The Red Jet

The Russian TU-104 jet transport that landed at London last week (see FOREIGN NEWS) caused a furious uproar in the British press. One panicked commentator called it "a world beater." The Daily Mail called it "more advanced than anything likely to be available in Britain or the U.S. for at least three years."

Its specifications as laid down by Moscow: a range of 2,000 miles, cruising at 500 m.p.h. at an altitude of 33,000 ft., carrying a crew of six plus 50 passengers in first-class comfort, or 70 passengers tourist style. In emergency operation, said the Russians, it can maintain an altitude of 15,000 ft. on one of its two jet engines.

British air experts who got a good look at the Soviet liner were not quite as impressed as the commentators. On its 1,564-mile flight from Moscow the airplane averaged 440 m.p.h., and its top air speed, they said, might be 100 m.p.h. higher. This would put it in the range of Britain's Comet and the U.S.'s Boeing and Douglas jet liners, but well short of the U.S.'s B-47 bomber (600 m.p.h.).

The general shape of the TU-IO4 proves that it is a partial redesign of the twin-engined jet bomber that the West has dubbed the Badger. Like the Badger, its two engines are very large (estimated thrust: 20,000 Ibs. each). This is not necessarily a plus; Western designers, with that kind of horsepower available, like to split their power among four, six or eight engines to reduce frontal area per engine and spread thin potential troubles from engine failure.

A British air force officer who rode the TU-104 from Moscow reported that "it flew beautifully," but the experts were interested in the fact that its 33,000-ft. altitude is below the economical altitude for most modern jets. Beside each pale blue seat was an oxygen mask, and the crew called for replacement oxygen when they reached London--apparently the TU-104 is only slightly pressurized. Experts guessed that when it is flying at 33,000 ft., the air pressure in the cabin is 20,000 ft. (the average passenger begins to suffer from lack of oxygen above 10,000 ft.).

British experts concede that hardy Russian passengers, having no better choice, may put up with oxygen masks, but they cannot see how an airplane that requires such an antiquated procedure can become competitive outside the Soviet Union--as Moscow has announced that it shall be. (The Comet has an 8,000-ft. pressure in the cabin while flying at 40,000 ft.) Additional pressurizing to make the TU-104 comfortable for its passengers would require considerable redesigning and perhaps a damaging amount of additional weight and additional stress on the air frame.

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