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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0923.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 July 1956 69 Airliners of the World Tu-104 SOVIET NATIONAL FACTORIES; A. N. TUPOLEV. CHIEF OF DESIGN EVEN six months ago the thought of the Soviet Union becom-ing a competing nation in the jet-liner business had prob-ably crossed very few Western minds; but, we are informed, Russia intends to make the Tu-104 (itself only revealed 14 weeksago) available to anybody who wishes to buy it. Of the aeroplane itself much has already been written, and we haveno cause to retract anything which appeared in our issues of March 30 and April 6. It clearly owes much to Russian bomber designs andmay even employ common components and accessories. Most of what appears below, however, is new. Basically the Tu-104 is a conven-tional structure of a configuration already well known. Power is pro- vided by a pair of large axial turbojets—not of the by-pass type—ratedfor commercial use at 14,850-14,880 lb. This engine is well developed and military versions, with ratings some 2,500 lb higher, are beingmass-produced. Particular features of the airframe are the four large flap sections (split inboard and a slotted-cum-FowIer pattern outboard), The seating plan below shows a 54-seat first-class Aerotlot configura- tion, with lounges forward fitted with tables and facing double seats. A typical standard (tourist) interior seats 72. four wing fences, fixed tailplane, an exceptional array of aerials (sup-pressed and otherwise) and provision for a braking parachute. In the spacious flight deck the captain and co-pilot are seated ahead of anengineer (if carried) and radio officer; a navigator works in the trans- parent nose. Payload Accommodation. The flight deck is self-contained, com-plete with "amenities" and its own door, and is separated from the rest of the interior by a pressure bulkhead, with a small door, at aboutstation 260. From this point the cabin is unobstructed back to the rear pressure dome at station 1,212, although the hump of the thickwing centre-section raises the level slightly between the strong frames at the leading and trailing edges of the wing box, at stations 449 and558. Usable length is 952in and floor width about 113in. In the floor-plan shown the Tu-104 is fitted for 54 first-class pas-sengers, but in ordinary airline service there is no doubt that arrange- ments could be worked out providing for at least 70. In the rearcabin are baggage racks formed from nets supported on a metal frame. In addition there is a capacious hold under the floor both ahead of andbehind the wing, with a combined volume of approximately 1,000 cu ft. In all the Tu-104s so far examined each passenger has the use of anindividual oxygen hose. Design dP is about 7.5 lb/sq in. Commercial History. According to a Polish source the first machinewas built in production jigs and flew on June 17 last year. The pre- production aircraft, of which three have visited Britain and Switzer-land, have logged some hundreds of hours on route-proving flying within the Soviet Union, including trans-Siberian flights to Vladivostok.It has been officially announced by the Soviet commercial operator, Aeroflot, that the Tu-104 will be operated by them in numbers as astandard type. The first services will be Moscow - Novosibirsk - Khabarovsk (stage lengths of 2,100 and 2,250 statute miles, respectively)starting this summer. Delivery to non-Russian purchasers is offered in 1958 at the remarkably competitive price of £425,000. Tu-104 Two turbojets of 14,850-14,880 Ib thrust. Dimensions: Span. 114ft 10in; length, 121ft 4£ii; overall height, 39ft 4 in; gross wing area, 2,023.6 sq ft. Weights: Not stated, but approximately 130,0001b; fuel capacity is 7,469 gal and payload 15,400 to 22,050 Ib. Performance: Field length required at S.L., i.s.a., about 7,000ft; range, cruising at 497 m.p.h. at 32,800ft with typical allowances and 22.050 Ib payload, 1,986 St. m.; operating ceiling, 39,370ft; single-engine ceiling 16,404ft; maximum cruising speed, 559 m.p.h.; climb to 36,090ft in 15 min. RADIO OPERATOR SECOND PILOT,
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