Tupolev Tu-134

Tu-134
Tu-134 of Kosmos Airlines in 2008
Role	Airliner
Manufacturer	Tupolev
First flight	29 July 1963
Introduction	September 1967
Status	Active service
Primary users	Aeroflot (historical) Soviet Air Force numerous commercial airlines
Produced	1966–1989[1]
Number built	854 (852 + 2 prototypes)[1]
Developed from	Tupolev Tu-124

The Tupolev Tu-134 (NATO reporting name: Crusty) is a twin-engined airliner built in the Soviet Union from 1966 to 1984. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain other Russian airliners (including its sister model the Tu-154), it can operate from unpaved airfields.

One of the most widely used aircraft in former Comecon countries, the number in active service is decreasing because of political intention and noise restrictions. The model has seen long-term service with some 42 countries, with some European airlines having scheduled as many as 12 daily takeoffs and landings per plane. In addition to regular passenger service, it has also been used in various air force, army and navy support roles; for pilot and navigator training; and for aviation research and test projects. In recent years, a number of Tu-134s have been converted for use as VIP transports and business jets. A total of 854 Tu-134s were built of all versions (including test bed examples) with Aeroflot as the largest user; by 1995, the Tu-134 had carried 360 million passengers for that airline.

Design and development

Tu-134UBL cockpit

Following the introduction of engines mounted on pylons on the rear fuselage by the French Sud Aviation Caravelle, airliner manufacturers around the world rushed to adopt the new layout. Its advantages included clean wing airflow without disruption by nacelles or pylons and decreased cabin noise. At the same time, placing heavy engines that far back created challenges with the location of the center of gravity in relation to the center of lift, which was at the wings. To make room for the engines, the tailplanes had to be relocated to the tail fin, which had to be stronger and therefore heavier, further compounding the tail-heavy arrangement.

Looking through the nose of an Aeroflot-Nord Tu-134 (2009)

During a 1960 visit to France, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was so impressed by the quiet cabin of the Caravelle, that on 1 August 1960 the Tupolev OKB received an official directive to create the Tu-124A with a similar engine arrangement. The requirement was also driven by the need to replace slow, aging piston-engined Il-14s on domestic routes. In 1961, the Soviet state airline, Aeroflot, updated its requirement specifications to include greater payload and passenger capacity.

The first Tu-124A prototype, SSSR-45075, first flew on 29 July 1963. On 22 October 1963, the prototype British BAC One-Eleven, which had a similar layout, crashed with the loss of all crew while testing its stalling properties. The aircraft had entered pitch-up: the high-mounted tailplane became trapped in the turbulent wake produced by the wings (deep stall), which prevented recovery from the stall. As a result, the tailplane on Tu-124A was enlarged by 30% for greater control authority. Since Aeroflot's requirements dictated a larger aircraft than initially planned, the Soloviev Design Bureau developed the more powerful D-30 low-bypass turbofan engines. On 20 November 1963, the new airliner was designated Tu-134.

Design curiosities of the Tu-134 included a sharp wing sweepback of 35 degrees, compared to 25–28 degrees in its counterparts. The engines on early production Tu-134s lacked thrust reversers, which made the aircraft one of the few airliners to use a brake parachute for landing. The majority of onboard electronics operated on direct current. The lineage of early Soviet airliners could be traced directly to the Tupolev Tu-16 strategic bomber, and the Tu-134 carried over the glass nose for the navigator and the landing gear fitted with low-pressure tires to permit operation from unpaved airfields.

Serial production began in 1966 at the Kharkov Aviation Production Association, and production of the Tu-124 was discontinued. The Tu-134 was designed for short-haul lines with low passenger traffic. Originally the aircraft had 56 seats in a single class configuration, or 50 seats in a two-class configuration.

In 1968, Tupolev began work on an improved Tu-134 variant with a 72-seat capacity. The fuselage received a 2.1-meter (6 ft 11 in) plug for greater passenger capacity and an auxiliary power unit in the tail. As a result, the maximum range was reduced from 3,100 kilometers to 2,770 kilometers. The upgraded D-30 engines now featured thrust reversers, replacing the parachute. The first Tu-134A, converted from a production Tu-134, flew on 22 April 1969. The first airline flight was on 9 November 1970. An upgraded version, the Tu-134B began production in 1980, with the navigator position abandoned, and seating capacity increased to 96 seats. Efforts subsequently began to develop a Tu-134D with increased engine thrust, but the project was cancelled.

Operational history

In September 1967, the Tu-134 made its first scheduled flight from Moscow to Adler. The Tu-134 was the first Soviet airliner to receive international certification from the International Civil Aviation Organization, which permitted it to be used on international routes. Due to this certification, Aeroflot used most of its Tu-134s on international routes. In 1968, the first export customers, Interflug of East Germany and LOT Polish Airlines purchased the Tu-134. In 1969, the Tu-134 was displayed at the Paris Air Show.

From 1972, Aeroflot began placing the Tu-134 in domestic service to Baku, Yerevan, Kiev, Kishinev, Krasnodar, Leningrad, Omsk, Riga, and Sochi from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.

In its early years, the Tu-134 developed a reputation for reliability and efficiency, especially when compared with previous Soviet designs. After the establishment of tougher noise standards in the ICAO regulations in 2002, the Tu-134 was banned from most western European airports for its high noise levels. In early 2006, 245 Tu-134s were still in operation, 162 of which were in Russia. After a fatal accident in March 2007, and at the instigation of Russian Minister of Transportation Igor Levitin, Aeroflot announced that it would be retiring its fleet, and the last Tu-134 was removed from service on 1 January 2008. Some are still in operations with Aeroflot subsidiaries on local routes within Russia. The Tu-134 also found a new life as a business jet with many having an expensive business interior installed. High fuel and maintenance costs are increasingly limiting the number used today.

In June 2011, as a response to RusAir Flight 9605 which resulted in 47 fatalities, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev ordered preparations for taking the Tu-134 out of use by 2012.

Many Tu-134s have been preserved as memorials at airports throughout the former Soviet Union.

Variants

Tu-134

The glass nosed version. The first series could seat up to 64 passengers, and this was later increased to 72 passengers. The original designation was Tu-124A.

Tupolev Tu-134A with its radar and glass nose

Tu-134UBL "Volga" from 1449th Airbase in Tambov city

Tu-134A

Second series, with upgraded engines, improved avionics, seating up to 84 passengers. All Tu-134A variants have been built with the distinctive glass nose and chin radar dome, but some were modified to the B standard with the radar moved to the nose radome.

Tu-134A-2

The glass nose was replaced.

Tu-134A-3

Second series, powered by two uprated Soloviev D-30 turbofan engines.

Tu-134A-5

Most recent version.

Tu-134B

Second series, 80 seats, radar moved to the nose radome, eliminating the glazed nose. Some Tu-134B models have long-range fuel tanks fitted under the fuselage; these are visible as a sizable bulge.

Tu-134BV

Space shuttle work model.

Tu-134LK

Cosmonaut training version.

Tu-134A of the Hungarian People's Republic at Helsinki Vantaa Airport in 1978.

Tu-134UBL

Bomber aircrew training version.

Tu-134UBK

Naval version of Tu-134UBL. Only one was ever built.

Tu-134BSh

Navigation training version, fitted with a Tu-22M radar in the nose.

Tu-134SKh

Crop survey version.

Operators

Tu-134Sh "Marina Raskova" on the ramp of 1449th Air Base Tambov

Civil operators

As of July 2014 a total of 18 Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service.^[2] Major operators include:

 North Korea

• Air Koryo 2 (the final Tu-134 was delivered to this airline)

 Russia

• Alrosa-Avia 2
• Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise 2
• Center-South 7
• Katekavia 2
• Kosmos Airlines 2

 Sudan

• Marsland Aviation 1 (operated for Dove Air) ^[3]

Former civil operators

Tupolev Tu-134 of Yugoslav airline Aviogenex at Manchester Airport in 1985.

 Soviet Union/ Russia

• Aeroflot
• Polet Airlines

Afghanistan

• Ariana Afghan Airlines

 Bulgaria

• Balkan Bulgarian Airlines

 Czechoslovakia

Tupolev Tu-134A of Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie on charter flight to Pisa Airport in 1975.

• CSA Czech Airlines

 Estonia

• Estonian Air

 Georgia

• Georgian International Airlines
• Transair Georgia

 Hungary

• Malév Hungarian Airlines

 Kazakhstan

• Atyrau Airways
• Euro-Asia Air
• Kazair West

 Kyrgyzstan

• Kyrgyzstan Air Company – 1 crashed on December 28, 2011
• Kyrgyzstan Airlines

 Lithuania

• Lithuanian Airlines

 Peru

• Imperial Air ^[4]

 Poland

• LOT Polish Airlines

 East Germany

• Interflug

 Russia

• Aero Rent
• Aeroflot-Plus
• Izhavia
• Rossiya Airlines (government fleet)
• Sirius-Aero
• UTair Express
• Samara Airlines

 Romania

• TAROM

 Ukraine

• Ukraine Air Enterprise

 Yugoslavia/ Serbia

• Aviogenex^[5]

Military operators

 Angola

People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola

 Armenia

Armenian Air Force – 1 stored

 Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Air Force – former operator

 Belarus

Belarus Air Force – former operator

 Czech Republic

Czech Air Force – former operator

 Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovak Air Force – Passed on successor states

 Bulgaria

Bulgarian Air Force – former operator

 Germany

German Air Force – former operator, taken over from East German Air Force after German reunification

 Georgia

Georgian Air Force – former operator

 East Germany

East German Air Force – former operator

 Kazakhstan

Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan – 2 use to passenger transport

 Moldova

Moldovan Air Force – former operator

 North Korea

North Korean Air Force

 Poland

Polish Air Force. Operated 2 from 1972 to 1977 (later LOT) and 2 from 1977 to 1992. Retired, replaced by 2 Tupolev Tu-154M.

 Russia

• Russian Air Force – 1449th Air Base located at Tambov
• Russian Naval Aviation
• Russian Coast Guard
• Russian Presidential Transport Flight

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force
• Soviet Naval Aviation. Passed on successor states.
• Soviet Space Agency
• Soviet Internal Troops – Prisoner Transport Service

 Syria

Syrian Air Force

 Ukraine

Ukrainian Air Force

Accidents and incidents

Some 69 Tu-134 have been destroyed in accidents and wars, of which 35 were non-fatal incidents (in one of the remaining 34 fatal incidents no one on the plane died).

Date	Tail number	Crash site	Casualties	Description	Refs
000000001966-01-14-000014 January 1966	СССР-45076	Near Chkalovsky Airport	7000800000000000000♠8/8	Crash of second prototype in flight testing.	[6]
000000001971-05-23-000023 May 1971	YU-AHZ	near Rijeka	7001780000000000000♠78/83	Aviogenex Flight 130 crashed on approach to Rijeka Airport located on the island of Krk, rough landing in bad weather conditions.	[7][8]
000000001971-09-16-000016 September 1971	HA-LBD	Kiev	7001490000000000000♠49/49	Malév Flight 110 crashed near Boryspil International Airport, Kiev in bad weather, following two missed approaches, after a generator failure caused the crew to switch to batteries.	[9]
000000001973-06-30-000030 June 1973	СССР-65668	Amman	7000200070000700007♠7+2/85	Aeroflot Flight 512 aborted takeoff, overran the runway, and crashed into a building.	[10]
000000001975-09-01-00001 September 1975	DM-SCD	Leipzig	7001270000000000000♠27/34	Pilot failed to check rate of descent, crashed on landing. Later sentenced to 5 years in prison for negligence. Other crew members sentenced to three years.	[11]
000000001977-09-21-000021 September 1977	HA-LBC	near Urziceni	7001290000000000000♠29/53	Malev Flight 203 from Istanbul to Budapest with an intermediate stop at Bucharest struck level ground on approach, probably as a result of flying at reduced power, unnoticed by the crew.	[12]
000000001978-03-16-000016 March 1978	LZ-TUB	near Sofia	7001730000000000000♠73/73	Crashed on climb out from Sofia Airport near the village of Gabare following an abnormal descent.	[13]
000000001979-03-22-000022 March 1979	CCCP-65301	near Liepaya	7000400000000000000♠4/5	Crashed on landing in poor weather due to overloading.	[14]
000000001979-08-11-000011 August 1979	СССР-65816	Near Dniprodzerzhynsk	7002178000000000000♠178/178	Two Aeroflot Tu-134s collided near Dneprodzerzhinsk due to ATC errors.	[15][16]
	СССР-65735
000000001982-06-17-000017 June 1982	CCCP-65687	Severomorsk	7001150000000000000♠15/16	A test aircraft operated by the Soviet government crashed during landing. The pilot had ignored warnings that he was descending too fast and collided with a radio tower.	[17]
000000001983-08-30-000030 August 1983	CCCP-65129	near Alma-Ata	7001900000000000000♠90/90	Aeroflot Flight 5463 struck a mountain after the crew began descending too soon.	[18]
000000001983-11-18-000018 November 1983	CCCP-65807	Tbilisi	7000800000000000000♠8	Hijacked by nine people. After returning to Tbilisi, commandos stormed the aircraft, killing three hijackers. The aircraft was written off following airframe deformation caused by excessive G-forces.	[19]
000000001984-01-10-000010 January 1984	LZ-TUR	Sofia	7001500000000000000♠50/50	Crashed short of the runway while attempting an overshoot after coming in too low.	[20]
000000001985-02-01-00001 February 1985	CCCP-65910	Minsk	7001580000000000000♠58/80	Aeroflot Flight 7841 force-landed after the crew failed to de-ice the wings before takeoff. The ice caused both engines to flame out.	[21]
000000001985-05-03-00003 May 1985	CCCP-65856	near Zolochiv	7001940000000000000♠94/94	Mid-air collision with military An-26 due to ATC errors.	[22][23]
	101 red
000000001986-07-02-00002 July 1986	CCCP-65120	Kopsa	7001540000000000000♠54/94	Aeroflot Flight 2306 force-landed following a possible fire in the cargo hold.	[24]
000000001986-10-19-000019 October 1986	C9-CAA	Mbuzini	7001340000000000000♠34/44	The Mozambican Presidential jet struck the ground during a thunderstorm after the pilot ignored the ground proximity warning system. The crash remains the worst in South Africa.	[25]
000000001986-10-20-000020 October 1986	CCCP-65766	Kuybyshev Airport	7001700000000000000♠70/94	Aeroflot Flight 6502 struck the ground at high speed and crashed upside down. Pilot sentenced to six years in prison.	[26]
000000001986-12-12-000012 December 1986	CCCP-65795	East Berlin	7001720000000000000♠72/82	After being cleared to land on runway 25L at Berlin Schönefeld Airport, Aeroflot Flight 892 from Minsk proceeded to approach runway 25R which was closed for construction. While attempting to switch to the correct runway, the aircraft struck trees and crashed.	[27]
000000001988-02-27-000027 February 1988	CCCP-65675	Surgut Airport	7001200000000000000♠20/51	Aeroflot Flight 7867 crashed beside the runway due to a crew error while transitioning from ILS approach to visual landing.	[28]
000000001988-09-09-00009 September 1988	VN-A102	near Bangkok	7001760000000000000♠76/90	Vietnam Airlines Flight 831 crashed after entering a storm and descended below minimum altitude. The aircraft struck the ground and broke up. The aircraft was possibly struck by lightning.	[29]
000000001990-01-13-000013 January 1990	CCCP-65951	near Pervouralsk	7001270000000000000♠27/71	Aeroflot Flight 6246 force landed following a fire in the cargo hold, possibly caused by a short circuit.	[30]
000000001992-08-27-000027 August 1992	CCCP-65058	Ivanovo	7001840000000000000♠84/84	Aeroflot Flight 2808 struck trees and crashed short of the runway while attempting ILS approach.	[31]
000000001993-09-20-000020 September 1993	65809	Sukhumi	7001280000000000000♠28/28	Transair Georgia airliner shootdowns: On 20 September, 65809 was destroyed on the ground at Babusheri Airport. On 21 September, 65893 was shot down by a missile and crashed in the sea, killing all aboard. On 23 September, CCCP-65501 was destroyed on the ground after it was struck by a rocket while passengers were boarding, killing a crew member.	[32][33][34]
	65893
	CCCP-65501
000000001994-09-09-00009 September 1994	RA-65976	Zhukovsky	7000800000000000000♠8/8	Mid-air collision with a Tu-22M research aircraft during a photographic chase flight. The collision damaged the stabilizer of the Tu-134 and it lost control and crashed. The Tu-22 was able to land safely.	[35]
	32 red
000000001995-06-24-000024 June 1995	RA-65617	Lagos	7001160000000000000♠16/80	Landed late and overran runway in a storm. The aircraft was leased from Komi Avia.	[36]
000000001995-12-05-00005 December 1995	4K-65703	Nakhichevan	7001520000000000000♠52/82	Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 56 crashed on takeoff after both engines failed due to a maintenance error.	[37]
000000001997-09-03-00003 September 1997	VN-A120	Phnom Penh	7001650000000000000♠65/66	Vietnam Airlines Flight 815 descended below its approach path on a non-precision approach. Despite warnings from the other crew members that the craft was too low, the captain continued the approach, resulting in the crash.	[38]
000000002004-08-24-000024 August 2004	RA-65080	Buchalki	7001440000000000000♠44/44	Volga-Aviaexpress Flight 1303 disappeared from radar forty-one minutes after taking off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. Witnesses reported seeing an explosion in the sky, and wreckage was located shortly thereafter. Later investigation revealed that the aircraft had been destroyed by a suicide bomber, along with a Tu-154 on the same day.	[39]
000000002007-03-17-000017 March 2007	RA-65021	Samara Airport	7000600000000000000♠6/57	UTair Flight 471 landed hard in poor weather due to pilot and ATC errors. The aircraft then bounced and inverted, but did not catch fire. Aeroflot retired its Tu-134 fleet in the wake of this accident.	[40]
000000002011-06-20-000020 June 2011	RA-65691	Petrozavodsk	7001470000000000000♠47/52	After technical problems trying to land in heavy fog, and unable to reach Petrozavodsk Airport, RusAir Flight 9605 tried to land on a road 2 km from the airport at 1955 UTC (2355 MSD). The plane flipped and caught fire as it struck the ground. There is speculation that the pilot may have mistaken the motorway for the runway. After the crash, the Russian government ordered that all Tu-134s be removed from commercial service by 2012.	[41]
000000002011-12-28-000028 December 2011	EX-020	Osh	5000000000000000000♠0/79	Kyrgyzstan Air Company Flight 3 landed hard in marginal weather conditions, breaking off the right wing. The aircraft then rolled over. A fire started, but was quickly contained with no casualties.	[42][43]

Source: Aircraft Accident Database^[44]

Specifications (Tu-134A)

Data from OAO Tupolev^[45]

General characteristics

• Crew: 3–5 + 3–4 flight attendants
• Capacity: 72–84 passengers
• Payload: 8,200 kg (18,075 lb)
• Length: 37.10 m (121 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 29.00 m (95 ft 1 in)
• Height: 9.02 m (29 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 127.3 m² (1,370.24 ft²)
• Empty weight: 27,960 kg (61,640 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 47,600 kg (104,940 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Soloviev D-30-II turbofans, 66.68 kN (14,990 lbf) each
• Fuselage diameter: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
• Fuel capacity: 13,200 l (2,900 imp gal; 3,500 US gal)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 950 km/h (485 kn, 559 mph)
• Cruise speed: 850–900 km/h (405 kn, 466 mph)
• Range: 1,900–3,000 km (1,025 nmi, 1,180 mi)
• Ferry range: 3,200 km (1,890 nmi, 2,175 mi)
• Service ceiling: 12,100 m (39,040 ft)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• BAC One-Eleven
• Fokker F28 Fellowship
• McDonnell Douglas DC-9
• Boeing 717

Related lists

• List of jet airliners
• List of airliners

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tupolev Tu-134.