Tupolev Tu-334

Type (Muster)
Medium-range airliner (Mittelstrecken-Verkehrsflugzeug)

Country (Land)
Russia (Rußland)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
ANTK Tupolev
Naberezhnaya Akademia Tupoleva 17
111250 Moskva

Phone: 007-095/267-2533
Fax: 007-095/261-7141

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 plus cabin attendants
Passengers (Passagiere): 102, three-abreast at 81 cm seat pitch or 92, with 8 seats in first class, four abreast.

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Progress D-436T turbofans
Thrust (Schub): 73,6 kN (16535 lbs)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 31,26 m
Height (Höhe): 9,38 m
Fuselage diameter (Rumpfdurchmesser): 4,0 m
Span (Spannweite): 29,77 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 83,22 sq m

Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 17,84 m
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 3,57 m
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 2,15 m

Weights (Massen)
Operating weight empty (Einsatz-Leermasse): 30050 kg
Payload (Nutzlast): 11000 kg
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 9540 kg
Max. zero fuel weight (Max. Masse ohne Kraftstoff): 41050 kg
Max. take-off weigth (Max. Startmasse): 46100 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Cruise speed (Reisegeschwindigkeit): 800 - 820 km/h
Cruise altitude (Reiseflughöhe): 10600 to 11100 m
Take-off field length (Startstrecke): 2200 m
Range (Reichweite): 2000 km with full passenger load

Price (Preis)
At the time of the first flight, prices in the range of 13 - 15 million US-Dollars were mentioned for a basic version, with an export variant maybe selling for 19 million US-Dollars depending on equipment.

Customers (Kunden)
No clear information available, but it seems there are ”letters of intent” for more than 100 aircraft. Tupolev sees a market for over 300 aircraft.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
Boeing 717
Airbus A318

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The Tu-334 programme started in 1986 with the aim to develop a modern successor to the Tu-134 and Yakovlev Yak-42 airliners in Soviet service. At that time, first flight was targeted for 1991 with first deliveries in 1995.
The team under Igor Kalygin finished the design specification in 1990. After the collapse of the USSR, a chronic shortage of funds led to numerous delays. Nethertheless, two airframes were built at the Tupolev works in Moscow. Transfer to the Zhukovsky flight test center was acomplished in 1993. The first presentation followed at the Moscow airshow in August 1995, but at that time the aircraft had few if any of its systems installed.
Finally, Tupolev has scraped together enough money to launch the flight test programme, though no more than a few flights seem secure at the moment. After a weather delay, the Tu-334 got off the ground on February 8, 1999 at 12.50 pm, for a 31 minute maiden flight. Test pilot Andrei Soldatenkov was at the controls, with Sergei Borisov, Yevgeni Kuzmin, Yevgeni Koudryatsev and Alexandre Philipsky also on board.
Certification is now targeted for 2001, enough funding permitting. It is said that 1000 flights are needed to cover the test programme. Production will take place at the Aviant factory in Kiev, the Aviacor plant in Samara (stretched version) and maybe at Taganrog. Also, there are negotiations with Iran on the assembly of up to 100 aircraft there from parts supplied by Russia and Ukraine. This deal, which would run for 15 years, could be worth 1,5 to 2 billion US-Dollars.
The Tu-334 is claimed to by only half as noisy as the Tu-134 and also needs much less fuel. It features a high proportion of composite materials. Many of its avionics are taken from or adapted from those used in the larger Tu-204. Also the cockpits are identical.
The Tu-334 could develop in a whole family of airliners, with specialised cargo and convertible versions as well as higher gross weights for more range. Also, a stretched version is dubbed the Tu-354. It would seat 126 in an all-tourist layout or 110, with 8 of them in first class, four abreast.

Last updated 16. January 1999

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