The notorious Transaero airline story is still booming among aviation workers. For twenty-five years, the only private airline company in Russia has operated a large number of scheduled and charter flights. But the decline in Transaero’s income did not allow it to continue operations, and the airline was declared bankrupt.
Former competitor of the national carrier of Russia - Aeroflot, along with foreign Boeings, also used modern equipment. In the 2000s, Transaero Airlines purchased three domestic-made aircraft, the Tu-214, which are an analogue of the American Boeing 757, which by this time had been withdrawn from the company's fleet.
The history of the Tu-214
The Tu-214 aircraft is a modification of the Tu-204. It is capable of medium-range flights. The main task for the developed machine was the replacement of its resources, Tu-154. The development began in 1990, and completed the first flight of the Tu-214 in 1996.
For the first time in the manufacture of a "carcass", digital computing was used to develop hull and wing parts. In the final version, it turned out about twenty different modifications: cargo model, passenger, VIP-modification and so on.
The Tupolev Design Bureau made a breakthrough in the design of the Tu-214, since there were no analogues of such an engine mount under the wing plane. To reduce the total weight of the aircraft, designers used fiberglass and carbon fiber in the manufacture of fuselage parts. Sheathing of the vessel was made of large and wide sheets to reduce the number of joints. Since the Tu-154 made a lot of noise when starting the engines, on the Tu-214 model the moment of sound insulation in the passenger cabin, together with the thermal insulation, were worked out more carefully. The main emergency exits in the passenger cabin were designed in the amount of eight pieces.
Characteristic Tu-214
The Tu-214 airliner has an increased take-off weight - up to 25,200 kg, with a flight range of up to 6,500 km. The ceiling height reaches 12 thousand meters, while the cruising speed develops up to 850 kilometers / h. The pilot cabin accommodates two pilots and one flight engineer.
This is a narrow-body monoplane with two engines. The wings are swept in shape and are located quite low. A well-thought-out wing design allows this type of aircraft to make a safe landing in case of failure of both engines (for example, as in the 2002 incident, due to lack of fuel, the engines stopped working). The air conditioning system is made so that air is drawn from the compressors of the engines.
Special caisson tanks are used for refueling; there are a total of seven tanks in the liner. Also, the aircraft is equipped with an icing prevention system, and the wings of the Tu-214 are generally not subject to icing, according to researchers.
Tu-214 in operation Transaero
Three Tu-214 were operated at Transaero, and at the time of acquisition, the average age of the aircraft was up to 8 years. All sides came with one layout for 184 seats. Two-class salon - business and economy. According to the scheme of the Tu-214 cabin, Transaero allocated 8 seats for lovers of comfort and 176 left for passengers who prefer cheaper flights.
Salon Tu-214 has an increased legroom and luggage capacity. However, the disadvantages of Russian aircraft are the lack of entertainment monitors, in comparison, for example, with a Boeing of a similar model.
Economy Class Cabin Diagram
In the economy class, according to the scheme of the Tu-214 Transaero cabin, numbering started from 21 rows and ended with 51st. The economy cab itself is divided into three salons. The first row of the first salon, of course, is the most ideal due to the lack of an upright armchair, toilets and kitchen counter. The second salon begins with the second emergency doors, the hallmark of this territory is the 25th row, which was intended exclusively for the technical personnel of the company.
Toilets for economy class according to the scheme of the Salon Tu-214 Transaero were located at the end of the second cabin for 39 nearby in the amount of two pieces. Therefore, the backs of this row did not recline, and the noise from the lines prevented the passenger from resting. Also, according to the scheme of the Tu-214 Transaero cabin, 51 rows had a number of their negative features: there was another toilet and a kitchen counter behind it. The 40th and 41st (seats at the porthole) rows were considered comfortable, since there were no passengers in front of them. And the 40 row is generally intended for passengers with young children - on the wall in front are mounted mounts for the cradle.
Business Class Layout
According to the scheme of the Salon Tu-214 Transaero, the best places were in the business class cabin, this is the first and second rows. Eight seats, two on each side of the fuselage. Chairs with large strides and wide enough.
The toilet was not located next to the partition of the first row, so only the crew could hear the work behind the curtain. The economic salon was also separated by a curtain.