Tupolev Tu-124
The Tupolev Tu -124 (Russian Туполев Ту -124, NATO reporting name " Cookpot " ) is a twin-engine passenger aircraft of the Soviet Tupolev design offices.
History
Despite the superficial similarity to the Tu -104 is in the Tupolev Tu -124 to a much smaller aircraft, which was designed primarily to replace the obsolete IL -14 on internal Soviet lines. The dimensions of the Tu -124 are around ¾ that of the Tu -104, Tu -124 from the also differs by the much lower retractable tricycle landing gear. The machine is completely made of metal and has an air-conditioned pressurized cabin.
The standard seating the basic version was 44 seats. The first of two prototypes, CCCP - 45000 (C / N 0 35 01 01), who designed under the direction of Alexander Alexandrovich Archangelski Tu -124 was launched on 24 March 1960 First Flight. The second prototype, CCCP - 45001 (C / N 0 35 01 02), followed in June 1960.
Although two more aircraft were civilian identities, but have never flown and served as static test cells.
Construction
The Tu -124 is a continuous tape as a low-wing all-metal aircraft. The body has a circular cross-section and has a pressurized cabin. In the glazed nose cone is the work of the Navigator. The radar device is placed in a pan under the hull. The wings are swept back strong for a flight in the high subsonic range and have a negative V angle to minimize the undesirable high directional stability of the swept wing. However, this leads to a relatively low ground clearance and limits the takeoffs and landings in cross winds. Since the wings of material reasons in relation to the aspect ratio are very thick, there is a danger of Abwanderns the flow to the surface peaks and thus a reduction of lift. To counter this, at the wing top two boundary layer fences are arranged. The engines are integrated into the wings. The conditional this construction complicated introduction of the forces results in a continuous through the fuselage spar structure, which in turn results in a raised central part in the cabin floor. The wings have, on the ends of the aileron in normal type. The split flaps are externally configured as a double slotted flaps. To increase the resistance in the landing approach the Tu -124 has a body flap. The club-shaped panels to accommodate the main landing gear act in the interests of the area rule. The rudder is constructed in normal construction. The chassis is designed as a classic three-point suspension. The double- frosted nose wheel moves backwards into the fuselage. The main gear has four wheels in each case mounted on a carriage on wheels and moves rearward in the club-shaped coverings on the wings a. The design of the chassis, in particular the multiple tires and wide track of the main landing gear allow the use of unpaved start and runways. The aircraft is the first Soviet aircraft over bypass engines (ZTL ). The Tu -124 is designed for high airspeeds. The derivative of the Tu- 104 and Tu- 16 the end of the lead due to the non-optimum placement of the engines to increased vibration, which affects the comfort in the passenger cabin, but also the life of the assemblies of the aircraft negative.
Use
On 2 October 1962, the new pattern of Aeroflot on the route Moscow -Tallinn was put into service and convinced by its very good operating flight performance. The Tu - 124W, which had an interior 56 passengers, was the export model and appeared in 1964. Czechoslovak CSA bought in the same year two of these machines, which were supplemented in 1965 by another copy. The Tu - 124W stood by the CSA in use until 1972 and was then sold to Iraqi Airways, which began the machines in the Air Force contract for VIP flights until 1975.
The air forces of the NVA took advantage of three Tu -124, two of which were provided with interflight paint and marking. Barracks, the TG -44 was at the airfield Neuhardenberg. After the IL -62 machines of the Inter flight after the crash of a machine of this type had temporarily grounding, joined the Inter flight to capacity constraints. Therefore, the Tu -124 aircraft of the NVA were used alternatively to regular Inter Flight routes. All three machines were decommissioned in 1975 and sold to the Soviet Union. Under the type designation Tu- 124K 1966 three machines (K1, K2 and K3) were built with VIP facilities for 22 to 36 passengers, but not acquired by Aeroflot. They were purchased in October of the same year by the Indian Air Force and used there until 1978. In the Aeroflot Tu -124 stood up to January 21, 1980 in use when the last twelve machines were decommissioned. The Soviet Air Force used the aircraft type until 1981.
A total of 112 production aircraft were of the Tu -124 built.
The Tu -124 succeeded in one of the few Ditchings without injury. 1963 could not fully retract their landing gear, a Tu -124 Aeroflot after the start in Tallinn. The airport, however, was already closed due to fog, so the pilot wanted to land the plane in Leningrad on a gravel road. The pilot was instructed by ground control to consume by circles near Leningrad fuel to reduce the landing weight of the aircraft. Because of a faulty fuel gauge, the aircraft flew eight circles before the crew realized that was not on the displays of the fuel less. At the same time put out one of the engines. The crew was given permission to fly over the city in order to reach the Pulkovo airport. After exposing the second engine, the pilot decided to ditching on the Neva River, which was complicated by the standing in relatively closely spaced bridges. The 52 passengers were all off with a fright. The crew was declared innocent and blaming the airport authority was granted because it had granted an airplane without fuel a permit to fly over the city. Pilot and crew were honored with awards.
Several machines of this type are located in various collections, as in the Chinese Aviation Museum in Datangshan, in Simbirsk Air Force Museum and the Central Museum of the Air Forces of the Russian Federation in Monino. In New Delhi, a Tu- 124K is issued at the airport also.