The Russian aircraft industry is one of the oldest in the world. Our aircraft are original and often have no analogues abroad. Climate and weather conditions in different parts of Russia led to the need to create machines that are fully adapted to Russian realities. So there was a Tu-414 for domestic civil aviation. This is not just an airplane, it is a profitable proposal for the development of air services in Russia.
Regional plane by Russian standards
What are regional airplanes? These are, first of all, medium-range and near vessels. Most often they are small. As a rule, they are equipped with turboprop engines and have not the largest power reserve. This aircraft does not fit into such a framework; it is unique.
In the Russian Federation, the concepts of "regional", "local", "neighbor" have a slightly different meaning than in Europe. Russia is a huge country, and short-range civilian aircraft, like medium-range vessels, have a fairly large cruising range, are equipped not with turboprops, but with turbojet engines, and are capable of developing very high cruising flight speeds. In addition, our aircraft are distinguished by their robust construction and are capable of landing on airfields of various quality. Vessels must fly well in difficult weather conditions and withstand the conditions of Siberia and the regions of the Far North. Tu-414 meets all these parameters.
It is equipped with two turbojet engines that can provide speeds of up to 800 km / h, which is comparable to the speed of large long-haul passenger ships. He is able to fly over distances of up to 8000 km, which is a lot for nearby regional aviation. He is able not only to fly, but also to maneuver in the most difficult weather conditions, however, like all Tu aircraft. The characteristics of the aircraft allow, if necessary, to make a successful landing on a prepared unpaved or even ice airfield. These are located mainly in the Arctic region, and flights there are extremely rare. However, such an opportunity was incorporated into the aircraft constructively.
It all depends on the layout of the cabin
Tu-414 is a universal aircraft. The layout of the cabin can be changed at your discretion. The distance of its flight without refueling depends on how many passengers it can accommodate. So, with full tanks of fuel and 72 passengers and crew, the aircraft can fly only 3,500 km, which is also quite a lot for a short-range aircraft.
The maximum flight range (8000 km) is relevant for a special modification of the aircraft, which turns a passenger ship into a private business jet. For representatives of state authorities there is a special modification of the aircraft - the administrative Tu-414. In it, the seats are replaced with much more comfortable ones, and the mass of the side is extremely lightweight. The small number of seats on board, the ease of construction, powerful turbojet engines and a large supply of fuel allow it to fly very long distances. The same applies to special, piece models for wealthy entrepreneurs.
Continuity and rationality
Maintaining and maintaining airplanes with many unique systems and nodes is very expensive. It’s easier when the plane is built on the basis of another popular model. Most of the nodes and systems are interchangeable, and there is no need to build additional production facilities. Tu-414 is the successor to the Tu-324. This greatly simplifies the production and maintenance of aircraft. Many nodes are not just compatible, but completely identical. Similar aircraft controls and a high degree of unification in the cockpit can reduce the time for retraining pilots and the cost of this process. Due to the nature of production facilities, the creation of a significantly reduced cost.
Single environment
The development and production of all families of Tu aircraft is carried out by Tupolev Design Bureau. This is a unique enterprise. Like many world leaders in aviation technology, in our design bureau, ship development began from scratch. Original and unique aircraft construction makes this enterprise one of the foundations of Russian sovereignty and independence.
The history of the enterprise is not simple and interesting. This is not one of the corporations specializing in the production of civil aviation aircraft. This is partly a military enterprise. The history of this design bureau began with a snowmobile for the Red Army, and continued with the production of combat aircraft. The first successful models of military aircraft occurred during the Second World War and were copied from the American B29. Further aircraft of the enterprise were unique domestic developments, including civil ones, equipped with turbojet engines.
Modern realities
Currently, Tupolev Design Bureau is going through difficult times. Due to errors in the management and positioning of the enterprise, CB is heavily dependent on government subsidies. The company annually goes into net loss and is unprofitable. Even for regional airlines, Russian airlines prefer aircraft of foreign manufacturers, this is due to the fact that the Russians do not trust domestic aircraft construction. The image of the design bureau is undermined, and for a competitive existence on the international market, serious work is required to position the enterprise, and a modern marketing campaign is needed.