Quoting L.1011 (Thread starter):
Is the Tu-214 similar in capability to a 757? Does it have true transatlantic range? Hot and high performance? |
The 214 has transatlantic range. It has has a range of 6,700km vs. the 6,450km of the 753. The 204 has a little less at about 6,500km. It has pretty good hot and high performance, the Iranians are impressed.
Quoting L.1011 (Thread starter):
Is the Tu-234 a bloated, inefficient shrink like a 736 or a 318? Or is it successful like a 332? |
It was made specifically for the Far Eastern airlines of Russia for long and thin routes. Only 4 have been produced (all with Vladivostok) and they just ordered two more for delivery in 2008-9. It is basically a replacement for the
IL-62, but it consumes about two times less fuel and has a few less seats.
Quoting L.1011 (Thread starter):
How are they operating cost-wise? Do they match their Western contemporaries?
|
Well if we look at the consumption of the
PS-90A vs. the
RB, it is about the same. Afterall, the range on the aircraft only has a 43km difference.
I have not heard any major complaints about the Tu-214, except that GTK Rossiya was having problems with its autostart on the left engine (it would always start on the second or third attempt) on one of their ships, but after a C check, the problem mysteriously disappeared. Sibir was very dissapointed with their Tu-204's that they were unreliable and costly to maintain, but I can explain that easily - they only had two aircraft which are unique in their fleet. They only has some common components with the
IL-96 and they did not have it either. Ofcourse their operating costs would be higher! They have to have a maintanence division for two aircraft. And they had two extra engines lying around for the two aircraft.
Personally, I prefer anything made in Kazan over anything made in Ulyanovsk so I prefer the 214 over the 204.
Quoting L.1011 (Thread starter):
Is the PS-90 up to the standards of a GE, PW, or RR engine? How do the PS-90 and RB211 engined versions compare? |
Not really, the time between overhauls is shorter. Consumption wise with the RB211 it is nearly the same. But keep in mind that Perm has come up with an upgrade of the
PS-90A, the
PS-90A2. This engine has an increased time between overhauls by 40% which puts it at the same level as new western engines. But keep in mind, the cost of the engine goes up by about 30-50% in comparisson to the
PS-90A due to more expensive materials and alloys being used in the core, which also puts it near the price of a western engine.
It is a little smaller, the
TO range is practically the same. Don't pay much attention to the fact that the climb rate is sometimes shallower or that it uses more runway, the aircraft uses a computer program similar to that on an A320, and it tells them what to put the throttle setting to. I was onboard a test flight of a Tu-204-120CE a while back and we were climbing at maximum power at commercial payload (in this case, water containers simulating cargo) and I kid you not that was the steepest takeoff I had ever experienced in my life.
Quoting L.1011 (Thread starter):
Is there a reason it hasn't succeeded other than lack of cash in the CIS and old Soviet sphere and prejudice in the rest of the world? |
The main problem would be the lack of brains at Tupolev and Aviastar (the Ulyanovsk factory). Tupolev does not know how to market it's product, the capacity of Aviastar and the Gorbunov plant in Kazan is was too small and it takes them way too long to complete an aircraft (not as much with Gorbunov as with Aviastar). Lack of financing available for airlines wanting leases is also a problem. It also wouldn't hurt if Aviastar would built a plane on-time for a change. Basically if you want ot buy something from Aviastar, immediately add 8 months to the expected delivery date, if ordering from Kazan, add half a year. Look at how long it is taking them to deliver the Tu-214 for Transaero.
Another problem is that for all maintanence more than a B check the aircraft has to come to Kazan, Ulyanovsk or Moscow. Quite a pain if the airline has to haul the (empty) aircraft half way around the world for a C check. Or say you have a breakdown say in Miami, you will have to ship the part from Kazan, Ulyanovsk or Moscow along with the mechanics liscensed to install it. This means that your plane is going to be down for a couple days while all this goes on. Your airline has to rebook several flights, and it loses quite a sum right there.
Awesome flight deck. Roomy, great smart controls, comfortable yoke. Good price in comparisson to the same class of Boeing or A321.
I do not dream about movie stars, they must dream about me for I am real and they are not. - Alexander Popov
