Regional passenger aircraft. Regional passenger aircraft Tu 134 is the best aircraft

The history of Soviet civil aviation is inextricably linked with the family of aircraft created by the design bureau of Andrei Tupolev. These were different machines, of different classes and with different fates, but they are all important milestones in the era of jet passenger aviation, which raised the international prestige of Soviet aircraft manufacturing. Particular merit in this belongs to the Tu 134 aircraft, a passenger airliner that has become the main workhorse of Aeroflot airline. This aircraft was successfully operated not only on domestic airlines of the Soviet Union. A car with the Tu-134 logo on board could be found at airports in European capitals. These machines flew on passenger lines in the countries of Southeast Asia and Africa. Even today, despite the fact that the machine has been in operation for 50 years, the aircraft continues to serve passenger air travel on some routes.

The concept of creating a short-haul passenger aircraft

The Tu 134, a Soviet short-haul passenger aircraft, can be considered one of the most successful implemented projects of the Soviet aircraft industry of the second half of the 20th century. Due to its reliability, the aircraft was produced in large series, becoming the most popular passenger aircraft in the Soviet Union. Such flattering characteristics and performance were achieved thanks to the design of the aircraft. It is not for nothing that this airliner was the first domestic passenger aircraft that had an international certificate of airworthiness.

It is noteworthy that Soviet aircraft designers managed to achieve such success at the dawn of the formation of jet passenger aviation, a period when the concept of modern passenger airliners was just emerging.

In the Soviet Union and abroad in the 50s, work was actively carried out to create new, fast and capacious passenger aircraft flying on jet propulsion. The rapid growth of passenger traffic placed new demands on civil aviation. An entirely new air transport system was required to meet air travel demands. This equally applied not only to long-distance routes, but was also relevant for regional air transportation.

In the work to create machines capable of flying quickly and over long distances, obvious progress was observed abroad and in the USSR. As for regional civil air transport, propeller-driven aircraft remained the main means of transport. Attempts to create a jet aircraft to serve local domestic airlines have been few and far between. The main reason for this attitude towards small aircraft is the high profitability of operating such aircraft. The lack of fuel-efficient jet engines did not make it possible to create a competitive machine for operating on domestic airlines.

A breakthrough in this direction was made by the French, who managed to create their own CMC SE-210 “Caravelle” aircraft in the mid-50s. French aircraft designers were the first to use a scheme for placing jet engines in the tail of an aircraft. Subsequently, almost half of all passenger airliners produced by major manufacturers were manufactured according to this scheme. Following the French “Caravelle” with tail-mounted engines, the famous American airliners Boeing 727, DC-9 and English DH 121 were produced. In the Soviet Union, three leading design firms, Tupolev, Yakovlev and Ilyushin Design Bureaus, became interested in this idea.

However, each of the aircraft manufacturing companies chose a certain direction for themselves, in which they managed to achieve remarkable results. The development of the Tupolev Design Bureau team, which appeared in the late 50s, turned out to be the most promising at that time. The design bureau team's project almost fully met the requirements for the creation of a regional aircraft.

Project and stages of creation of the Tupolev Design Bureau Tu 134 aircraft

According to officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, an aircraft to operate on domestic routes had to meet a number of requirements. In addition to high flight speed, the car had to carry at least 50 passengers and fly over a distance of up to 2000 km. The scale of the country and the vast distances played almost a decisive role in this regard. In other words, the Aeroflot company needed an aircraft that could cover the distance from Moscow to Odessa in 2-3 hours or make a flight from the capital to Leningrad in an hour.

At that time, Andrei Tupolev’s design bureau already had a ready-made design for the Tu 124 aircraft, the characteristics of which partially satisfied the set goals. Overall the car was good, and with certain improvements it was possible to achieve acceptable results. It was decided to lengthen the fuselage of the aircraft and install a new tail unit in the shape of the letter “T”. The revised project was ready in 1961. The aircraft received the designation Tu 124A. By 1963, two prototypes were built, one of which took off in the same year.

During the entire subsequent period, flight tests took place. The vehicles were tested in various modes, and equipment options for ground service infrastructure were explored. In 1965, the product of the Tupolev Design Bureau received a new designation, index 134, and became known as the Tu 134 passenger regional aircraft. Due to the unsightly appearance of the Soviet aircraft, the West quickly came up with a new name. According to the NATO classification, Tupolev “one hundred thirty-four” received the Crusty index - literally “Hard-knuckled.” In fact, it turned out that the USSR managed to create one of the most promising passenger airliners of those times.

In 1966, the Kharkov Aviation Plant, which in those years became the cradle of Soviet civil aviation, began mass production of new aircraft. The company produced Tupolev's aircraft for 23 years, managing to transfer 854 products to Aeroflot and other customers. Over the years, airliners of three modifications have left the factory workshops:

the first modification of the Tu 134 was produced from 1966 to 1970;
the second modification of the Tu 134A was produced at the plant in 1970-1980;
A modification of the Tu 134B vehicle was produced from 1980 to 1984.

In addition, based on the basic models, various versions of the vehicle were produced, used for a variety of purposes, in cargo and scientific-experimental versions. The aircraft was operated as a training machine for the needs of military strategic aviation, and was used as a flying laboratory for the space department.

In the early 80s, work began on the creation of the fourth version - the Tu 134 aircraft with the index “D”. It was planned to equip the airliner with new engines with increased thrust. For economic reasons, further development of this modification was not continued.

The aircraft served almost all domestic regional airlines in the Soviet Union, connecting the central regions of the country with the Caucasus and the Urals. The Soviet car was exported. The Tupolev "carcass" formed the basis of the aircraft fleet of the GDR airline Interflug and the Polish airline LOT.

Design features of the Tupolev machine

The aircraft, which became the most popular passenger vehicle in Soviet civil aviation, had a design that was traditional for that time - a cantilever low-wing aircraft with engines located in the rear of the aircraft. The wing had a sweep of 350. The fuselage had a round configuration and, in comparison with its predecessor, the Tu 124 aircraft, was lengthened by 7 meters. The length and configuration of the fuselage made it possible to equip a fairly spacious cabin with 76 seats inside. On modification “A” aircraft, the length of the aircraft was increased by another half a meter by removing the navigator’s cabin. On a later modification of the aircraft with the index “B”, the number of seats was increased to 80 people. The ship's crew consisted of 4 people. In later modifications, it was decided to abandon the services of a navigator, and accordingly the crew was reduced to 3 people.

The tail unit received a “T-shaped” profile, giving the car a modern and swift look. The landing gear had three fulcrums, a nose landing gear and two wing struts, symmetrically located under the wings.

The propulsion system was represented by two D-30 turbojet engines. The first modification was equipped with Series I engines that did not have reverse gear. Later, starting with modification “A”, the aircraft began to receive improved Series II engines. Separate, specialized vehicles were equipped with D-30 Series III engines. The jet engines developed a total thrust of 13,600 kgf, lifting a 47-ton vehicle into the air.

The design of installing engines in the tail section significantly lightened the wing, thereby improving the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. The noise from operating engines in the cabin has decreased, and the negative effect of the jet stream on the side skin of the aircraft has decreased. This scheme had its advantages, but was not without its disadvantages. The airframe of the aircraft became heavier, which reduced the efficiency of the engines.

The fuel supply on board the aircraft was 13.2 tons. Fuel was placed in wing fuel tanks and in the lower part of the fuselage, in soft fuel tanks.

Almost all machine control systems had hydraulic boosters. This primarily concerned the elevators, flaps and brake spoilers. The hydraulics had a main and an autonomous backup system.

The aircraft was equipped with fairly advanced flight and navigation equipment for its time. In addition to the on-board control system, the airliner was equipped with an automatic ABSU system, which provides control over the operation of all machine systems. The cockpit and interior were fully equipped with radio equipment. On the latest modifications of aircraft, climate control systems equipped with anti-lightning tracking devices began to be installed.

The history of the operation of the Tupolev "one hundred thirty-four"

Despite the fact that the aircraft was originally designed to operate on domestic routes, most of the Tu 134 aircraft were used internationally. The foreign policy situation had an impact. Thanks to Tupolev’s “one hundred thirty-four,” Aeroflot was now well known in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Within the country, the car was used on the most prestigious routes, connecting Moscow with the capitals of the Union republics, serving the most popular tourist routes.

At this stage, there was no need to talk about the beginning of mass operation of the Tu 134 due to the lack of appropriate ground infrastructure. Only in 1972, after a number of accidents with propeller-driven passenger aircraft, it was decided to transfer domestic passenger transportation to service by Tu 134 aircraft. This required urgent modernization of the existing airfield infrastructure. New runways of increased length began to be built.

It was assumed that the new aircraft would have a luxury cabin, but for use on domestic routes this idea had to be abandoned. Airplanes began to be produced in standard “economy class” equipment. Accordingly, this made it possible to increase the number of seats.

The increased passenger capacity led to a decrease in the flight range, which for most machines flying on domestic routes barely exceeded 2000 km.

Finally

As in the story with the American Boeing 727, the Soviet Tu 134 came to fruition. The aircraft has become the main regional transport vehicle in the passenger air transportation segment. The successful design provided a large technological resource for the aircraft. The engine layout and avionics of the vehicle ensured high maintainability. Despite the fact that the machine has long been out of production, a number of air carriers and departments continue to use the machine for various purposes. The One Hundred and Thirty Fours aircraft fleet currently numbers up to 100 aircraft, most of which are operated in Russia. The rest of the modernized aircraft fly abroad.

The Tu-134 is a supersonic jet airliner that was developed for short- to medium-range passenger transport in the 1960s. The project belongs to Tupolev Design Bureau. The airliner first took off on its test flight in 1963. The aircraft was produced serially from 1966 to 1984. for the domestic enterprise Aeroflot and foreign airlines. During this time, 852 airliners of various modifications were produced.

Specifications

The Tu-134 aircraft (devil of the skies) is capable of covering distances of up to 2 thousand km without refueling, and gaining an altitude of 12 km. The passenger capacity of the car varies from 60 to 80 people (depending on the model). In aircraft operating on international routes, the cabin is divided into classes, and accordingly accommodates fewer passengers than domestic carriers.

Aircraft weight

Depending on the modification, the weight of the TU-134 changed. Thus, the mass of the empty basic design model with a glass nose was only 29,000 kg. At the same time, its take-off and landing weight corresponded to 43,000 kg, and the maximum take-off weight was 45 tons. But already the first production modification of the Tu-134A had a take-off weight of 47,000 kg, which allowed the machine to lift almost 20 tons of cargo into the air. For the modernized Tu-134B, the designers further reduced the weight of the empty aircraft, and thereby increased the vehicle's carrying capacity.

Airplane speed

The speed of the first Tu-134 models did not exceed 780 km/h, but soon the cruising speed parameters of modification A were increased to 850 km/h.

The modern Tu-134B-3 could reach speeds of up to 880 km/h, with the maximum capability of the vehicle being 1000 km/h.

For comparison, the cruising speed of the Boeing 737-500, produced in the late 80s, is 807 km/h.

Airplane drawing

Overhaul life

In 2002, Roscosmos and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation approved the service life of Russian airliners. Thus, for the Tu-134 and its modifications A and B, which are operated by domestic enterprises, a time between overhauls was established in the amount of 8 thousand flight hours for 5 thousand flights for a period of 9 years (decision no. 24.9-113GA).

Aerodynamics of Tu-134A (Bekhtir)

In 1977, a manual for aviation universities was published by V.P. Bekhtir "Practical aerodynamics of the Tu-134A aircraft." The textbook describes in detail and clearly the geometric and layout calculations of the aircraft. The author analyzes the flight capabilities of the aircraft, both for standard situations and for emergency ones (in cases of engine failure or icing of the aircraft).

He emphasizes that it was the engineering decision to place the engines in the rear of the fuselage, on special pylons, that made it possible to improve the aerodynamic data of the airliner through the use of a “clean wing.” And also to minimize noise interference in the cockpit and in the passenger compartment, and to reduce the load exerted by gas jets of operating engines on the fuselage.

Airplane takeoff time

The take-off time of an airliner is affected by the weight of the aircraft and aerodynamic features:

Wind;
Atmosphere pressure;
air humidity and other factors.

The average figure for the TU-134 is 56 seconds at a take-off speed of 170 km/h.

Hijacked in 1983

An attempt to hijack a Tu-134 occurred in 1983 in mid-November. Criminals hijacked a plane with the aim of escaping from the USSR. However, thanks to the professional actions of the crew, who resisted the terrorists, they managed to gain time and land the plane at the Tbilisi airport. Pilot Gabaraev, who was sitting at the controls, began to maneuver sharply to deprive the criminals of their balance. As a result, the load on the main supporting structures of the airliner was 3 times higher than the technically permissible one. During the maneuvers, the overloads reached critical levels of +3.15 and −0.6G. But the plane passed this test of strength with honor. The passengers and pilots were freed as a result of an assault carried out skillfully by special forces.

Passenger plane

The Tu-134 is a narrow-body passenger airliner, the commercial operation of which began in 1967. The very first flights showed how reliable, stable and easy to maintain this machine is. Thanks to the combination of such desirable qualities, the Tu-134 was acquired by German and Polish companies a year after entering mass production.

Cockpit

There are two main modifications of the Tu-134 - A and B. It is believed that model A has a glass nose, which provides the crew with enormous visual visibility, and type B aircraft have only a “wooden” nose, that is, a closed nose. In fact, the Tu-134A may also have an unglazed nose. The cockpit on such models is a bit cramped, and the navigator's seat is located almost in the aisle. This compromise decision was made by the designers in order to expand the luggage compartment, which is located directly behind the navigator. The famous “black box” is also located there.

The Tu-134B cabin is designed for a crew of 3 people, unlike the “A” model, which has 4 working seats.

The cabin of any modification of the Tu-134 also consists of several partitions, control panels, lightweight wall and ceiling decoration, plywood or foam luggage racks.

Takeoff of Tu 134. View from the navigation cabin.

Landing Tu 134. View from the navigator's cabin.

Salon

The two-class passenger cabin is the most widely used modification.

The business class cabin of the Tu-134 has softer seats. The distance between the seats is from 1 meter to 1.3, which allows them to be folded almost to a horizontal position without disturbing the comfort of the passenger sitting behind. Business class seats are located in the first 2 rows of the passenger cabin. The most attractive seats are those located near the windows, which provide excellent visibility to passengers. And the least convenient seats here are the 2nd row seats, bordering the aisle, as they are located in close proximity to the utility rooms and toilet.

In the economy class cabin, the seats are arranged, as in business, in the “2-2” type, and therefore there is a wide passage between them, which is not typical for the “economy” category. There are usually 14 rows in the cabin, but the count starts from 5. So the first row of economy is located at number 5, and the last row is at number 19.

Best Economy Class Seats Tu-134s are located in rows 5 and 13, as they have a larger leg gap compared to other seats.

And the worst seats were considered to be in rows 18-19 due to the proximity of the toilet facilities.

Is it possible to buy?

Currently, purchasing a Tu-134 is not difficult. If the aircraft is in flight shape and still suitable for operation, its commercial value is from 1 million euros and above. Thus, an A-3 modification aircraft in good condition can be purchased for €1,005,870 or, respectively, $1,200,000, 70,260,000 rubles.

But often a car is purchased to equip a restaurant or entertainment center. Then its cost is noticeably reduced, because the buyer buys practically scrap. Decommissioned cars are great for this.

However, these aircraft will soon become a rarity. Now only 120 machines are in operation and 100 of them are in the Russian Federation. Prudently themed museums and historical parks are already taking care of acquiring the legendary “carcass” for their arsenal.

Over its half-century history, the Tu-134 has demonstrated reliability and efficiency, meeting the requirements of the time. And small companies operating domestic medium-haul flights continue to use it. Tu-134s are purchased by flight schools for training flights. The airliner has found application not only in civil aviation; some of its modifications are used in military aviation. The Tu-134 is also used for private passenger transportation. Domestic businessmen who value their time find the optimal balance of price, reliability and comfort in this aircraft.

There are many legends about the Tu-134, but, as always, the truth is often much more interesting. Several true historical facts related to this car, which have already become a legend:

The first secretary of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, traveled to France. There he was shown the latest achievement of Parisian designers, the Caravelle aircraft. And they not only showed it, but also gave it a ride. Khrushchev liked it, and, returning to Moscow, he ordered a similar model, but even better, from the Tupolev design bureau. So, with the light hand of Nikita Sergeevich, the first flight of the Tu-134 took place in 1963.
Once, during a test flight, a Tu-134 was struck by ball lightning, so powerful that its discharge almost capsized the plane. The lightning “floated” into the cockpit of the pilots and flew over the head of one of them, then flashed brightly, played with all the colors of the rainbow and went into the cabin, where it disappeared without a trace. The pilots escaped with serious fear, but the plane landed as normal. After examining the plane, it turned out that some parts had melted a little, and the skin of the plane was riddled with barely noticeable holes, as if someone had pierced it with an awl.
Tu-134 is the first Soviet passenger aircraft to receive an official international certificate.
The Tu-134 airliner is truly legendary: it was the one that regularly replenished the elite aviation squad of the Soviet government. It’s hard to imagine anything more prestigious than such recognition. All aircraft were made to individual orders. Their equipment was carefully thought out and agreed upon at the highest level. So, on L.I.’s personal plane. Brezhnev, an ultra-modern (for those times) Tatra communications complex was installed, which allowed during the flight to communicate with a subscriber located anywhere on the earth. But the Minister of Defense, Marshal Grechko, surpassed Leonid Ilyich in terms of technology. His personal plane was equipped with the Karpaty satellite communications complex, for which there were no dark spots in the world at all.
The first seats in the passenger cabin of an airplane are set with their backs forward, so that the person occupying such a seat sat facing the rest of the passengers, as if on a train.
Tu-134 aircraft, which have flown their due dates and have earned an honorable rest, are installed in a number of Russian cities as monuments of Russian aviation and engineering. The liners can be seen at the airports of Murom, Ulyanovsk, Chisinau, Voronezh, Minsk, Riga, Poltava, Mogilev and other cities.

The Tu-134, designed more than half a century ago, is still recognized today as one of the most reliable and budget-friendly aircraft, and its aerodynamic capabilities are much higher than a number of more modern aircraft. Therefore, the living legend Tu-134 is still in the service of domestic aviation and is in no hurry to give up its position.

The Tu-134 jet aircraft is rightfully recognized as one of the most successful projects in the field of domestic passenger aircraft construction. In domestic civil aviation, this aircraft became the most popular and popular Soviet airliner. Tu-134 (according to NATO codification Crusty - “Hard”) is a Soviet short-haul passenger aircraft that was created in the early 1960s at the Design Bureau named after. Tupolev. The aircraft was mass-produced from 1965 to 1984 in Kharkov at the production association of the same name, with the last copies of the aircraft being assembled in 1989. The airliner made its first flight on July 29, 1963 - that is, exactly half a century ago.

The Tu-134 is rightfully considered one of the most popular Soviet passenger aircraft; a total of 852 aircraft of all modifications were produced. In addition to the USSR, this aircraft was operated by a large number of countries of the Socialist camp. Export deliveries of the aircraft began already in 1968. Tu-134 became the first Soviet airliner to undergo official international certification. In November 1968, this aircraft was certified in Poland for compliance with English BCAR airworthiness standards. This aircraft was actively used by other socialist countries - Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Vietnam and many others.

On the basis of the Tu-134, various flying laboratories were created, which were intended to test new models of space and aviation technology. As of February 2012, about 130 more aircraft of this type were in operation around the world, of which more than 100 were in Russia. VIP versions of this aircraft are very popular, but military modifications are also widespread. At one time, on the basis of the Tu-134, training aircraft were created to train pilots and navigators of the Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers. Often these machines were used to maintain the skills of combat pilots, in order to preserve the service life of much more expensive bombers.

Currently, information has emerged that the country's Air Force Command has decided to restore the entire existing fleet of Tu-134UBL and Tu-134Sh training aircraft and has addressed directly to the country's Minister of Defense with a request to allocate the required amount of funds. According to preliminary estimates, about 20 million rubles will be needed to extend the service life of almost 50 aircraft. The Tu-134UBL modification is used to train military pilots, and the Tu-134SH is used to train long-range aviation navigators.

Today, except for the Tu-134, there is practically nothing to train them on, since the backup options in the form of the An-26 and An-24 do not have the same sighting and navigation equipment that long-range bombers are equipped with. A number of vehicles were also built, intended for transport and passenger transportation of command personnel of the armed forces, the so-called “headquarters”, including those equipped with special communications (ZAS).

It is generally accepted that the Tu-134 aircraft owes its birth directly to Nikita Khrushchev. In 1960, the then First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee became the guest of honor at the presentation in France of the new Sud-Aviation Caravel passenger jet. This passenger liner made a serious impression on the Soviet leader, and upon returning back to Moscow, Nikita Khrushchev ordered the Tupolev Design Bureau to begin work on creating a Soviet analogue.

At this time, work began almost simultaneously in different countries around the world to create passenger jet airliners, the distinctive feature of which was the placement of engines in the rear fuselage on special pylons. Such aircraft included the American Boeing 727 and DC-9, the British aircraft VC.10, DH 121 and VAC111, the Dutch F28, as well as the Soviet Il-62 and Tu-134.

This scheme, first of all, made it possible to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle (through the use of the so-called “clean wing”) and reduce the noise level in the cockpit and in the cabin, as well as significantly reduce the load from gas jets of operating engines on the fuselage. At the same time, the airframe structure became heavier and, as a result, the payload decreased. At the same time, the efficiency of the airliner decreased and the maintenance of the aircraft's tail became more complicated.

Initially, the Tu-134 short-haul airliner was not designed as a new aircraft. The Tupolev Design Bureau had an idea to modernize the existing Tu-124 aircraft. This vehicle had a lengthened fuselage, the engines were moved to the tail section, and the tail was replaced with a T-shaped one. This project was designated Tu-124A and was proposed already in 1961. The first 2 prototypes of the Tu-124A were produced in 1963. In July of the same year, this machine took to the skies for the first time.

Flight and certification tests of the aircraft began in the summer of 1963, and in 1965 the aircraft received the official designation Tu-134. At the same time, production of the Tu-124 was finally stopped. Serial production of the new Tu-134 airliner began in 1966. The aircraft was mass-produced at the Kharkov Aviation Production Association for almost 18 years (from 1966 to 1984).

The Tu-134 was designed for short-haul lines with relatively low passenger traffic. Initially, it was planned to accommodate 56 seats for passengers in the aircraft cabin (50 seats in a two-class layout). However, it was soon decided to abandon first class on those airliners intended for routes within the USSR. For this reason, the number of places was increased to 72.

In 1965, in Kharkov, it was possible to assemble 9 pre-production airliners, designed specifically for flight testing. These planes did not have a reverse, for this reason the mileage after landing was quite long. It is worth noting that the Tupolev Design Bureau planned to install braking parachutes on the airliner, similar to the previous Tu-104 aircraft. But they quickly decided to abandon this idea. At the same time, engines equipped with reverse began to appear on the Tu-134 only in 1970. Over time, all previously produced aircraft received such engines. Until this moment, the Tu-134 was helped to slow down by a special shield installed under the fuselage - a rather rare phenomenon for civil aviation.

The first serial Tu-134 passenger airliners were transferred to Aeroflot already in 1966, and in September of the following year the first commercial flight on the Moscow-Adler route was carried out on the Tu-134. At the same time, for almost 3 years the new aircraft were used only on international routes, and only in the summer of 1969 did they begin to serve routes within the USSR: Moscow-Kyiv and Moscow-Leningrad. The Tu-134 was actively sold for export: in 1968, the first aircraft were transferred to the East German airline Interflug, and a little later to the Polish company LOT.

In 1970, a new modification of the aircraft was created - the Tu-134A. The fuselage of the aircraft grew by half a meter, a reverse engine appeared on the engines, the brake flap was dismantled, the number of seats increased to 76. As a result of these measures, the maximum flight range decreased from 3100 to 2770 km, and at the maximum commercial load of the airliner - to 2100 km. On aircraft intended for export, it was decided to abandon the navigator and install a radar on board.

In 1980, the USSR began producing an aircraft in the Tu-134B modification. On this version of the aircraft, the navigator on board was completely abandoned. In addition, passenger capacity was increased to 96 seats. The take-off weight of the aircraft increased to 47 tons. At the same time, design work began on the Tu-134D variant, which was supposed to receive engines with increased thrust (8,400 kgf), but work on this project was not completed. Nowadays, Tu-134 aircraft are gradually being phased out, since most of the aircraft are physically and morally outdated: the last Tu-134 aircraft produced are already more than a quarter of a century old.

The engines on the Tu-134 were installed in the rear fuselage. Production models of airliners were equipped with D-30 (PS-30) bypass turbojet engines designed by Solovyov. This power unit is made according to a two-shaft design and consists of a separating housing with drive units, a compressor, a turbine, a combustion chamber, an output device and is equipped with a reverser. The engine is started using an air starter. The ignition system is electronic, it consists of 2 surface discharge spark plugs SP-06VP and an ignition unit SKNA-22-2A.

Over many years of operation, the Tu-134 passenger aircraft has demonstrated its reliability and efficiency, meeting the requirements of its time. In terms of reliability coefficient, this airliner has proven itself to be an almost trouble-free machine. An outstanding feature of the Tu-134 remains the hitherto unsurpassed limitations on the magnitudes of the side (20 m/s) and headwind (30 m/s) wind components at the time of takeoff and landing. In the conditions of the Soviet Union, where most airfields had only one runway, this quality of the Tu-134 played a significant role in increasing the regularity of flights.

After the entry into force of Chapter 3 of Annex 16 of the ICAO in 2002, which tightened noise standards for aircraft, the operation of the Tu-134 aircraft in the EU countries was prohibited; today the airliner is used almost exclusively on domestic routes in Russia and a number of CIS countries.

Flight characteristics of Tu-134B:

Dimensions: wingspan – 29 m, length – 37.1 m, height – 9.02 m.
Wing area – 127.3 sq. m.
The normal take-off weight of the aircraft is 47,600 kg, the maximum take-off weight is 49,000 kg, and the empty weight is 29,000 kg.
Engine type – 2 turbofan engines D-30 thrust – 2x66.7 kN.
Maximum speed – 880 km/h.
Flight range – 2020 km.
Operational ceiling – 10,100 m.
The required runway length is 2550 m.
Crew – 3 people.
Maximum number of passenger seats – 96

Information sources:
-http://www.calend.ru/event/2551
-http://www.aero-news.ru/tu-134
-http://www.airwar.ru/enc/aliner/tu134.html
-http://lenta.ru/news/2013/02/18/tu134
-http://ru.wikipedia.org

Tu-134 (NATO code “Hard”) is a Soviet passenger aircraft for medium and short-haul airlines, which was developed in the early 1960s at the Tupolev experimental design bureau and mass-produced from 1966 to 1984 at the Kharkov Aviation Production Plant association. Performed its first flight on July 29, 1963, and has been in operation since September 1967. One of the most popular passenger aircraft, which was assembled in the Soviet Union. In total, together with pre-production and prototypes, 854 aircraft of various modifications were built. Production ceased completely in 1989. Tu-134 was exported to the countries of the Socialist camp.

Tu-134 is a short-haul passenger aircraft with two D-30 bypass turbojet engines on production aircraft and D-20P-125 on experimental aircraft. The engines are mounted on pylons in the rear fuselage, which significantly reduces noise in the cabin compared to aircraft of previous generations. The horizontal tail is mounted on the top of the keel (T-tail). The fuel is stored in caisson tanks on the wing. Tu-134 was certified according to international standards. The aircraft was built in various variations: special-purpose vehicles, passenger aircraft, and flying laboratories. Also used in Air Force schools.

The Tu-134 is manufactured according to the design of a cantilever all-metal low-wing aircraft and has a swept wing (sweep angle - 35 degrees), two D-30 engines of different series located in the tail of the fuselage. Wing mechanization - spoilers and double-slit flaps produced only on the ground; no slat. The fuselage is “plagiarized” from the Tu-124 and is seven meters longer. T-shaped tail. Retractable, tricycle chassis. The front strut is retracted into a niche in the fuselage, the rear struts into specially designated nacelles on the wing. The rear pillars have two axles.

Salon Tu-134

The design features of previous versions of the Tu-134 include a glass nose (in the navigator’s place), and a brake flap under the center section. Modern versions of the aircraft are equipped with a "Groza-134" radar system. The Tu-134 also became the first jet aircraft in the USSR that did not use cable wiring to the rudder (as was usually done on previous models - the Tu-16 bomber and Tu-104 and Tu-124 passenger), installing a hydraulic booster and replacing it with a rigid rod.

At the moment, the aircraft have a lifespan of 40 thousand flight hours, 25 thousand flights over 25 years. In the case of an individual assessment of the condition, the resource can be successively increased to 55 thousand flight hours, 32 thousand flights, 40 years.

An interesting feature of this aircraft is the arrangement of the first couple of passenger seats with their backs facing forward, as in a railway carriage, which has a table between the rows that face each other. This solution is not found on any other modern commercial aircraft.

Tu-134 interior diagram

Disasters and accidents

From unofficial sources and according to the Aviation Safety Network, it is known that at the beginning of 2012, 78 Tu-134 aircraft were lost due to aviation accidents, disasters, and terrorist attacks, ten of them as a result of hostilities, two as a result of terrorist attacks. 1,494 people died in disasters, 32 of them on the ground or in collisions with other types of aircraft.

Technical characteristics of Tu-134A

Crew: four people;
Passenger capacity: 76 people;
Length: 37.1 meters;
Wingspan: 29.0 meters;
Height: 9.02 meters;
Fuselage diameter: 2.9 meters;
Interior width: 2.71 meters;
Interior height: 1.96 meters;
Commercial weight: 8200 kilograms;
Fuel mass in tanks: 13200 kilograms;
Cruising speed: 850 kilometers per hour;
Ferry range: 2100 kilometers;
Service ceiling: 12,100 meters;
Takeoff length: 2200 meters;
Fuel consumption during takeoff. mode: 8296 kilograms per hour;
Fuel consumption in cruising mode: 2300 kilograms per hour;
Total fuel consumption: 2907 kilograms per hour;
Fuel consumption per passenger per kilometer: 45 grams.

Technical characteristics of Tu-134B-3

Crew: three people;
Passenger capacity: 80 people;
Length: 37.1 meters;
Wingspan: 29.0 meters;
Height: 9.02 meters;
Fuselage diameter: 2.9 meters;
Interior width: 2.71 meters;
Interior height: 1.96 meters;
Commercial weight: 9000 kilograms;
Maximum landing weight: 43,000 kilograms;
Take-off maximum weight: 47,600 kilograms;
Weight of fuel in tanks: 14400 kilograms;
Powerplant: D-30-III (two copies);
Rated thrust: 2 x 6930 kilograms*force;
Cruising speed: 880 kilometers per hour;
Ferry range: 2020 kilometers;
Service ceiling: 10,100 meters;
Takeoff length: 2550 meters;
Fuel consumption during takeoff. mode: 8454.6 kilograms per hour;
Fuel consumption in cruising mode: 2062 kilograms per hour;
Total fuel consumption: 3182 kilograms per hour;
Fuel consumption per passenger per kilometer: 45.2 grams.

Technical characteristics of Tu-134 Sh

Crew: three people;
Passenger capacity: 12 people;
Length: 37.1 meters;
Wingspan: 29.0 meters;
Height: 9.02 meters;
Fuselage diameter: 2.9 meters;
Interior width: 2.71 meters;
Interior height: 1.96 meters;
Maximum landing weight: 43,000 kilograms;
Maximum take-off weight: 47,000 kilograms;
Weight of fuel in tanks: 16500 kilograms;
Powerplant: D-30-II (two copies);
Rated thrust: 2 x 6800 kilograms*force;
Cruising speed: 885 kilometers per hour;
Ferry range: 1890 kilometers;
Service ceiling: 11900 meters;
Takeoff length: 2200 meters.

Tu-134. Gallery.

Aircraft development TU-134 began in the early 60s. In the spring of 1960, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was on an official visit to France, where he was offered a ride on an airplane "Caravel". Structurally, "Caravel" had engines located at the tail of an aircraft. This scheme had a number of advantages - vibration and noise during flight was practically completely absent. These advantages were highly appreciated by N.S. Khrushchev. and on August 1, 1960, Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 826-341 was issued on the creation of a high-speed passenger aircraft, which received the initial name TU-124A with engines located in the rear fuselage. It was decided to use engines D-20P.

Photo 1 - Tu-124. Predecessor of the Tu-134

Project management was instructed Markov D.S., then he was replaced Selyakov L.L. The airplane was used as a basis Tu-124, whose engines were located at the base of the wing and which at that time was passing factory tests. The preliminary design was ready on April 1, 1961.

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The aerodynamic design of the aircraft is a low-wing aircraft with a T-shaped tail. The engines are located on pylons in the rear fuselage. The first four aircraft were equipped with engines D-20P-125, and for subsequent D-30 (D-20P-125-5), which were developed in OKB P.A. Solovyova. Starting from , the aircraft's engines were equipped with thrust reverser. The landing gear is three-wheel, with a nose strut. In the latest modifications, the number of passengers has been increased to 80-90.

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Assembly of the first copy Tu-124A began Moscow experimental plant No. 156 at the beginning of 1962. The aircraft were installed engines designed by Solovyov P.A. D-20P-125.

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The crew, led by Honored test pilot Hero of the Soviet Union A.D. Kalina first time a plane flew into the sky. This significant event took place on July 29, 1963, and on November 20, 1963 the plane was named Tu-134.

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Serial production began at the plant No. 135 named after. Lenin Komsomol in 1966 in the city of Kharkov and continued until 1984. The aircraft was tested until July 1967. As a result of which there was increased wing area. In August 1967, on the 26th Tu-134 was officially accepted into service by the Civil Air Fleet(Civil Air Fleet).

Photo 8 - Tu-134. Level flight.

First passenger flight, along the highway Moscow – Adler, on the plane was committed September 9, 1967. Enterprise employees OKB im. A.N. Tupolev, Kharkov aircraft plant, related enterprises and Civil Air Fleet who made the maximum contribution to the creation of the aircraft in 1972, were awarded the USSR State Prize.

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The total number of aircraft of all modifications produced was 852 copies was exported. The first aircraft was delivered to Bulgaria. During production, the aircraft was constantly modified. The first aircraft that passed international control and received an international airworthiness certificate was the Tu-134, which allowed it to be used on international routes. Therefore, it took on the bulk of passenger traffic on short-haul routes. Until recently, the level of noise and vibration in the passenger compartment and its modifications were the most comfortable in Aeroflot. More 500 million passengers were transported by aircraft of the Tu-134 family only until the beginning of the 90s. The operation of that aircraft continues today.

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Photo 14 - Tu-134. Overnight parking. Rest before the flight.

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Aircraft modifications

Tu-124A- the first prototype. Designed to carry 52-56 passengers. Manufactured at plant No. 156 in 1962-1963.
Tu-134 "understudy"- second prototype. The number of passengers was increased to 64. Manufactured in 1964 at plant No. 135. The first flight took place on September 9, 1964.
- the first production version. The cabin is designed for 72 passengers. In 1966-1970, 78 aircraft were manufactured (30 were exported).
- modernized. It was distinguished by D-30 engines of the second series with thrust reverser. The fuselage has been lengthened by 2.1 m. The number of seats for passengers has been increased to 76. A TA-8 APU is installed in the tail section; there is no drogue parachute. Some aircraft were equipped with the Groza-134 radar. Development began in 1968. Serial production was from April 1970 until the early 80s.
- aircraft with D-30 engines of the third series. Takeoff weight increased to 49 tons. Produced in 1982-1984. Some previously produced Tu-134A have been converted into the Tu-134A-3 variant.
- an aircraft with a 1st class cabin for 24 seats and a luxury cabin for 13 passengers. It was distinguished by the presence of a second door for passengers with a built-in ladder. Some aircraft were equipped with special communications equipment. Produced mainly for the Air Force.
Tu-134A "salon"- analogue of the Tu-134AK. The second door was missing. Converted from passenger Tu-134A.
- modernized. The empty weight of the aircraft has been reduced and fuel efficiency has been increased. The number of seats for passengers was increased to 80, the crew was reduced to 3 people. The Groza-134 radar is installed in the bow. Serial production began in March 1980. 30 aircraft were produced.
- Tu-134B version with D-30 engines of the third series.

Tu-134B "salon"- salon based on Tu-134B. It was distinguished by the presence of a second door for passengers. 7 aircraft were manufactured. Several more aircraft were converted from passenger Tu-134B (with the second door missing).
- deep modernization of the base aircraft (project). It was distinguished by D-30A engines with a thrust of 8600 kgf. Developed in the early 1970s.
Tu-134DOL- ophthalmological laboratory (project).
- salon based on Tu-134.
- a flying laboratory for testing space programs.
- modernized (project). Differs in D-436T1-134 engines and equipment composition. Developed in 1993.
- cargo based on Tu-134A (project).
- agricultural. In 1984, 2 Tu-134A-3 aircraft were re-equipped. After state tests, 10 more aircraft were manufactured. It is distinguished by the presence of a side-view radar "Thread S1-CX" and special equipment that allows assessing the development of agricultural crops, the condition of pastures, and the consequences of natural disasters.
Tu-134UB-K- an aircraft for training navigator-operators Tu-22M naval aviation. Made in one copy.
Tu-134UB-L- an aircraft for training flight crews to fly using instruments in simple and adverse weather conditions. The nose part was different from the Tu-22M-3 with the ROZ-1 radar. In 1981-1983, 90 aircraft were manufactured.
Tu-134Sh (Tu-134Uch)- an aircraft for training navigators of long-range and front-line bomber aviation. The passenger compartment is equipped with 12 workplaces. The "Rubin-1" or "Initiative" radar is installed in the bow. It was produced in the Tu-134Sh-1 variants (for group training in aircraft navigation and bombing in relation to Tu-22 and Tu-22M aircraft) and Tu-134Sh-2 (for training navigators of front-line aviation).
Tu-134SH-SL- a flying laboratory for testing radio-electronic equipment.

Flight performance

Modification
Wingspan, m
Aircraft length, m
Aircraft height, m
Wing area, m2
Weight, kg
empty plane
normal takeoff
maximum takeoff

engine's type	2 turbofan engines PNPO Aviadvigatel D-30 11

Maximum speed, km/h
Ferry range, km
Range, km
Practical ceiling, m
Crew, people

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