Tupolev Tu-114
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| Tu-114 Rossiya | |
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| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Tupolev OKB |
| Maiden flight | 15 November 1957 |
| Introduced | 24 April 1961 |
| Retired | 1975 |
| Primary users | Aeroflot Japan Airlines (in association with Aeroflot) |
| Number built | 31 |
| Developed from | Tupolev Tu-95 |
| Variants | Tupolev Tu-126 |
The Tupolev Tu-114 Rossiya (Russian:Tyполев Тy-114 Poccия) (NATO reporting name Cleat) is a turboprop powered long-range airliner designed by the Tupolev design bureau.
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[edit] Development
The Tupolev design bureau was instructed by the government of the Soviet Union to develop an airliner with intercontinental range based on the Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber. The result was a large airliner powered by 4 powerful Kuznetsov NK-12 engines driving massive contra-rotating propellers which was similar to the later Antonov An-22. It came as a surprise to Western observers that a propeller-driven aircraft could operate at jet-like speeds. It was huge by 1950s standards, the largest landbased airliner of its time, with accommodation for 120 to 220 passengers.
In response to a demand from the Soviet Civil Aviation Authority for a long range passenger aircraft, the Tupolev Design Bureau was ordered in 1955 to create an aircraft that had a range of 8,000 kilometers. Given the technology available at that time, the best starting point was the existing Tu-95 bomber. An interim design, originally designated Tu-95P (p for Passenger), later known as the Tu-116, was a simple adaptation of the existing Tu-95 bomber. Two Tu-116s were built, and were used to pioneer some of the routes and operational procedures for the dedicated passenger version, to be known as the Tu-114.
The Tu-114 used the basic wing, empennage, landing gear, and powerplants of the Tu-95 bomber, mated to a totally new pressurized fuselage of much larger diameter. To cope with its higher weights, increased landing flap surface area was required, and the flap chord was increased compared to the bomber's flaps. The wing was mounted low on the fuselage, giving the Tu-114 a much higher stance on its landing gear than the bomber. As a result a new nose landing gear strut was required, although the main gear remained unchanged. Part of the Tu-114's bomber heritage remained in the navigator's glass nose.
[edit] Design
This airliner has several unique technological features for its time such as:
- Wings swept back at 35 degrees – the same angle as for the Boeing 707 and several other jet airliners
- Powerful Kuznetsov NK-12MV turboprops, the most powerful turboprop engines ever produced, each driving two AV-60H counter-rotating four-bladed reversible-pitch propellers.
- Lower deck galleys.
- Lower deck aircrew rest area.
- Long landing gear (the nose gear is 3 meters high) due to its large propeller diameter (during a test flight to Washington prior to Nikita Khrushchev's first visit to the United States, the destination airport did not have steps tall enough to reach the Tu-114's cabin door because of this feature)
The production version originally seated 170 passengers, with an additional dining salon (sometimes used as regular seating) and sleeping area. Later, the sleeping area was converted to normal seating, raising the capacity to 200 passengers. Initially it was used on the main international routes for Aeroflot, but when the Ilyushin Il-62 started to appear, it was relegated to domestic flights. The main problem for these domestic operations was the large amount of runway needed for takeoff and landing.
[edit] JAL service
For operating the Moscow - Tokyo route, Japan Air Lines made an agreement with Aeroflot to use the Tu-114 on that route. For these flights, the seating arrangement was changed to a two-class layout with 105 seats. In 1969 the Tu-114 flights were stopped, and the four involved planes converted back to the 200 seat domestic layout.
[edit] Operational history
The Tu-114 had a fairly short commercial service life, being operated on regular flights from 1962 to 1976. While in service the plane was known for its reliability, speed and fuel economy, as it used less fuel than the Ilyushin Il-62 that replaced it.
In regular service with Aeroflot, the plane was first used for flights to international destinations like Copenhagen, Havana, Montreal, New Delhi, Paris, Belgrade and Tokyo (in co-operation with JAL). After being replaced by the Il-62 on these routes, the Tu-114 was frequently used on long range domestic flights. The end of the commercial use was set at around 14 thousand flying hours. After the end of commercial service, it was used by the Soviet Army and Air Force until the 1991.
[edit] Variants
[edit] Tu-114A Prototype
The first produced Tu-114, registration CCCP-L5611 was first shown to the west in 1958 at the Brussels World Exhibition. It later carried Nikita Khrushchev to Washington where the famous shoe-banging incident happened.[citation needed] The last flight of this plane was in 1968, and it is now on display at the Monino museum.
[edit] Tu-114D variant
Long range version of the Tu-114, specially adapted for non-stop flights to Cuba. After US policy blocked intermediate stops in West African countries like Senegal, the Cuba flights had to be operated non-stop. To make these flights possible, the seating of the plane was reduced from 170 to 60, and 15 extra fuel tanks were added. In most cases this fuel load was enough to make it to the intended destinations, but in case of strong headwinds, a refuelling stop in Nassau on the Bahamas was necessary. All planes operating this route were converted back to the normal specifications after the Moscow - Havana route was changed to the Ilyushin Il-62.
[edit] Nuclear-powered proposal
A nuclear powered version called Tu-114PLO was suggested, although it was deemed impractical and never got further than drawings.[citation needed]
[edit] Related developments
[edit] Tu-116
Main Article:Tupolev Tu-116
The Tu-116 was a Tu-95 bomber fitted with passenger cabins.
[edit] Tu-126
The Tu-126 (NATO reporting name Moss) was used by the Soviet Air Force in the AEW role until being replaced by the Beriev A-50.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil
- Japan Airlines - In association with Aeroflot.
[edit] Military
- Soviet Air Force (Tu-114, Tu-116)
[edit] Incidents
During its service only two planes were lost. One crashed at takeoff in bad weather, the only fatal accident of the Tu-114, and the second one suffered a nosegear collapse while being serviced.
[edit] Specifications (Tu-114)
General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Capacity: 120-220 passengers
- Payload: :*Normal: 15,000 kg (30,070 lb)
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- Maximum: 30,000 kg (66,140 lb)
- Length: 54.10 m (177 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 51.1 m (167 ft 7.75 in)
- Height: 15.44 m (50 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 311.1 m² (3,349 ft²)
- Empty weight: 91,000 - 93,000 kg (200,621 - 205,030 lb)
- Loaded weight: 131,000 kg (289,000 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 175,000 kg (385,809 lb)
- Powerplant: 4× Kuznetsov NK-12MV turboprops driving contra-rotating props, 11,000 kW (14,800 hp)15,000 PS each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 870 km/h (470 kt, 541 mph)
- Cruise speed: 770 km/h (415 kt, 478 mph)
- Range: 6,200 km (3,300 nm, 3,900 mi)
- Service ceiling 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
- Wing loading: 421 kg/m² (86.2 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 168 W/kg (0.102 hp/lb)
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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