A record-breaking aircraft took to the skies in 1955. The Tupolev Tu-114 is a turboprop that can outrun a jet. It can also fly at the same altitude as a jet. When most people think of turboprops, they envision a short-range, slow-moving aircraft. The Tu-114, on the other hand, was unique. It was fast and could fly farther than an Airbus A300 or a Boeing 757. The Tu-114 can also fly nonstop across the Atlantic against headwinds.
We’ll now look at the Tupolev TU-114, the world’s fastest propeller-powered passenger plane.
The Tu-114 was based on the Tu-95 Bear bomber
The Soviet Union required a longer-range passenger aircraft in 1955. The Soviets only had short-range prop-driven planes like the Ilyushin IL-14. The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, a turboprop airliner with an 8,288km range, was available in the United States at the time.
The Soviets, on the other hand, had to start sooner, and building an entire aircraft from scratch will take time. They then realized they only had one aircraft capable of performing the task. The Tupolev Tu-95 Bear was the aircraft in question. The Bear, on the other hand, was a long-range high-altitude bomber, not a commercial aircraft.
Because the Soviets needed a long-range airliner quickly, converting a Tu-95 Bear into a commercial aircraft was the best option. The original plan was to convert the bomber into a VIP transporter. Tupolev intended to turn the bomb and armament bay into a passenger cabin. A passenger compartment will be crammed into the fuselage. This, however, would be too narrow, and the high wing profile would be inappropriate for a passenger aircraft. The Tu-116 VIP transporter would have been renamed.
However, another plan was being developed concurrently. The goal was to turn the Bear into a fully functional airliner. Tupolev will create a newer and wider pressurized fuselage to accomplish this. They will use the same Kuznetsov NK-12 engines that power the Tu-95’s contra-rotating propellers and wing, but they will be mounted lower on the new fuselage. Larger flaps, a new nose gear, and new vertical and horizontal stabilizers will also be used on the aircraft. The first Tu-114 took to the skies on November 15, 1957. It was first introduced in 1961.
It was as fast as a jet
During the 1950s, the Tu-114 was a technological marvel. It had the same 35-degree wing sweep as the jet-powered Boeing 707. The DC-8 has a 30 degree sweep. Four Kuznetsov NK-12MV engines with contra rotating propellers propelled it. Each of these had a horsepower rating of 14,795 hp. The aircraft had a range of 9,720km and a top speed of 870kph, which was nearly as fast as a passenger jet liner. The Tu-114 can also fly up to 39,000 feet. It has a capacity of 224 passengers.
This made the Tu-114 the world’s fastest turboprop.
The aircraft had a lower deck that served as a full kitchen on the inside. A dumbwaiter connected the lower deck and main cabin. The airline also had its own chef. A crew rest was installed on the lower deck of the Tu-114 because it had a longer range. It was equipped with four sleeping compartments, each with three berths. It also had a “restaurant” cabin in the middle of the aircraft, which was the most noisy part.
The Tu-114 had a 3 meter higher nose gear due to the lower wing and large propellers.
Jet-like services on a turboprop
The Tu-114 flew nonstop to the United States in 1959 while on a test phase, carrying then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Because the plane was still in testing mode, a team of engineers was on board, using diagnostic equipment to monitor the engines and ensure they were working properly. Boats were also lined up along its path in case the aircraft had to make a water landing due to mechanical problems. Khrushchev had to use the emergency ladder when he arrived at Andrews Air Base because the aircraft was too high for the conventional air stairs to reach the forward hatch.
The Tu-114 first flew commercially for Aeroflot in 1961. It was used on international flights from Copenhagen to Havana, Montreal to New Delhi, Paris to Belgrade, and Tokyo to Tokyo (in partnership with Japan Airlines).
The Tu-114’s cabin vibration and noise were significant drawbacks. When both were turned on, it made jet engines sound like a cat “purring.” The Tu-114, on the other hand, was a very dependable aircraft. It was also fuel efficient at the time, consuming 5,000-5,500 kg/hour of fuel during cruise flight. The Tu-114 had a good safety record as well. In fact, it carried 6 million passengers with no incidents related to design.
The end of the Tu-114 for commercial services
Most Western airlines were already using jet aircraft in the 1960s. When compared to newer jet aircraft at the time, the Tu-114 was completely obsolete. Ilyushin introduced a new Soviet passenger aircraft, the jet-powered IL-62, in 1962. The Tu-114 was then removed from international routes and was primarily used for domestic flights within the USSR. It then discontinued commercial operations in 1976.
There were 35 Tu-114s built in total. They spent 16 years with Aeroflot.
To date, no commercial passenger turboprop has outperformed the Tu-114 in terms of speed, range, and service ceiling. This is why the Tu-114 is still the world’s fastest passenger turboprop on record.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
I helped refuel the T-114 when it visited Heathrow in the sixties.
Nice article Mond, very interesting. But please don’t write kph, it is not correct doesn’t mean anything. Correct abbreviation is km/h.