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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 2669.PDF
f LIGHT International, 21 November 1968 819 A Taste of the Tu-134 BEFORE TAKING OFF on its scheduled departure for Sofia onTuesday of last week (November 12), a Tupolev Tu-134(LZ-TUA) of Balkan, Bulgarian Airlines, took a party of travel trade representatives, airline officials and journalists on an hour-and-a-half flight from London Heathrow Airport to the Pembrokeshire coast and back to give them a chance to assess the virtues of the aircraft. Balkan (the new name for the airline previously known as TABSO) has inaugurated a once-a-week service from Sofia to London arriving on Monday evenings and departing again on Tuesday mornings. Time for the 1,390 n.m. (2,575km) journey is scheduled at 2hr 50min. The airline's new aft-engined jet can carry 64 passengers, and in the demonstration had an eight-seat first-class cabin with two 28-seat, four-abreast cabins separated by a bulkhead. Tu-134s can carry a maximum of 72 passengers. Settling into one's seat before take-off provided an oppor- tunity to appreciate the quiet, yet quite tasteful surroundings. Gone was any suggestion that Russian aeroplanes are old- fashioned in their interior styling. This was a fully up-to-date interior with green patterned carpet, cabin walls in two shades of grey, and cream curtains with a "pattern of twigs." Light fittings were in fluted glass covering flourescent tubes and travelling continuously along the top centre line of the cabin ceiling. The seats, spaced at generous pitch, were grey-blue and appeared to be based structurally on sheet metal, assembled largely by welding. The circular passenger windows have broad white plastic surrounds and through them could be seen the cleanly finished wing with twin wing fences and the large trailing-edge fairing for the main undercarriage. The seat belts and fittings are very light and easy to operate. A metal stub end on one side provides easy adjustment of belt length and pushes home with a reassuring click into the corresponding end with its lever release. Above one's head on the underside of the generous hat rack (which the Bulgarians still call "luggage rack") are the passenger-services panels, with individual reading lights and switches, individual hexagonal-shaped fresh-air louvres for each seat, stewardess call button, and public- address/air-conditioning grating. Forward on the bulkhead an illuminated transparent plastic sign spelled out "No smoking, fasten belts" in Cyrillics and English. Over some of the windows were emergency exit notices. The English instructions counselled one: "To escape through emergency hatch you should do the following: Open hatch cover by pulling it backward. Take off rescue rope from luggage rack. Fix rope on hatch edging strip. Throw out rope free end into hatch." Possibly last of Tupolev's civil jets to sport a "bomb aimer's window" the Tu-134 nevertheless provides ideal accommodation for a navigator who has to pick his way over featureless countryside with few radio aids "Flight" photograph Forward on the bulkhead at the front of the first-class compartment a cabin temperature thermometer is fitted. The tables on the backs of the seats are substantial, with grey plastic tops and a recess for cup or glass. The main support members for them appeared to be made of plywood. When pushed away out of use they locked away very adequately, leaving the pocket in the back of the seat in front easily accessible. Fairly thick mist and cumulative traffic delays held up the departure of the demonstration flight. Eventually Capt Tasev was able to signal the towing tractor to pull him out backwards from his parking position. The engine starting was smooth and quiet. The forward door of the aircraft was not finally closed until the Tu-134 was proceeding under its own power along the airport's interminable taxiways. The ground ride seemed particularly smooth and braking was not at all vicious. A Balkan stewardess announced that the flight would reach an altitude of 23,000ft (7,000m) and a speed of 510kt (950km/hr), although the data leaflet gave the maximum cruising speed as 496kt (probably quoted, however, for a flight altitude of 36,000ft). Rotation took place 26 seconds after the take-off run began. During the take-off there was a certain amount of vibration and there seemed to be some rattles developing within the cabin, probably in the luggage-rack area. Once airborne the Tu-134 climbed rapidly to its operational altitude. Sound level was fairly high, though quite acceptable, and was mainly caused by aerodynamic noise outside the cabin. The engine noise became rather noticeable only when one sat at the rear of the passenger cabin or in the toilet area. Air conditioning is probably not quite as good as western standards. Tobacco smoke lingered in the cabin air and there was little noticeable movement. The quantity of air which issued Instrument panel layout appears to be neat, logical and easy to read. Right, passengers on the demonstration flight last week in one of the 28-seat tourist compartments. Note the large racks and very adequate roof lighting "Flight" photographs
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