Tupolev Tu-114

Tupolev Tu-114
Name	Tupolev Tu-114
Type	Tupolev Turboprop-powered Airliner
National origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer	Kuibyshev Aviation Plant
Designer	Tupolev OKB
First flight	15 November 1957
Introduction	24 April 1961 with Aeroflot
Retired	1991
Status	Retired
Primary user	Aeroflot
Number built	32
Developed from	Tupolev Tu-95
Variants	Tupolev Tu-126

Tupolev Tu-114. The Tupolev Tu-114 was a long-range Soviet Airliner and the world's fastest Turboprop-powered aircraft. Developed from the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber, it entered service with the state airline Aeroflot in 1961, setting numerous speed and payload records. Renowned for its reliability and performance, it served on prestigious international routes for over a decade before being succeeded by jet aircraft.

Development and design

The development of the Tu-114 was initiated by the Tupolev design bureau under the leadership of Andrei Tupolev and chief designer Nikolai Bazenkov. It was a direct civil derivative of the formidable Tupolev Tu-95 NATO reporting name "Bear" Strategic bomber, leveraging its proven Kuznetsov NK-12 engines and swept-wing design. The primary challenge was creating a new, spacious pressurized fuselage to accommodate up to 220 passengers in configurations that ranged from luxury sleeper cabins to high-density layouts. The aircraft featured a distinctive high undercarriage necessitated by the large propellers of its contra-rotating propellers. Key design and production work was carried out at the Kuibyshev Aviation Plant (now Aviakor in Samara). Its first flight, piloted by Aleksey Yakimov, occurred on 15 November 1957, demonstrating exceptional performance that would later be validated by records certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

Operational history

The Tu-114 entered regular passenger service with Aeroflot on the prestigious Moscow to Khabarovsk route on 24 April 1961. Its most famous operation was the inaugural non-stop flight from Moscow to Havana in 1962, which required a refueling stop in Conakry, Guinea, due to political overflight restrictions. The aircraft became a symbol of Soviet technological prowess on key international routes, including services to Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Delhi, and Montreal during the 1967 World Exposition. Piloted by crews from the Soviet Air Force's special flight detachment, it maintained an outstanding safety and reliability record throughout its career. The introduction of more efficient long-range jetliners like the Ilyushin Il-62 led to the gradual phase-out of Tu-114 services from Aeroflot's fleet by the mid-1970s, though some remained in government and military transport use for years.

Operators

The primary and almost exclusive civilian operator was the flag carrier Aeroflot, which deployed the aircraft on its most demanding domestic and international trunk routes. The sole international customer was Japan Airlines, which wet-leased a single Tu-114 for joint services with Aeroflot on the Moscow–Tokyo route between 1967 and 1969, crewed by Soviet pilots. The Soviet Air Forces operated several aircraft for government transport duties under the auspices of the Special Purpose Aviation Unit (Flight Division 235). No other airlines or countries purchased the type, limiting its operational footprint to Soviet-dominated aviation.

Accidents and incidents

The Tu-114 had a remarkably safe operational history with only one major accident and a few notable incidents. The sole fatal crash occurred on 17 February 1966 at Sheremetyevo International Airport, when a crew from the Soviet Air Forces misjudged their approach in poor weather, resulting in the aircraft striking the ground short of the runway; 21 of the 48 people on board were killed. Other significant incidents included a landing gear collapse at Pulkovo Airport (Leningrad) in 1962 and an engine fire that forced an emergency landing at Vnukovo Airport in 1963. Despite these events, its overall loss rate was low compared to contemporary aircraft.

Specifications (Tu-114)

* **Crew:** 5 flight crew + cabin attendants * **Capacity:** 120–220 passengers (typical), 170 in standard Aeroflot layout * **Length:** 54.10 m (177 ft 6 in) * **Wingspan:** 51.10 m (167 ft 8 in) * **Height:** 15.50 m (50 ft 10 in) * **Empty weight:** 93,500 kg (206,132 lb) * **Max takeoff weight:** 179,000 kg (394,625 lb) * **Powerplant:** 4 × Kuznetsov NK-12MV Turboprop engines, 11,033 kW (14,795 shp) each driving 8-bladed Contra-rotating propellers * **Maximum speed:** 870 km/h (541 mph, 470 kn) at 8,000 m (26,000 ft) * **Cruise speed:** 770 km/h (480 mph, 420 kn) * **Range:** 8,950 km (5,560 mi, 4,830 nmi) with max payload * **Service ceiling:** 12,000 m (39,000 ft)

Variants

The primary variant was the base **Tu-114** long-range airliner. The **Tu-114D** was a modified version with increased fuel capacity for ultra-long-range diplomatic flights, such as the Moscow–Havana route. The most significant derivative was the **Tupolev Tu-126** (NATO reporting name "Moss"), a dedicated Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft for the Soviet Air Forces, featuring a large rotating Radar dome mounted above the fuselage. A proposed **Tu-114-200** high-density version and a **Tu-114A** project with more powerful engines were studied but never built.

Category:Soviet airliners 1950–1959 Category:Tupolev aircraft Category:Turboprop airliners