Tupolev Tu-154
| Tupolev Tu-154 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tupolev Tu-154 airliner Tu-154M of KMV Avia at Moscow airport | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Airliner | |
| Crew | 3 | |
| First Flight | October 4 1968 | |
| Entered Service | February 9 1972 | |
| Manufacturer | Tupolev | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 47.9 m | 157' 2" |
| Wingspan | 37.55m | 123' 3" |
| Height | 11.40m | 37' 5" |
| Wing area | 201.5m² | 2,168.4 ft² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | kg | lbs |
| Loaded | kg | lbs |
| Maximum takeoff | 90,000kg | 198,415 lbs |
| Capacity | 158-164 passengers | |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | 3x Kuznetsov NK-82 turbofans | |
| Thrust | 279.6kN | 62,850 lbs |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 975km/h | 609 mph |
| Range | 5,280km | 3,300 miles |
| Service ceiling | m | ft |
| Rate of climb | m/min | ft/min |
| Wing loading | kg/m² | lb/ft² |
| Thrust/Weight | ||
| Avionics | ||
| Avionics | ||
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a Russian medium range trijet airliner. It remains the standard airliner for domestic routes in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union and to a lesser extent in eastern Europe and Iran.
Introduction
The Tu-154 was developed fom the twin-engined Tupolev Tu-134 to replace the jet-powered Tupolev Tu-104, plus the Antonov An-10 and Ilyushin Il-18 turboprops. It is sometimes called the "Tu-134 with everything thrice." It is designed to operate from austere gravel airfields, to be able to fly at high altitudes above most Soviet Union air traffic, and good takeoff performance.
Design Features
Its construction is sturdy, with fourteen big low-pressure tyres enable it to land on snow-covered unpaved runways without sustaining serious damage. Initially it has three rear-mounted Kuznetsov NK-8-2 jet engines, arranged like the engines on the Boeing 727 giving a relatively good thrust to weight ratio. The Tu-154 has the distinction of being the fastest airliner in service. It has triple bogie main undercarriage units which retract into wing pods and a rear engine T-tail configuration. The features make Tu-154 a reliable and economical workhorse. Close to 1000 has been built with requests even today for production restart.
Statistically, the Tu-154 has one of the poorest safety records. However, Tupolev 154's chequered safety record owes more to errors than technical problems.
Variants
Many variants of this versatile airliner has been built. Apart from the normal differences between weights and powerplants, the Tu-154 have even a couple of completely esoterically fuelled versions! Like it western counterpart, the Boeing 727 many of the present Tu-154 has been hush-kitted and some are converted to freighters.
Tu-154 / Tu-154A / Tu-154B
The Tu-154 entered service with Aeroflot in 1972. 3 variants, all powered by Kuznetsov have been built. The initial Tu-154, the heavier Tu-154A with more powerful engines, and the Tu-154B with a further increase in max takeoff weight. Tu-154S is a freighter version of the Tu-154B.
Tu-155 / Tu-156
One of the more radical projects based on this aircraft is the methane-powered Tu-155 and Tu-156. The Tu-155 prototype uses methane fuel for its central engine, while in the Tu-156 all three engines are adapted for methane burning.
Tu-154M
Currently, the Tu-154M is the production standard which first flew in 1982. It uses more efficient Aviadvigatel turbofans. It is far more economical, quieter and more reliable compared to previous versions. Aeroflot consistently achieves dispatch reliability above 99% with the Tu-154M, which compares favorably with current western airliners.
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| Designation Series |
Tu-143 - Tu-144 - Tu-148 - Tu-154 - Tu-155 - Tu-156 - Tu-160 |
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