Tu-104 - the first passenger jet airliner in the history of the USSR

In the 50s, no one in the USSR thought that passenger planes would become jet. This class was considered exclusively military. But the British designers back in the second half of the 40s decided to accelerate technical progress by developing their Comet-I jet airliner. The first flight of the model took place in the summer of 1949.


Naturally, the Soviet Union found out about this and had to answer. Moreover, the proud Britons somehow did not work out with the Comet. These aircraft entered commercial service in 1952. But a series of accidents, for reasons unknown at the time, led to the revocation of the airworthiness certificate. It happened in 1954. By that time, the development of the Tu-104 was already in full swing in the USSR.

The story of

Naturally, the rivalry between the USSR and Great Britain was not the main reason that prompted Soviet designers to start developing jet airliners. The fact is that classic aircraft with piston engines have ceased to cope with the passenger flow.


A new model was needed, mass-produced, with a large cabin, suitable for the Soviet civil aviation fleet of a modern formation. This was done by the two most famous design bureaus - Ilyushin and Tupolev.

Each head of the design bureau approached the creation of passenger aircraft in his own way. Ilyushin was sure that it was necessary to deal with fundamentally new models. This is what he subsequently did.

Tupolev insisted on developing an airliner based on military aircraft. The Tu-16 bomber was chosen as the base. In 1954, the Soviet leadership approved the designer's plan and work began.

Turning a bomber into an airliner

Interestingly, Tupolev was confident in receiving a positive decision from the Council of Ministers. First of all, the designers redesigned the fuselage. For a full-fledged airliner, it turned out to be too narrow. After modifications, the width of the fuselage increased to 3,5 meters.


The plane turned into a low wing from a medium wing. The first copies were designed for 50 people, although at least 70 were planned according to the project. In the end, modifications even for 110-115 seats appeared, but this was already in the process of mass production.

Tu-104 became the favorite project of the design bureau. Tupolev decided to create an airliner that is not inferior, even superior to foreign models. The first aircraft turned out to be luxurious both externally and internally. This was not approved by the Soviet government, so the production models already looked simpler.


Especially for the Tu-104, air conditioners and electrical appliances designed for cooking were developed. Yes, they decided to feed the passengers of the plane like in a restaurant! Moreover, Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev himself developed the menu, insisting that caviar and champagne be served on board.

A blow to the reputation of England

The first flight of the Tu-104 took place in June 1955. At the same time, the aircraft were being prepared for the series. Surprisingly, pre-production samples were built and tested by the spring of 1956.


Naturally, the new aircraft was also shown to the head of state, Nikita Khrushchev. Tom liked the airliner. Hearing talk that the UK also tried to implement such a project, but sent it back for revision, Khrushchev decided to "wipe his nose" at the British. The leader of the USSR announced that in March 1956 he would fly a Tu-104 on an official visit to London.

It is worth noting that the testing of prototypes was then in full swing, and they continued until the summer. Therefore, experts dissuaded Khrushchev from flying. He eventually refused, but instead sent a group of diplomats to the Tu-104 to prepare everything for the visit.


It so happened that the Soviet Union at that time was the only country that announced the serial operation of jet airliners. There were also skeptics who claimed that there was only one Tu-104 in the USSR. All British newspapers of that time wrote about it.

By the way, do not exalt the superiority of Soviet designers to the skies. Tu-104 was not even the second. Before him were:

✅ English Comet-I
✅ American Boeing-367-80
✅ French Caravelle

The Soviet Union began to send its diplomats on various Tu-104 aircraft. English reporters immediately came up with a new version - they say, the Russians deliberately repaint the side numbers on their models.


Angry Tupolev asked permission to send three planes to London at once. Having received approval, he did just that. After three Tu-104s lined up at the London airport, the British were forced to admit defeat.

Using

The jet airliner made its first flight in the early autumn of 1956. Tu-104 received the most rave reviews from both passengers and specialists.

It was decided to raise the level of civil aviation to new aircraft. Large-scale construction of modern airports and runways has begun. New specialized service vehicles appeared.


Every Soviet citizen who used air transport tried to buy a ticket for the Tu-104. Pilots also wanted to work on it - they paid more there, and it was prestigious.

The military and scientists operated the passenger airliner. Cosmonauts, including Alexei Leonov, trained on the plane.

Problems

At first glance, it seemed that the Tu-104 was the future of Soviet aviation. But the operation of the model showed that it needs serious improvements. Pilots often complained about instability.


Tu-104 began to crash. About the same thing happened as with the British Comet-I - no specifics. Tupolev and the specialists of his design bureau insisted that the point was the inexperience of the pilots. They could be understood - it is not easy to admit that your offspring was not perfect.

Only in October 1958 was it possible to find out the specific reason. This is the so-called "pickup", when the aircraft enters the center of the vertical air flow. In those years, aviators did not know about such phenomena, since propeller models did not rise to such heights.

Tu-104, piloted by Harold Kuznetsov, was abruptly thrown up, losing control. The car could not be saved, but the aircraft commander kept in touch with the ground until the end, telling about what had happened.


After 1958, the Tu-104 began to be finalized to prevent a recurrence of disasters. At the same time, no one began to remove the model from operation, limiting itself only to a ban on climbs of more than 9 thousand meters.

The production of the Tu-104 was stopped in 1960 - the Tupolev Design Bureau began to develop second-generation jet airliners. In civil aviation, the aircraft continued to operate. He made his last scheduled flight in 1979.

Tu-104 had the worst rate of accidents among serial passenger aircraft. But he was the first jet liner in the USSR, for which he took a worthy place in the history of civil aviation of the Union.