eighty people. Depending on the modifications the weight of the aircraft TU-134 a few changed in the range of forty-seven to forty-nine tons.

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Engines

Two turbojet engines of the national development placed in the center of the tail. This state of gondolas was ideally suited to the needs of start from unpaved and poorly equipped airfields, preventing the ingress of foreign objects in engines. The thrust of each motor has reached seven tons, which allowed to launch from short runways.

Later, the engines were improved and replaced during the overhaul. The cruising speed of the TU-134 has reached eight hundred and fifty kilometers per hour on the engines of the first version. With the modified powertrain, it increased to forty kilometers per hour.

Distinctive sound of the engine TU-134, similar in sound to the growing whistling, contributed to the high awareness of popular aircraft. The overall noise level produced by the engine at startup and climb-out was very high. This has led to problems with the operation of aircraft in foreign airports after the tightening of the norms of noise pollution.

Development models

The Machine was very successful. The TU-134 showed the highest potential for modernization and reliability. Operational handling characteristics too impressed. Imposed on the TU-134 limit lateral and counter wind during takeoff and landing was one of the smallest aircraft in its class. This property of the machine significantly improved the regularity of flights.

The Big disadvantage of the first models of the TU-134 was the lack of reverse thrust of the engine, which greatly increases the braking distance of the car. To compensate for the lack used a braking parachute and aerodynamic brake. The development of machines allowed to eliminate features that have fallen from the initial stages of the development of jet aircraft.

The leader of the aviation export

The TU-134 was a very popular aircraft, not only on routes of the Soviet Union and foreign countries. Almost from the beginning of production, he began to make flights in foreign airports. Awareness about the machine was facilitated by the participation of the TU-134 to the international air show in 1969 in Le Bourget. The plane showed not only the level of development of the Soviet aviation industry, but also a modern approach to the creation of the civil air fleet.

In Addition to the States of the Soviet bloc, the machine was operated in many countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In many cases, the aircraft were part of military-air forces of the countries-importers. After the collapse of the USSR, the machine continued to serve the air transportation of the CIS countries.

Survivor aircraft

The First cars entered the airline in 1966. Since the plane is in the air. Now this machine was only private carriers, serving Charter flights. But before 2007 it was part of the staff of airlines in Russia and the CIS, performing regular passenger flights. Thus, the car was used for its intended purpose for more than forty years.

In addition to the carriage of passengers on regular lines, produced modifications to service the state officials of the highest level. These boards were equipped with additional elements enhanced comfort and security. They established a system of special governmentconnection.

There was and military versions of TU-134 that was meant for training pilots and navigators of military aviation. One of the versions equipped with a distinctive nose Radome, was used for training of pilots of long-range bomber aircraft.

In the history of the production, which lasted more than twenty years, was released almost nine hundred copies of cars of different modifications. According to this indicator, the TU-134 is one of the most massive examples of Soviet passenger aircraft.

Cessation of operation

In Addition to technical and obsolescence of the machine, a major role in ending its use played an increased noise level of the power plant. New ICAO rules put an end to the many international routes that serviced the plane TU-134. The remaining areas could not provide a break-even operating model and competitiveness with more modern aircraft of foreign and domestic manufacturers.

Although the aircraft was produced until 1987, scheduled air ceased to apply in 2008, replacing machines of other brands. Today the output of cars of this model from other structures of air transportation. However, time takes its toll, and the youngest aircraft of this brand for more than twenty five years. More than hundreds of aircraft still remains part of the airlines, but by the end of the glorious history of the first-born of Soviet passenger aviation is not far off.

Accidents and incidents

For many years that the TU-134 held in the air, not without accident. But the aircraft continued to be reliable and safe machine. Of the crash of TU-134 has rarely been associated with the design of the machine, its components and assemblies.

The Main part of the tragedy was the result of circumstances or the human factor. The aircraft was operated in conditions which is not always adhered to the required level of safety not only in the USSR but also in developing countries. Instrumentation of the machine meet the standards of the era in which it was created, and demanded high qualification and responsibility of the crew and ground services.

In all the years of operation of TU-134 for reasons not related to military actions, I lost over sixty-five aircraft, which killed up to a thousand people.