Tu-114 with jet engines?

[Tu.114]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

recently have I stumbled upon mentions of a planned jet-powered variant of the Tu-114 turboprop airliner, for example on the English Wikipedia page. This plane seems to have been on the drawing boards for a rather short time only, as the Ilyushin 62 was apparently conceived at the same time the Tu-114 turboprop variant just entered Aeroflot service. I only gathered that they planned to use 6 Kuznetsov NK-8 engines, but nothing else.

Seeing that some of You have a real doomsdays vault of obscure aircraft pictures, is there something out there like a three-view or just some further information?

Thank You in advance!

[TEEEJ]

The only image that I have seen is of a model. It is fitted with four engines.

See following link.

http://img.artknowledgenews.com/files2011june/Aeroflot-Tupolev-Tu-114.jpg

From

Art News | The San Francisco International Airport Museum Shows a Fantastic Collection of Model "Propliners" | Art Knowledge News (http://www.artknowledgenews.com/03_06_2011_23_32_34_the_san_francisco_international_airport_ museum_shows_a_fantastic_collection_of_model_propliners.html )

[Noyade]

Mate, I think the model is a Tu-114, but some scoundrel has nicked the props!?

Closer examination shows the inner nacelle continues onto the tail fairing holding the main undercarriage and the outer nacelle finishes on the leading edge and clearly displays the ventral oil cooler scoop as seen on the turboprop...

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/6081/aeroflottupolevtu114.jpg (http://img265.imageshack.us/i/aeroflottupolevtu114.jpg/)

[Tu.114]

Hm, this seems indeed like the turboprop variant without the props - it would surprise me if the engineers had chosen that bifurcated exhaust duct of the NK-12 on the planned NK-8 installation.

I would have suspected them to rather install the 6 engines in the wing roots (just like on the Tu-104/110) or maybe if the design is post Chrushchevs visit to France and his Caravelle flight in triplets on the tail - both configurations must look highly peculiar if chosen, and I would really like to see a picture.

[Noyade]

Mind you, if the engines were on pylons I think the look would be rather nice. Played with an old line drawing and if you do remove the props it has a kind of sleek looking jet-Constellation feel to it....:)

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5418/img068h.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/i/img068h.jpg/)

[TEEEJ]

Noyade,

I need to get my eyes tested! You are quite correct. :)

TJ

[Jim G]

Hi TU-114

I just joined the group here today and saw your questions on the TU-114.
The Soviets planned the "TU-114 6NK-8" with turbofans. This was suppose to compete with the IL-62. The TU-114 was flying in 1961, the IL-62 started operations long haul to Montreal in 1967.

There were ''only'' designs for the 6 engine TU-114....no prototype was ever built.

Jim/New York

(also, there is an Aeroflot Museum--opposite SVO-1 --cross the street, there is a parking lot, go through the parking lot and turn left....you will see the Aeroflot museum--I go there often)

[Proplinerman]

What an amazing story!

And "Played with an old line drawing and if you do remove the props it has a kind of sleek looking jet-Constellation feel to it....http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif." I couldn't agree more: some years ago I bought a Russian book (in English-can't speak more than a few words of Russian, let alone read the Cyrillic alphabet) on the TU-114 (a type I have yet to see, tho I'm hoping to go to Monino next year). Studying the numerous air to air shots of the type in the book, it struck me that, in flight, with that long stalky undercarriage retracted, the TU-114 really was a very graceful aircraft. And a turboprop airliner that was as fast as jetliners! Tho incredibly noisy outside and in I believe. And still, I think, the world's only turboprop aircraft with swept wings.

I know Khruschev flew in the first one built(?) non-stop, from Moscow to New York in 1959, for his historic first visit to the US, where the aircraft and this incredibly long range flight (in 1959) must have created almost as much of a sensation as Mr K visiting the US.

I think I also read that one reason for the development of the type was that when Bulganin and Khruschev (then joint leaders of the USSR, till Khruschev manouevered Bulganin out not long after) flew to the conference in 1955 at which an agreement for Austria to become a neutral country, with no more occupying troops; their transport was an Ilyushin 12 or 14; and they felt intense shame at arriving in a small two-engine aircraft, when US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles had arrived in much bigger and four-engine type, a Super Connie.

Khruschev was not therefore similarly embarrassed four years later when he flew non-stop from Moscow to NY in the first TU-114-quite the reverse. Except of course that the Americans, by 1959, were flying reasonably long range jetliners (the DC-8 and 707) by then. The TU-104 was no match for these and it was years before the IL-62 entered service, the Russians belatedly realising that they had gone up a blind alley with the long range turboprop TU-114. Neverthless, to me, it was a simply magnificent aircraft.

Also, quite a few years ago, I bought a pretty large (1:200) Western Models TU-114 in Aeroflot colours. A wonderful piece of work and if anyone wants to see a photo of it, I'll take one, upload it to my Flickr account, then post a link to it here. Let me know.