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Tupolev Tu-134

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Tu-134
A Tretyakovo Air Transport Tu-134 atDomodedovo International Airport
Role Airliner
National origin Soviet Union
Design group Tupolev
Built by Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company
First flight 29 July 1963
Introduction 9 September 1970[1]
Status In limited use
Primary users Aeroflot(historical)
Soviet Air Force(historical)
Air Koryo
ALROSA(historical)
Produced 1966–1989[2]
Number built 854 (852 + 2 prototypes)[2]
Developed from Tupolev Tu-124

TheTupolev Tu-134(NATO reporting name:Crusty) is atwin-engined,narrow-bodyjet airlinerbuilt in the Soviet Union for short and medium-haul routes from 1966 to 1989. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain other Russian airliners (including its sister model theTu-154), it can operate from unpaved airfields.

One of the most widely used aircraft in formerComeconcountries, the number in active service is decreasing because of operational safety concerns andnoise restrictions.The model has seen long-term service with some 42 countries, with some European airlines having scheduled as many as 12 daily takeoffs and landings per plane. In addition to regular passenger service, it has also been used in various air force, army and navy support roles; for pilot and navigator training; and for aviation research and test projects. In recent years, a number of Tu-134s have been converted for use as VIP transports and business jets. A total of 854 Tu-134s were built of all versions (including test bed examples) withAeroflotas the largest user by 1995, the Tu-134 had carried 360 million passengers for that airline.

Design and development

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Tu-134UBL cockpit

Following the introduction of engines mounted on pylons on the rear fuselage by the FrenchSud 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 centre of gravity in relation to the centre 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.[3]

Looking through the nose of anAeroflot-NordTu-134 (2009)

During a 1960 visit to France, Soviet leaderNikita Khrushchevwas so impressed by the quiet cabin of the Caravelle, that on 1 August 1960 the TupolevOKBreceived an official directive to design a new aircraft with a similar engine arrangement. The requirement was also driven by the need to replace slow, aging piston-enginedIl-14son domestic routes. In 1961, the Soviet state airline,Aeroflot,updated its requirement specifications to include greater payload and passenger capacity, and since Aeroflot's requirements dictated a larger aircraft than initially planned, theSoloviev Design Bureaudeveloped the more powerful D-30 low-bypassturbofanengines.

The Tu-134 prototype, CCCP-45075, first flew on 29 July 1963, initially retaining the designation Tu-124A despite radical differences in design from the previous model (new engines, new wings, totally re-designed tail, etc). On 20 November 1963, the new airliner was officially designated Tu-134. Meanwhile in October 1963, the prototype BritishBAC One-Eleven,which had a similar T-tail layout,crashed with the loss of all crewwhile testing its stalling properties. The results of an exhaustive investigation by the British Accident Investigation Board prompted Tupolev to enlarge the tailplane on Tu-134s by 30% for greater control authority.

Design curiosities of the Tu-134 included a sharp wing sweepback of 35 degrees, compared to 25–28 degrees in its counterparts. The engines on early production Tu-134s lacked thrust reversers, which made the aircraft one of a handful of types from that era that used abrake parachutefor landing in adverse conditions. The majority of onboard electronics operated ondirect current.The lineage of early Soviet airliners could be traced directly to theTupolev Tu-16strategic 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.

Serial production began in 1966 at theKharkovAviation Production Association, and production of theTu-124was discontinued. The Tu-134 was designed for short-haul lines with low passenger traffic. Originally the aircraft had 56 seats in a single class configuration, or 50 seats in a two-class configuration.

In 1968, Tupolev began work on an improved Tu-134 variant with a 76-seat capacity. The fuselage received a 2.1-metre (6 ft 11 in) plug for greater passenger capacity and anauxiliary power unitin the tail. As a result, the maximum range was reduced from 3,100 kilometers to 2,770 kilometers. The upgraded D-30 engines now featured thrust reversers, replacing the 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. An upgraded version, the Tu-134B began production in 1980, with the navigator position abandoned, and seating capacity increased to 96 seats. Efforts subsequently began to develop a Tu-134D with increased engine thrust, but the project was cancelled.

Operational history

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In September 1967, the Tu-134 made its first scheduled flight from Moscow toAdler.The Tu-134 was the first Soviet airliner to receive international certification from theInternational Civil Aviation Organization,which permitted it to be used on international routes. Due to this certification, Aeroflot used most of its Tu-134s on international routes. In 1968, the first export customers,InterflugofEast Germany,LOT Polish AirlinesandMalév Hungarian Airlinespurchased the Tu-134. In 1969, the Tu-134 was displayed at theParis Air Show.

From 1972, Aeroflot began placing the Tu-134 in domestic service toBaku,Yerevan,Kyiv,Kishinev,Krasnodar,Leningrad,Omsk,Riga,andSochifromSheremetyevo International Airportin Moscow.

In its early years, the Tu-134 developed a reputation for reliability and efficiency, especially when compared with previous Soviet designs. After the establishment of tougher noise standards in the ICAO regulations in 2002, the Tu-134 was banned from most western European airports for its high noise levels. In early 2006, 245 Tu-134s were still in operation, 162 of which were in Russia. After a fatal accident in March 2007, and at the instigation of Russian Minister of TransportationIgor Levitin,Aeroflot announced that it would be retiring its fleet, and the last Tu-134 was removed from service on 1 January 2008. Some were still in operations with Aeroflot subsidiaries on local routes within Russia. The Tu-134 also found a new life as abusiness jetwith many having an expensive business interior installed. High fuel and maintenance costs are increasingly limiting the number used today.

In June 2011, as a response toRusAir Flight 9605which resulted in 47 fatalities, Russian presidentDmitry Medvedevordered preparations for taking the Tu-134 out of use by 2012.

On 22 May 2019, the final passenger flight of the Tu-134 in Russia took place.[4]

Many Tu-134s have been preserved as memorials at airports throughout the former Soviet Union. A former Malév Tu-134A (registration HA-LBE) is on display at the Aeropark atBudapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport[5]in Hungary.

Variants

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Tu-124A
The prototype Tu-134 (CCCP-45075) retained this slightly confusing designation. All subsequent aircraft are identified as Tu-134.
Tu-134
The glass-nosed version. The first series could seat up to 64 passengers, and this was later increased to 72 passengers.
CCCP-45075 Tupolev Tu-124A (Tu-134 Prototype) - badly preserved at Moscow-Novogireyevo
Tupolev Tu-134A with its radar and glass nose
Tu-134UBL "Volga" from 1449th Airbase in Tambov city
Tu-134A
Second series, with upgraded engines, improved avionics, seating up to 84 passengers. All Tu-134A variants have been built with the distinctive 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 updated 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 Tu-134B models have long-range fuel tanks fitted under the fuselage; these are visible as a sizable bulge.
Tu-134BV
Space shuttle work model.
Tu-134LK
Cosmonauttraining version.
Tu-134A of theHungarian People's RepublicatHelsinki Vantaa Airportin 1978.
Tu-134M
Projected modernized version of Tu-134B, powered byProgress D-436T1-134engines.
Tu-134S
Projected cargo version based on Tu-134A.
Tu-134UBL
Tu-160crew training version, with Tu-160 nose cone.
Tu-134UBK
Naval version of Tu-134UBL. Only one was ever built.
Tu-134BSh
Tu-22M crew trainer, fitted with aTu-22Mradar in the nose.
Tu-134Sh-1
Crew trainer with bomb racks for heavy bomber crews
Tu-134Sh-2
navigator trainer for tactical bomber crews
Tu-134SKh
Crop survey version.

Current operators

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Current civil operators

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As of 2022, just two Tupolev Tu-134s remain in civil passenger airline service worldwide:[6]

Syria
Ukraine

Former operators

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The following airlines, states and other entities at one point operated at least one Tu-134 aircraft:

Former civil operators

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Soviet Union/Russia
AfghanistanAfghanistan
AlbaniaAlbania
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Estonia
Georgia
Hungary
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Lithuania
Moldova
Peru
Poland
East Germany
Russia
Syria
Romania
  • None ever acquired
Ukraine
Vietnam
Yugoslavia/Serbia

Former military operators

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Angola
People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola[11]
Armenia
Armenian Air Force– 1 stored
Belarus
Belarus Air Force
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Air Force
Czech Republic
Czech Air Force
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovak Air Force– Passed on to successor states
Germany
German Air Force– former operator, taken over fromEast German Air ForceafterGerman reunification
Georgia
Georgian Air Force
East Germany
East German Air Force
Moldova
Moldovan Air Force
North Korea
North Korean Air Force
Poland
Polish Air Force.Operated 2 from 1972 to 1977 (later LOT) and 2 from 1977 to 1992. Retired, replaced by 2Tupolev Tu-154M.
Soviet Union

Syria

Accidents and incidents

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Main article:List of accidents and incidents involving the Tupolev Tu-134

Specifications (Tu-134A)

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Data fromOKB Tupolev,[12]OAO Tupolev[13]

General characteristics

  • Crew:3–5 flight crew + 3–4 flight attendants
  • Capacity:72–84 passengers / 8,200 kg (18,078 lb)
  • Length:37.1 m (121 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan:29.01 m (95 ft 2 in)
  • Diameter:2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) fuselage diameter
  • Height:9.02 m (29 ft 7 in)
  • Wing area:127.3 m2(1,370 sq ft)
  • Airfoil:root:PR-1-10S-9 (15.7%);tip:PR-1-10S-9 (12%)[14]
  • Empty weight:27,960 kg (61,641 lb)
  • Gross weight:47,000 kg (103,617 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight:47,600 kg (104,940 lb)
  • Fuel capacity:13,200 L (3,500 US gal; 2,900 imp gal)
  • Powerplant:2 ×Soloviev D-30-IIturbofanengines, 66.68 kN (14,990 lbf) thrust each

Performance

  • Maximum speed:950 km/h (590 mph, 510 kn)
  • Cruise speed:850 km/h (530 mph, 460 kn)
  • Range:1,900–3,000 km (1,200–1,900 mi, 1,000–1,600 nmi)
  • Ferry range:3,200 km (2,000 mi, 1,700 nmi)
  • Service ceiling:12,100 m (39,700 ft)

See also

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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

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  1. ^http://aeroflotarchives /tupolev-tu-134.htmlArchived27 July 2020 at theWayback MachineCites first revenue flight, Accessed 15 April 2019
  2. ^abТу-134.russianplanes.net(in Russian).Archivedfrom the original on 4 September 2015.Retrieved2 November2015.
  3. ^"T134".SKYbrary Aviation Safety.8 March 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 6 May 2022.Retrieved6 May2022.
  4. ^Ту-134 отправился в заключительный пассажирский рейс в России[Tu-134 went to the final passenger flight in Russia] (in Russian). 22 May 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 26 May 2019.Retrieved26 May2019.
  5. ^"Aeropark Budapest Repülőmúzeum".aeropark.hu.Archivedfrom the original on 27 March 2019.Retrieved21 April2019.
  6. ^"✈ russianplanes.net ✈ наша авиация"[Tu-134 Registry].russianplanes.net(in Russian).Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2022.Retrieved28 December2022.
  7. ^abKingsley-Jones 2002,p. 54
  8. ^"Aviation Safety Network – Imperial Air Peru".Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2012.Retrieved3 January2011.
  9. ^"Meridian Airline's website".meridian-avia(in Russian and British English).Retrieved22 April2019.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^AviogenexArchived8 August 2020 at theWayback Machineat rzjets, retrieved 13-12-2014
  11. ^Fontanellaz, Cooper & Matos 2020,p. 23
  12. ^Gordon, Yefim; Rigmant, Vladimir; Boyd, Alexander (2005).OKB Tupolev: a history of the design bureau and its aircraft.Hinkley: Midland. pp. 248–246.ISBN1857802144.
  13. ^"Tupolev Tu-134".Archivedfrom the original on 15 May 2006.Retrieved10 May2006.
  14. ^Lednicer, David."The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage".m-selig.ae.illinois.edu.Archivedfrom the original on 5 September 2013.Retrieved16 April2019.

Sources

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