Military

Facts And Specifications About Tupolev Tu-154 Plane That Crashed In Black Sea

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The Russian Tupolev Tu-150 airline  model which includes the one that crashed in the Black Sea with 92 people on board is that it is a mid-sized commercial jet first flown in 1972 which makes it one of the oldest commercial planes in the world. It has been a large part of the fleet of Aeroflot, the Russian national airline

The specs of the plane, according to Airline Inform

Dimensions
Length (m) 47.9 48.0
Wingspan (m) 37.55 37.55
Height (m) 11.4 11.4
Wing area (m2) 201.45 202.0
Weight
Maximum take-off weight (kg) 98 000 102 000
Maximum landing weight (kg) 92 000 80 000
Operating empty weight (kg) 50 700 53 000
Maximum payload (kg) 18 000 18 000
Max stock of fuel (kg) 39 750
Performance
Range with max payload (km) 2 780 3 900
Cruise speed (km/h) 850 850
Maximum speed (km/h) 950 935
Maximum operating altitude (m) 12 100 12 100
Take-off field length (m) 2 300 2 300
Landing field length (m) 1 000 1 000
Engines NK-8-2,
3 x 23150 lb
D-30KU,
3 x 23370 lb

The BBC described the model’s use in detail:

The Tupolev-154 has for more than a quarter of a century been the backbone of Russia and the Soviet Union’s air transport system.

It has carried half the number of all passengers flown by Aeroflot and its successors in that time, with that number peaking at 137 million per year in 1990.

About 1,000 have been built, and many remain in service in Russia.

The aircraft entered service in 1972 and was “modernised” in 1986, with new engines and equipment to improve its fuel consumption and flight operations.

The plane’s safety record is similar to one of Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) most popular planes. According to Airline Reporter:

Contrary to popular belief, the Tu-154 was not an unsafe aircraft. According to the the Aviation Safety Network, the Soviet built aircraft has been involved in 110 serious incidents, 68 of which resulted in a hull loss, 30 of which saw no deaths. Several incidents were the direct result of terrorism or military action, poor weather and runway conditions, as well as pilot error and poor maintenance. Comparatively, the Boeing 737 has been involved in 159 hull-loss accidents, though over 7,000 737s have been produced.

 

 

 

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