How the Soviets One Upped The West: The TU-114 Story

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This video was made possible by Skillshare, home to over twenty thousand classes that’ll teach you just about anything. In the fall of 1959, an enormous Soviet aircraft races across the Atlantic. This plane is unlike anything in the west. It’s the largest airliner the world has ever seen. And it’s driven by four of the most powerful turboprop engines ever built.They can push the plane to nearly 900 km/h, which is faster than some jets. This Soviet airliner is about to make a big impression, because it’s headed straight for United States. In the mid-1950’s, the Soviet Union got a new leader, Nikita Khrushchev, and he’s unlike his predecessors. For one, he’s more open to engaging with the West. [Khrushchev] You’re a lawyer of Capitalism, I’m a lawyer for Communism. Let’s kiss. [Nixon] All that I can say, from the way you talk, and the way you dominate the conversation you would have made a good lawyer yourself. Nearly everyone agrees, Khrushchev is a showman, ready to jump at any opportunity to prove Soviet superiority. And in 1955, the new leader gets a chance to make an impression. Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland for a Cold War summit are the most powerful western nations, and the Soviet Union. As world leaders descend onto Geneva Airport, crowds are watching and cameras are rolling. U.S. President Eisenhower lands in a four engined Super Constellation. A large, state-of-the-art American airliner. And Khrushchev lands in this. A plane half the size of Eisenhower's. And he’s mortified by the optics because the Soviet Union and America are supposed to stand toe-to-toe. But small short-range airliners like the IL-14 are really the only type the Soviet Union produces in the early 1950’s. And that means that flying across the country’s vast territory can take over 24 hours, with multiple stops for refueling, making for a grueling journey. But, there is a Soviet plane available that can already fly these distances direct and in half the time. It’s just not an airliner. It’s a plane meant to be loaded with bombs, not luggage. But converting this intercontinental bomber into a civil transport will be fastest way get the Soviet Union a new long range airliner. Because the country desperately needs one, and Khrushchev's plans for world visits are expanding by the day Just weeks after the Geneva Summit, the Tupolev Design Bureau is given a directive to convert the TU-95 bomber into a VIP transport. Engineers will remove bombing and protective equipment and shoehorn two small passenger compartments into its narrow fuselage. Khrushchev would access his VIP compartment via a ramp at rear. Lucky, this frankliner wasn’t the only plane in the works. Because a second parallel project aimed to turn the bomber into a proper airliner. And to do it, engineers would keep the plane’s powerful engines and swept wings, but they’d mount them lower to accommodate a wider fully pressurized fuselage. The airliner would also receive new stabilizers, larger flaps and an entirely new nose gear. And the first prototype was ready in just a little over 2 years. Turns out, starting with a TU-95 strategic bomber, made for a pretty remarkable airliner. The TU-114 holds the distinction of being the fastest propeller driven airliner ever. It could reach an incredible 870 km/h.These jet-like speeds puzzled western observers. The 114’s turboprop engines are the most powerful ever to enter service, and they drove the plane’s enormous contra-rotating propellers so fast, their tips could reach supersonic. Also jet-like was the airliner’s 35 degree wing sweep and a service ceiling of nearly 40,000 feet. And in 1958, this was also the largest airliner, with seating for up to 224 passengers. Not until the Boeing 747 would larger plane take to the skies. But while the 114 was still undergoing testing, Khrushchev got an invitation to visit to the United States. And it would be the first ever by a Soviet Head of State. The Tu-116 converted bomber was ready to make the trip. But touching down in the United States In what was quite obviously still a bomber was one thing. Khrushchev would also have to crawl out the rear-end on a ramp. So he demanded taking the 114. But the airliner wasn't ready. Not only was the 144 still undergoing testing, there were serious flaws like hairline cracks which had formed around the engines. Still, Khrushchev was dead-set on making a grand entrance. On September 15, 1959, Khrushchev's 114 took off from Moscow to begin it’s nearly 8,000 km journey to the United States. Most of the trip would take the airliner over the frigid North Atlantic. So precarious was the situation, engineers even tested a mockup of the airliner in a swimming pool just to see how it might float in the Atlantic. Along the way, nearly every available Soviet Navy vessel was put on high alert for any sign of distress. And onboard, a team of engineers holed up inside the 114’s lower deck used special monitoring equipment to spot any sign of trouble But despite having to battle 160 km/h head winds over the Atlantic, the 114 performed admirably. [Reporter] An interesting and historic arrival and Andrews Airfield near Washington. The huge TU-114 airliner bringing Mr. Khrushchev on his first visit to the United States. President Eisenhower was there to meet the Soviet Premier. The last time they met was in Geneva, four years ago. Khrushchev got his grand entrance, and the enormous airliner grabbed headlines around the world. By 1961 the 114’s development was complete and the plane entered service with Aeroflot. Early versions were equipped with some pretty opulent and rather un-Soviet features. Divided into three-classes ranging from economy, to deluxe, there were large tables, private sleeping cabins and a dining lounge. Early 144’s even had a full size kitchen in the lower deck with a dedicated chief. The 114’s impressive range opened up Moscow to far flung destinations like Havana, Montreal and Tokyo. But while the plane’s maximum speed was comparable to modern jet airliners, the 144’s cruising speed was usually more modest to save fuel and increase range. And then there was the noise. This was one of loudest planes ever produced. Its four enormous turboprops would have made jet engines sound like a symphony. And the vibration could cause dinnerware to migrate right off the end of tables. But the 114 stood out for it’s reliability and relative efficiency. And it would go on to carry over six million passengers without a single design-related accident, making it quite possibly the safest Soviet airliner ever built. But by the mid-1960’s, airports in the west were filled with long range jets, not props. And the Soviet Union’s only long range airliner looked dated in comparison. In 1967, a new long range jet-powered soviet airliner entered service. And that meant that the 114 was quickly removed from most international routes and was kept flying mainly within Soviet borders. In total, 32 of these speedy turboprops were built, and they’d serve with Aeroflot for 16 years, until they were finally retired from civilian service in 1977. 3D modelling is a powerful tool. Because with it, you can create just about anything. And you’ve probably noticed I use it in all my videos. The modeling software I use is SketchUp, but there are plenty of even better tools out there. And the best place to start learning 3D modeling is SkillShare. Because they’ve got amazing classes that’ll get you up to speed in no time. Like Olivar Villar’s excellent introductory course on Blender. I’m working through his class to see if Blender can help me take my modelling to the next level, because it’s got some pretty powerful features. And that’s what I really love about SkillShare. With over 23 thousand classes at your fingertips, covering just about anything, you can jump right in and learn whatever is you want to learn, whether it’s introductory or something more advanced. A premium subscription to Skillshare, is less than $10 a month. And if you’re one of the first 500 people to sign-up using the link in the description below you get 2 months for absolutely free
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Channel: Mustard
Views: 2,923,028
Rating: 4.8935633 out of 5
Keywords: Tupolev Tu-114 (Aircraft Model), Airliner, World’s Fastest Propeller Plane, Turboprop, Commercial Aviation, Soviet Passenger Planes, Airplanes, Civil Aircraft, Aviation History, Tupolev Tu-114 Rossiya, Tu-95, Ilyushin iL-14 (Aircraft Model), Nikita Khrushchev, Tu-114 Airliner, Tu-116 VIP Transport, Тy-114 Poccия, Super Constellation (Aircraft Model), Aerospace Documentary, Kuznetsov NK-12 (Engine Model), Contra-rotating propellers, Propellor Plane World Speed Record, Mustard
Id: 22H8M8h6Hdo
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 10min 5sec (605 seconds)
Published: Fri Dec 28 2018
Reddit Comments

All of the videos this guy puts together are superb. Really nicely animated and narrated.

👍︎︎ 53 👤︎︎ u/yumakemedo 📅︎︎ Dec 30 2018 🗫︎ replies

Ah Mustard. All of their videos are amazing quality.

👍︎︎ 14 👤︎︎ u/Sodex234 📅︎︎ Dec 30 2018 🗫︎ replies

I love aviation videos and this looks like a well done one. Thanks!

👍︎︎ 6 👤︎︎ u/durgadas 📅︎︎ Dec 30 2018 🗫︎ replies

Excellent little documentary. Thanks uploader, that was 10 minutes well spent.

👍︎︎ 10 👤︎︎ u/justmike1000 📅︎︎ Dec 30 2018 🗫︎ replies

Google and read [or Youtube] about the Caspian Sea Monster. Very cool stuff similar to this.

👍︎︎ 6 👤︎︎ u/[deleted] 📅︎︎ Dec 30 2018 🗫︎ replies
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