FSX-SE The Soviet DC-9....(but, with the extra "chin")...??

[P_7878 6,609]

[Note: With recent (excellent) posts on Konakovo Airfield and Antonov Mriya,..I couldn't help but feel in the mood for a bit of "Russian" around here...🙂...so, here we go, with a set of images of an (interesting) Russian twin-jet (Tu-134). Of course, my subject (SIM) aircraft, here, is a Freeware version (and not a "highly-customized" authentic Russian version...🙂...), still, I hope you enjoy these, below, pictures of this (classic) Soviet jetliner.]

The Tupolev Tu-134 (NATO reporting name: Crusty (nice nickname...!) is a twin-engined jetliner, similar to the Sud Aviation Caravelle and the later-designed BAC 1-11/Douglas DC-9, and built in the Soviet Union over a period of nearly two decades. It should be noted that Tu-134 first flew on July 29, 1963, while the DC-9, flew first time, about two years later, on February 25, 1965. Of course, the French Caravelle was clearly the trend-setter (well ahead of the Pack) within this niche market of such short/medium-range jetliners, with first flight on 27 May, 1955. And, it was also the Caravelle that had pioneered the (rear-mounted) engine layout, that, later on, would catch the fancy of (aircraft) manufactures worldwide, including that of Tupolev (via the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev). Caravelle inspired Tupolev Tu-124A (prototype) was the precursor of Tu-134.

The LOT airliner variant (Tu-134A Series), shown in this post, is an (upgraded) version of the production model Tu-134, characterized by the distinctive glass nose and chin radar dome, see screenshots, (Side Note: I've always wondered what it must have felt like to be seated behind that glass "chin" during takeoff and touch-down...🙂...). Anyway, this (rugged and reliable workhorse of an) airliner, was, at one point, being operated by some 42 countries, with the major operator, Aeroflot, having used it, to carry a total of nearly 360 million passengers! But, now, it has pretty much disappeared from the skies, due to stricter noise regulations and operational safety concerns.

Here, I'm flying the (LOT) Tu-134A from Warsaw Chopin Airport (EPWA) to Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport (UBBB) in Azerbaijan. The flight heads southeast from Poland, through Ukraine, mostly over the plains, until, finally, skirting the (magnificent) Greater Caucasus Mountain Ranges in the northern border of Georgia. The last segment of the flight (and arrival) is after nightfall, and, it was a bit "eerie" overflying the (awe-inspiring) Caucasus Mountains, in the dark (see couple of screenshots), before descending into Azerbaijan/Baku.

For navigation, I've used a set of (nearly) equidistant (LAT/LONG) waypoints on the (single/custom) CIVA INS unit (GPS is not used). Also, for verification of INS mode engagement, I've (deliberately) taken off west (Rwy 29) at EPWA, before activating INS, for the (resultant) RHS U-turn (please see screenshots) back towards the southeast tracking of the FPLN.

Thanks for viewing...!!

[Drzewiecki Design(Warsaw/Baku)/Freeware(Tu-134)/REX]

Edited August 2, 2020 by P_7878

[DAH4062 45]

Oooh

Quite like me a Tupolev. So rakish...

Installed the PT Tu154 a few years back but never managed to figure it out. Saw all the Cyrillic text and gave up.

 

May I ask which model this 134 is?

[KrisJ 43]

Why to use unrealisticly western navigation systems when the freeware SCS Tu-134 is equiped with proper soviet orthodromic navigation devices?

[P_7878 6,609]

John, Alan: Thanks..!!

 

Rashid:

I guess you like (liked) this plane, then...!! BTW, good to hear from you...(from my Qantas post days)....🙂...(And, this is the SCS_Tu-134A model, as Kris said, above,...)...

You're not alone, there are, a "few" avid Russian Aircraft fans around in this Forum itself. As I migrated from (FS9->FSX->FSX:SE), I kind of lost all my Russian aircraft, some (probably) still linger in my FSX Archive, including a few wonderful ones, yes, recall, clearly, from many moons ago, flying the PT Tu-154 regularly, diligently following its (start-up) instructions, and using its (authentic) Russian Cockpit...(great SIM and good fun too)...had even made my own "cue-card" hints for the gauge-layout to make sure I didn't mess up...it was really not that difficult, I recall, after a bit of practice, as long as I kept correctly to the metric-system of numbers...🙂...

BTW, that PT-154 SIM is available now, I'd read, for FSX/P3D, and I've eyed it more than once, but, have not found the time (or the heart) yet...🙂...but, I plan to get to it sometime...(while, of course, at the same time, eagerly looking ahead, to the new MS SIM, to enjoy e.g. such scenery as these beautiful Caucasus Mountain Ranges, that I've referenced in my post, here,...that SIM will do justice to these mountains, I am hopeful...)...

[Also, note, there are folks around here (English Simmers) flying e.g. the (DCS) grade Russian planes, using full (authentic) Russian Cockpit, with their own "method" of making it all work...and, it's certainly, possible, I think, even for the layman like us...with a set of good "English" instructions...to start with...]

Kris:

Yes, correct, that's the way to fly this plane, in the SIM...! In fact, I recall, reading, just a short while ago, such navigational instructions in connection with (maybe) another Russian SIM aircraft...along with a good (English) Tutorial...

As I said, I don't have many Russian planes installed, now, on my FSX-SE system, but, I do like to fly these A/C once in a while. For this (LOT) one, here, all I found, ready at hand, unfortunately, had no [VC] but just a 2D panel with some Western gauges...So, to not use GPS...I added an INS just for myself...to make it a bit of challenge, at least...

I wish to explore the source SCS-Tu134 to see if it would work on my FSX/SE,...not everything in my experience, is transparent between FSX to FSX:SE...incompatibilities always bother me...this one is worth the study (and the fun), though, that's for sure...a very unique plane...! Thanks.

[KrisJ 43]

Switch to P3D4. Ther is SCS Ty-134 portover almost ready there, Il-62M in beta and couple of great soviet props available.

There is also a very detailed manual provided with Il-62M package where you can learn a lot about soviet style navigation including „their” INS - I-21. The only problem i have with Tu-134 is lack of RSBN manual available for this bird so at routes longer than 500 km i loose some precison.

[P_7878 6,609]

Kris:

Switching platforms is, individually, never that easy, for any of us...it has so many factors (pros/cons) to consider. So, it's not an option for me now. I'll immediately lose so many Payware classics, that, I love and fly quite regularly (not considering other financial factors...). So, instead, my game-plan is to acquire just the "new" SIM on a (separate) more robust system...(we'll, of course, see what our esteemed peers say after 18th...)...

However, for the SCS Tu-134, prompted here, for the first time, in years, I looked up the SCS Tu-134A-3 Download Website. Things seem to have improved there quite a bit, and it's now clearly marked as FSX:SE Compatible (and, with latest updates, the FSX:SE version is stated to be stable too), that's great news...(it does look like there is an English manual available there...plus that Engine start-up tutorial video is nice too....).

And, good to know about the problem, you've mentioned, with lost precision on longer routes, but, that would not take away from my enjoyment with it. As a non-pilot, I'm not that much of a stickler, as long as it is fun and (some) new learning...and, it surely looks like that to me...I'll give it a try...thanks...!!

Edited August 2, 2020 by P_7878

[Chock 17,769]

Actually flew into Moscow on one of those things years ago (when the Berlin Wall was still up and it was the Soviet Union and you would be followed around by security people. It was fun trying to lose them!). The flight was 'interesting' shall we say?

Which reminds me of a tale you might like. Some years ago when I worked as a trainer for Soho Editors (they train movie special effects, editing, stuff like that). One of our trainers got asked to go to Moscow to train a course. This was around the time new Russian millionaires were emerging in the mad post-Soviet Union era.

So, the trainer gets on a plane to Moscow, arrives, gets off, having been told he'd be met at the airport. Sure enough, someone is holding up a card with his name on it, so he identifies himself to the guy, who looked like he might have been an ex Spetznaz special forces guy or some such, who is wearing a shot-silk suit with a rather obvious bulge that is clearly a shoulder holster for some massive pistol which is ruining the lines of the expensive suit. He gets bundled outside the airport, into a black windowed limo, which speeds through the streets to some dodgy looking warehouse area. He gets bundled up some stairs in a warehouse, into one of those wood and glass framed partitioned offices. At this point he is starting to get worried as they haven't said a word to him and it looks very much like the warehouse might be for some really dodgy looking stuff too.

When he goes into this office, there is one of the flashiest, most expensive Avid Media Composer Non Linear Editing Workstation suites he's ever seen in his life, in the corner, with a guy sat at it (literally hundred's of thousands of pounds these thing can cost). The Spetznaz-looking dude points at the guy in the seat and says: 'TRAIN!' 

So, the trainer shows the guy how to use it, and toward the end of the day, Spetznaz guy turns up and takes him to an hotel, and says '9AM tomorrow', then leaves. the following morning he is picked up at EXACTLY 9am to the second in the same limo, taken to the same place, does the second day of training, then at the end of the day, Spetznaz turns up and takes him to the airport and drops him off without a word and gives him his airline ticket.

I've done some dodgy training courses myself from time to time, but never one like that!

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by Chock

[bernd1151 5,857]

23 hours ago, Chock said:

Which reminds me of a tale you might like

Oh yeah, I have a couple of those too. But not in Moscow, in Irbit instead. That's waaayyy east of Moscow, behind the Ural actually. And you get there in planes like a dilapidated Tu 134, you wouldn't dare to board today and stay in one star hotels (the only one in town, no hot water in your shower in February, but you got the Presidential Suite with a fridge full of wodka. The other piece of furniture in your huge room was your bed). On the other hand, you meet extremely nice, decent people, who invite you to a healthy breakfast with bear claws to eat and wodka to drink at 7:30 am and hey, how about a bear hunting trip, after the business session is over. That was four times in 1994/95 and I have plenty of pictures to prove it. From that on I do love Russians, really, I mean it, this includes dealing with them in business. After that my company got so scared of my Aeroflot adventures that they flew me into Irbit by private jet (Learjet 35). Now that was something I really enjoyed 😃  

Edited August 3, 2020 by bernd1151

[P_7878 6,609]

Classic stories to go with a classic plane...🙂..., Alan/Bernd...!!

At least you got to hear the roar of those Soloviev engines...(believe, they could have given a good run for the money to the JT8Ds of the DC-9s...in the noise department...🙂..)

And, talking about on board old work-horse airplanes, .I now recall, although, in more recent times (compared to your story lines),..being on a Delta DC-9 flight, around 2012/13, from Miami to Chicago (should have been almost a straight-up north route), but, we were forced to follow a rather circuitous detour westward, due to developing thunderstorms in the midwest (took us more than double the time)...but, what I recall most is the periodically varying pitch and tone of those whimpering engines...having made me vaguely wonder, they might just decide to stop even doing that....I think I might have been on one of the very last DC-9s (Delta would retire all their DC-9s shortly thereafter)...

But, those DC-9 planes, like the Tu-134s, were real work-horses, whose time had come and gone......

And, Bernd, the switch from the "dilapidated Tu-134" to the Company's "Private Learjet"...that must have been quite welcome, I presume...🙂...!

[KrisJ 43]

That „pitch and tone”!

I spent my childehood in 80s and 90s on Warsaw Okecie’s visitors observation deck almost each weekend watching and listining to TUs, ILs, 727s and Dc9s moving from and to the runways. These sounds stayed in my head forever. And these soviet turboprops: An24s and Il18s. They were heard form miles away during warm up.

[edetroit 933]

Great post with great stories!

I have never tried the Tu-134 simulation, I was always flying the Tu-154M which I am looking forward to again at some stage.

Where is Harald our resident Tu-134 Virtual Captain?

[Phantom88 3,287]

Another Great/Interesting Post with informative replies accompanied by Stellar Photos.

[HighBypass 2,339]

P_7878 - if you want to see what the view is like from a glass-nosed (glasnost? LOL ) Russian, then have a look for AN-12, AN-22 and IL-76 nose views on Youtube. No Tu-134, but still they give you a good idea! 

[P_7878 6,609]

Kris, Ed, Patrick, Mark: Many thanks for the additional comments...!!

Kris: Some, around here, call those "noises...eh...I mean sounds" by another name - "music"...🙂...as long as, I guess, one's fitted with ear-plugs...🙂..., but, I can understand, once you hear them, they will stay with you forever...! I've heard TWA 727s, but, never any TUs/ILs....

Ed: Thanks for your kind comments, and, coming from you, on a Russian aircraft, that's good enough for me...🙂...

Mark: Surely, need to check those videos out...especially the IL-76 one.....🙂...thanks...!

[HaraldG 559]

Wow, that --is-- a great thread with great pictures and great stories. My favourite plane crossing my favourite landscape!
Obviously, I came too late to "survive" such situations. When I finally travelled to the east, there was hardly any Tu-134 to spot except some military ones at Kiev and another at the scrapyard at Tbilisi. But nevertheless, they always looked somehow dignified.

I surely will come back to my Tu-134 cockpit later that year.