Tag: Tu-16

Why The Tupolev Tu-134 Was The End of an Era…

20Oct

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Why The Tupolev Tu-134 Was The End of an Era…

A member of an aviation dynasty that could trace its heritage back to the Tu-16 bomber of the 1950's, the Tupolev Tu-134 never served as the basis for another aircraft, as other members of the dynasty had. Yet this wasn't due to the failure of the Tu-134 itself - it was continuously produced for over 20 years and 854 examples of the type were built in total, including two prototypes - it was due to the economic stagnation of the 1980's in the USSR and its collapse in 1991. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background In 1955, the Soviet Union shocked the world. That year, the Tupolev design bureau unveiled the Tu-104, the Soviet Union's first jet airliner, thus making it one of only two in the entire world - the other being the de Havilland Come...

How The Tupolev Tu-104 Became The Jet That Nearly Defeated The West

18Sep

By Salomón Marco1 Comment

Aircraft Digest

How The Tupolev Tu-104 Became The Jet That Nearly Defeated The West

Designed to bring the Soviet Union into the jet era, the story of the Tupolev Tu-104 is a story of what could've been. A story of how the Soviet Union could've proven the virtues of communism over capitalism, all whilst embarrassing the West on the international stage! Although it was the only operational jet airliner between 1956 and 1958, it was only the second jet airliner to enter service, after Britain's de Havilland Comet, which entered service in 1952 (and was later grounded between 1956 and 1958 due to structural defects). (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background During WWII, the Soviet Union (as with every other major power in the war) had been trying to create a working jet engine, and with it, a working fighter jet. Though they...