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Tupolev Tu-104A 1956

13.8k vonhubert  7.2 years ago

Finally a new model)
Tupolev Tu-104 was famous as a second jet airliner in the world to enter service and the only one in the air in 1956-58 (as DH Comet was withdrawn from service) and notorious for having the worst safety record in Russia and probably in the whole world at 16 hull-losses of just 201 airplanes ever produced, many with everybody on board ending dead. As communist party was never known for admitting their fails and due to most crashes were partially blamed on pilot error, the plane was not withdrawn from service like Comet.
Actually the problem was not really in lack of skill or negligence of pilots and designers, the plane was simply very difficult to fly. Chief designer Andrey Tupolev, one of the most famous russian aircraft designers (and a student of Hugo Junkers) was given only a year from start to mass production, so he decided to simplify plane a lot and used engines, avionics, wings and landing gear from a Tu-16 medium bomber. The plane appeared to be reliable as AK-47 technically, but lacking spoilers (or airbrakes of any other kind), with no adjustable stabilizer (thus making it very sensitive to weight distribution, which was not a problem on a bomber with payload in bomb bay directly in center of gravity), ineffective single-sloted flaps and virtually no automation, no hydraulic assisted controls (on a 75 tonn heavy mach 0.9 jet!) and facing busy urban airports with steep descent patterns, it often overshoot runways (though as it was built like a tank, only the pilots careers suffered usually). Furthermore, it appeared that elevator size was insufficient, so a plane with wrong payload distribution or facing updraft winds, became very susceptible to stall. This was only understood and corrected after 4-5 crashes... Luckily, later Tupolev planes (i.e. Tu-114, Tu-124/134), though having much in common in overall appearance and air-frame construction, received all the needed technical features and where known to be a lot easier to fly.

Has completely functional Flaps, Landing gear, Nav. Lights and some cameras. It is a 1:1 scale and weight replica. It flies quite realistically except for being a remarkably bad glider...

Controls:

G - Landing gear;
Trim normally about 1/4 up in level flight, but depends on speed, altitude and thrust.

AG1 - Landing parachute (activated after touchdown)
AG2 + VTOL slider - Flaps; (0% = Flaps retracted, 100% DOWN = Flaps deployed)
AG6 - Landing lights;
AG7 - Nav. Lights;
AG8 - Ground steering (sensitivity adjustment, when active - steers to the limit, when deactivated - steers 5 degrees, deactivate on takeoffs and landing, activate for ground maneuvers only)

Take off procedure - Trim 1/2 up, flaps 1/2 down, full thrust , take off speed ~ 170 mph.
Landing procedure - Full flaps, trim ~ 1/8 up, 70% thrust with full flaps, minimum safe speed 140-150 mph, over the runway drop thrust to 30-35%, deploy parachute (AG1) if needed.

Too heavy for mobile devices...

p.s. coming soon - Convair CV880, as it appeared to have very close dimensions, same fuselage diameter and wing form and very similar cockpit)

Spotlights

General Characteristics

  • Created On Windows
  • Wingspan 116.0ft (35.3m)
  • Length 132.9ft (40.5m)
  • Height 41.3ft (12.6m)
  • Empty Weight 58,435lbs (26,505kg)
  • Loaded Weight 158,015lbs (71,674kg)

Performance

  • Power/Weight Ratio 0.426
  • Wing Loading 27.7lbs/ft2 (135.1kg/m2)
  • Wing Area 5,709.0ft2 (530.4m2)
  • Drag Points 42613

Parts

  • Number of Parts 567
  • Control Surfaces 5
  • Performance Cost 2,701
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  • Profile image
    13.8k vonhubert

    @ForeverPie thanks a lot, its very pleasant to hear. Well, i've been playing for quite a long time, and simply starting uploading only when i've made something up to my personal standard. And my creations all are quite similiar, and all are tricky to fly, i intentionaly make them that way to be more realistic. But that way they do not get very popular)) btw, about the wings, check my Myasichev 3m, it has the best wings so far.

    7.1 years ago
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    101k Wallaby

    I am very, very impressed! For your rank, you are an incredible builder! I can safely say that you are just as good as me with details and specs, and better than me with wings. All of your planes are well done, 150% platinum quality, and I followed you!

    Just a little FYI to make your day

    7.1 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @JayJoeCc Thanks! But i found some mistakes (for example missing left cockpit wall), and some points to improve ( finally got idea how to make sychronised gear doors, plus made better eailerons). Stay tuned, probably will re-upload in several days

    7.2 years ago
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    870 JayJoeCc

    Nice plane man, i like it!

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @WalrusAircraft thanks !

    7.2 years ago
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    Majestic gear, Well done!

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @Supercraft888 totally agree

    7.2 years ago
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    @vonhubert
    Oh, okay, still, cra* shouldn't be a bad word

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @AudioDud3 well, i think a weeks ban is not that big of a deal, i post planes once in a month or two)

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @Supercraft888 i think so as well, its a bit too much

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @AudioDud3 thanks, Bro) But i barely care, it's was just funny given his "3 points" rating)

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @Supercraft888 that was not about you, on contrary, thanks for the warning! we were speculating what did Thenewowenbuilder reported about)

    7.2 years ago
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    @AudioDud3
    Geez, that's a bit excessive of the mods don't ya think?

    7.2 years ago
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    @AudioDud3
    No, it's not that I dont like the f-word, it's because last time someone put the f-word they were banned, and I DO NOT want that to happen

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @Verterium may be he had a bad day) or because there was a word f$@&up in the description)

    7.2 years ago
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    8,810 Verterium

    Why? @Thenewowenbuilder

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @Supercraft888 i did, but honestly, that was the most accurate description)

    7.2 years ago
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    This beautiful, but you may want to take out the f word in the description

    7.2 years ago
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    Reported

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @SimpleFlow thanks!

    7.2 years ago
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    106k SimpleFlow

    @vonhubert
    Amazing plane!
    I will spotlight tomorrow because I've reached the max today!

    7.2 years ago
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    13.8k vonhubert

    @XxcreedexX I tried to make it as difficult to fly as in real life, but failed)

    7.2 years ago