10 facts about TU-104

56 years ago, September 4, 1957 on the route Moscow - New York began to operate 70-seater passenger jet Tu-104A, which added to the Soviet Union as a superpower of image points. TU-104 has become so important event in the domestic aircraft industry, its value is still relevant. Here are 10 facts from the history of this aircraft.
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1. The Tu-104 was the first Soviet jet passenger aircraft. In 1955-1960 years he produced in various versions (50-100 passengers) at the aircraft factory in Kharkov, Omsk and Kazan. Total built 201 copy. The Civil Aviation plane was used until 1979, in the military - until 1981.

2. Tu-104 was designed based on the long-range bomber Tu-16. At the source of combat were taken wing, empennage, engine nacelles and landing gear. On aerodynamic configuration passenger model is a twin-engine turbojet engines nizkoplan with the location of the root of the wing, swept wings and tail surfaces odnokilevym.

3. The maximum speed of the Tu-104 was 951 km / h, so, for example, the flight Moscow - Irkutsk held the record at the time 7, 5 hours.

4. The Tu-104 has offered a completely different level of comfort for passengers, in contrast to the piston and turboprop aircraft on board were installed soft anatomical seat with adjustable in height backrest, in-flight passengers are provided with hot meals and cold drinks, stewards before departure a compulsory briefing Safety - so it was on the Tu-104 in the late 50's was first introduced to our usual standard of service while on board the aircraft.

5. The introduction and development of new aircraft required a restructuring of the entire structure of the airfield. It is with the appearance on the track of the Tu-104 have been widely used special-purpose vehicles - powerful tankers, tractors, machines for filling with water, luggage cars, self-propelled ladders. The airport is now beginning to work the usual system of ticketing, baggage check-in, there were bus passengers.

6. The Tu-104 has become a real pride of the Soviet Union. For example, in 1956, the production version of the airplane created a furor in London, arriving there during the visit of Nikita Khrushchev.

7. cosmonaut training was made special version of the aircraft - Tu-104AK. Within 25 seconds of flight there could simulate weightlessness. In this laboratory in 1961 he was held training Alexei Leonov to spacewalk. Part of the interior length of 8 meters was a laboratory. The cabin has been upholstered in a soft material and is separated from the interior network was installed in the cabin "Voskhod".

8. On the one hand the aircraft was a breakthrough, on the other - had shortcomings that led to dozens of serious accidents with human victims. Tu-104 was unreliable, heavy in the air is very unstable and poorly managed, was prone to a buildup. The plane abruptly "picks up", that is, he instantly gained a great height, and then broke into uncontrollable vertical dive. Weak wing mechanization contributed to stalling at low speeds. Because of the design features of the aircraft glide path is not maintained, the rate of quenched stepdown. Recommended for a touchdown 225-250 km / h are not kept, and often the Tu-104 were put at 270-300 km / h, because of this frequent were rolled out for the strip. Navigation equipment and autopilot were imperfect, radio navigation equipment approach absent. In short, too much depended on the skill of the crew, its right of action in critical situations.

9. The last time the Tu-104 flew on November 11, 1986, when one of the remaining machines in flying condition distilled on eternal parking in Ulyanovsk Museum of Civil Aviation. Most of the remaining machines in the course of the 1980s was cut for scrap or set as planes monuments in some cities of the USSR.

10. On the basis of the Tu-104 has been designed for domestic airlines plane Tu-124, dating back to the transition generation: in particular, he already had turbofan engines, but have not received popularity and was also taken out of production five years after the start of a series. Experience in the creation of these aircraft was later used in the design of Tupolev Tu-134 is still operated by some airlines.



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