Tu-134 "Crusty" @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • A Tupolev Tu-134A of Malev A Tupolev Tu-134A of Malev
    A Tupolev Tu-134A of Malev
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    Tu-134 of MAGAS Kosmos
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    Tu-134
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    Tupolev Tu-134A (1983)
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    Tupolev Tu-134A
  • A Tu-134A-3 of RusLine A Tu-134A-3 of RusLine
    A Tu-134A-3 of RusLine
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    Tu-134
  • Tu-134UBL Tu-134UBL
    Tu-134UBL
  • Tupolev Tu-134A of Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie (1975) Tupolev Tu-134A of Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie (1975)
    Tupolev Tu-134A of Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie (1975)
  • Manchester, 1985 Manchester, 1985
    Manchester, 1985
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    Tupolev Tu-134
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    Tu-134A of the Hungarian Govt (1978)
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    Tupolev Tu-134A
  • Tu-134UBL Volga from 1449th Airbase in Tambov city Tu-134UBL Volga from 1449th Airbase in Tambov city
    Tu-134UBL Volga from 1449th Airbase in Tambov city

Tupolev Tu-134

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 Warsaw Pact 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 852 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

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.

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. Then, 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 officially 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-metre (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 cumbersome 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 finally 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 spring, 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. However, 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. As late as early 2006, 245 Tu-134s were still in operation, 162 of which were in Russia. However, 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. However, 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.
  • 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 sizeable 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 : Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack 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.

Civil operators

As of July 2014 a total of 18 Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service. 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).

Former civil operators

  • Soviet Union / Russia :
  • Afghanistan : Ariana Afghan Airlines.
  • Bulgaria : Balkan Bulgarian Airlines.
  • Czechoslovakia : 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.
  • 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.

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 : Czechoslovakian 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 Brief description
14 January 1966 Soviet Union СССР-45076 Soviet Union Near Chkalovsky Airport 8/8 Crash of second prototype in flight testing.
23 May 1971 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia YU-AHZ Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia near Rijeka, Croatia 78/83 Aviogenex Flight 130 crashed on approach to Rijeka Airport located on the island of Krk, rough landing in bad weather conditions.
16 September 1971 Hungary HA-LBD Soviet Union Kiev, Ukraine 49/49 Malév Airlines 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.
30 June 1974 Soviet Union СССР-65668 Jordan Amman 7+2/84 Failed takeoff, crashed into buildings.
9 January 1976 East Germany DM-SCD East Germany Leipzig 27/34 Pilot failed to check rate of descent, crashed on landing. Later sentenced to 5 years in prison for negligence. Other crewmembers sentenced to three years.
10 July 1977 Soviet Union CCCP-65639 Finland Helsinki (hijacking) 0/74 A scheduled flight from Petrozavodsk to Leningrad was hijacked by Gennadi Sheludko and Alexandr Zagirnyak who tried to divert it to Sweden, but the plane landed in Helsinki instead. The hijackers surrendered the next day and were extradited to the Soviet Union.
16 March 1978 Bulgaria LZ-TUB Bulgaria Near Sofia, Bulgaria 73/73 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines flight crashed on climb out from Sofia Airport near the village of Gabare, Bulgaria.
22 May 1979 Soviet Union 65301 Soviet Union Near Liepāja 4/5 Overloaded plane failed landing in poor weather
11 August 1979 Soviet Union СССР-65816, Soviet Union СССР-65735 Soviet Union Near Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine 96/96 + 84/84 Two Aeroflot Tu-134s collided near Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine.
17 June 1982 Soviet Union CCCP-65687 Soviet Union Severomorsk, Russia 18/19 A test aircraft operated by the Soviet government crashed during landing. The pilot had ignored warnings that he was descending too fast, collided with radio tower
30 August 1983 Soviet Union CCCP-65129 Soviet Union Alma-Ata 90/90 Pilot ignored altimeter, crashing Aeroflot Flight 5463 on landing
18 Nov 1983 Soviet Union CCCP-65807 Soviet Union Tbilisi 8/NA Failed hijacking: plane destroyed when commandos stormed cockpit.
10 January 1984 Bulgaria LZ-TUR Bulgaria Sofia, Bulgaria 50/50 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashed on approach to Sofia Airport.
1 February 1985 Soviet Union CCCP-65910 Soviet Union Minsk, Belarus 58/80 The crew failed to de-ice the wings before takeoff, causing a crash.
3 May 1985 Soviet Union CCCP-65856 Soviet Union near Lviv 15+ 79/79 Mid-air collision with military An-24
2 July 1986 Soviet Union CCCP-65120 Soviet Union Syktyvkar, Russia 54/94 An uncontrolled fire in the rear cargo hold led to a crash of Aeroflot Flight 2306.
19 October 1986 Mozambique C9-CAA South Africa Mbuzini, South Africa 34/44 Mozambican Presidential jet crashed on approach during a thunderstorm due to failure of the ground proximity warning system.
20 October 1986 Soviet Union CCCP-65766 Soviet Union Kuybyshev, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia 70/94 A very hard landing of Aeroflot Flight 6502 caused the landing gear to collapse and the aircraft to break into several pieces. Pilot sentenced to six years in prison.
12 December 1986 Soviet Union CCCP-65795 East Germany Berlin, East Germany 72/82 After being cleared to land on runway 25L at Berlin Schönefeld Airport, the Aeroflot flight 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 February 1988 Soviet Union CCCP-65675 Soviet Union Surgut, Russia 20/51 Crew error while transitioning from ILS approach to visual landing resulted in the aircraft crashing to the right of the runway.
9 September 1988 Vietnam VN-A102 Thailand Bangkok, Thailand 76/90 Vietnam Airlines Flight 831 crashed while attempting ILS approach in poor weather when the captain failed to execute a missed approach at the decision altitude.
13 January 1990 Soviet Union CCCP-65951 Soviet Union Pervouralsk, Russia 27/72 A fire in the cargo hold resulted in an emergency landing.
27 August 1992 Russia CCCP-65058 Russia Ivanovo, Russia 84/84 Crashed short of the runway while attempting ILS approach.
21 September 1993 Georgia (country) CCCP-65893 Georgia (country) Sukhumi, Georgia 27/27 In September 1993, three Transair Georgia aircraft were shot down in Abkhazia.
9 September 1994 Russia CCCP-65976 Russia Zhukovsky, Russia 7/7 Mid-air collision with Tu-25M bomber during training flight
24 June 1995 Russia CCCP-65617 Nigeria Lagos,Nigeria 16/80 Overran runway in rainstorm
5 December 1995 Azerbaijan 4K-65703 Azerbaijan Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan 44/82 A maintenance error led to a double engine failure when Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 56 was taking off, causing the crash.
3 September 1997 Vietnam VN-A120 Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia 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.
24 August 2004 Russia RA-65080 Russia Buchalki, Russia 44/44 Forty-one minutes after taking off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Witnesses reported seeing an explosion in the sky, and wreckage was located shortly thereafter. Later investigation revealed that the aircraft had been destroyed by terrorist bomber, along with Tu-154 airliner on the same day.
17 March 2007 Russia RA-65021 Russia Samara, Russia 6/57 A UTair Tu-134 crashed about 400 metres short of the runway in poor weather due to air traffic control error. The aircraft then bounced and inverted.
20 June 2011 Russia RA-65691 Russia Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia 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.
28 December 2011 Kyrgyzstan EX-020 Kyrgyzstan Osh, Kyrgyzstan 0/79 This plane belonged to the Kyrgyzstan Air Company. A hard landing in marginal weather conditions led one wing to shear off. The aircraft went off the runway where it turned over on one of its sides. A fire then started with no casualties.

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Source : Article Tupolev Tu-134 of Wikipedia ( authors )
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