The fourth passenger jet airliner to fly (after Britain, Canada and France) was the Soviet Union’s Tupolev Tu-104. It first flew on 17 June 1955, entering service with Aeroflot on 15 September 1956.
Produced by the Tupolev Design Bureau which could trace its history back to 1922, the Tu-104 became the second jet in airline service after the de Havilland Comet 1. In addition to Aeroflot, CSA Czechoslovak Airlines also operated the aircraft.
Tupolev Tu-104 Video
Following on from last weeks video about the Douglas DC-8, we head behind the iron curtain and see how the Soviet Union entered the jet age. Running for around 15 minutes, this video will tell you all about the Tupolev Tu-104.
Tupolev had a history of basing their civilian aircraft on previous military designs. The Tu-104 was based on the Tupolev Tu-16 strategic heavy bomber, which entered service in 1952. The new passenger jet seated 50 to 115 passengers, with CSA having 81 in their aircraft.
Between 1956 and 1958, the Tu-104 was the only jet aircraft in service in the world. The de Havilland Comet, Boeing 707 and Sud Aviation Caravelle were all in flight testing during this period.
There are lots of interesting pieces in the video, such as the interesting stairs to get in and out of the aircraft. Some very strange looking cabin interior designs are there also, plus the parachutes to slow the aircraft down. It’s well worth a look!
Overall Thoughts
Production ceased in 1960 after 201 aircraft had been built. It continued in passenger service through to 1979, despite its poor safety record. A final crash in 1981 ended its career in the Soviet military which also ended its time flying.
As a pioneer in the jet age, the Tupolev Tu-104 should be remembered. Jet aircraft in the Soviet Union progressively became more advanced after this first foray into the technology.
Did you ever fly on a Tupolev Tu-104? Did you even know this aircraft existed? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Lars Söderström via Airliners.net
I was on board a TU-104A, Moscow Vnukovo to Simferopol in July 1979, one of last passenger flights. Was 18 at time and sent a postcard home describing the screeching of the engines and pilot’s antics of pushing the nosewheel on and off the runway repeatedly on take-off run and swooping low down over a dark ploughed field in Crimea before climbing up again, finally landing at destination airport with a great thump and then veering off onto first taxiway at high speed. Passengers all terrified, the pilots finally manifested, laughing their hearts out at the white-faced victims of their aerobatics. The legroom was enormous, curtains on the windows, a wooden toilet seat in a loo with a bindis view.
Wow, those pilots definitely sound like they were enjoying themselves immensely during the journey. Perhaps not the best for the passengers though, I can imagine you could be put off flying for life with a performance like that. That is certainly one unique experience you managed to have, in every respect. You’re lucky to have had the opportunity to get on board one of those! Thanks for the comment, enjoyed the read!
I think I probably was on one of these, though at the time I wasn’t enough of an aviation geek to have noted the type of plane I was flying on. The picture does bring back memories, though, particularly the placement of the jets on the wings.
It was in 1966 when I think I was flew on this plane. I was visiting the USSR (as it was then) in the summer after my first year of university, where I was studying Russian. I flew a BEA Trident from London to Moscow-SVO and back, and the internal flights were on Aeroflot. My domestic itinerary was Moscow-Leningrad (as it was then), Kiev, and then back to Moscow. It was an organized tour, organized by Intourist, as we were never far from the company of our Intourist guides/minders.
It was a memorable trip, and a time and place that no longer exists.
You would have either been on the Tupolev Tu-104 as featured here or the Tupolev Tu-124, which was the domestic version. They both look very similar. Either way, you’ve been on an aircraft that a whole lot of people haven’t, which is excellent!
What an experience to be able to tour the USSR during that time. It would have been very interesting! I’ve been to Moscow and St. Petersburg and really enjoyed my visits there. It’s an interesting country, but I’d say quite different now to when you went. Thanks for the comment!
I’m pretty sure I saw one once at ORY tho I could be mistaken. Love the in-wing design for the engines. Sharp looking aircraft.
It’s quite an interesting looking aircraft, so I daresay you did as it would have stood out. Thanks for the comment!