Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10017 posts, RR: 29 Reply 3, posted (4 years 6 months 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 1006 times:
Another reason is to house the actuators for the stab (similar to the DC-9 series).
And in military service (what both the 134 and 154 were designed for) ECM equipment and possibly other countermeasures can be easily placed in a pod like that, easier than having to dig inside the fuselage for space to string wires for antennas.
Sovietjet From Bulgaria, joined Mar 2003, 1875 posts, RR: 17 Reply 4, posted (4 years 6 months 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 934 times:
The Tu-134 "balkany" airborne command post has the special gear at the end of the fuselage. Other special versions do include fairings of sorts on the fuselage but they dont have anything but the radio antenna in the "scorpion sting".
Sovietjet From Bulgaria, joined Mar 2003, 1875 posts, RR: 17 Reply 7, posted (4 years 6 months 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 665 times:
The Tu-134 "balkany" is a tactical airborne command post the name coming from the Balkany secure HF communications suite that it is fitted with. The 'sting" in the back is identical to the "scorpion tail" on the top of the fin. Also features an extra 4 blade aerials(one on top of fuselage, top of fin, two under rear fuselage). About 40 glass-nosed Tu-134As were converted to Balkany standard and they seat between 26-31 people in VIP configuration. Eventually after the collapse of the USSR some of the Balkanys became obsolete and were reconverted back to passenger configuration just like this one.