Tupolev Tu-104 Tu-104B

The Tu-104B took the type one step further: the fuselage was stretched by 1.2 m — taking advantage of the newer fuselage of the four-engine Tu-110 over the existing wings — and fitted with Mikulin AM-3M-500 engines of 9,700 kgf thrust each. The cabin then took 100 passengers. It began revenue service with Aeroflot on 15 April 1959 on the Moscow-Saint Petersburg route, and 95 airframes were built, the largest series of the whole programme.

The specifications the English source quotes for the type are those of the Tu-104B: 40.06 m long, 34.54 m span, 11.9 m high, 43,800 kg empty, a maximum speed of 950 km/h, cruise between 750 and 850 km/h at 10,000-12,000 m and a 12,000 m service ceiling. Range depends on payload: 2,750 km with 8,150 kg of payload and 2,120 km with 12,000 kg, both with a 5,650 kg fuel reserve. At maximum weight the take-off run was 2,200 m.

Some discrepancies are recorded rather than resolved: the Spanish Wikipedia gives a range of 2,650 km, an empty weight of 41,600 kg and a maximum take-off weight of 110 000 kg, while the English one gives 43,800 kg empty and a gross weight of 78,100 kg; and on crew, the English data sheet states 7 against the 5 described by the Spanish article and by the English text itself when it lists the stations.

Most Tu-104Bs were later rebuilt to Tu-104B-115 standard, with a 115-passenger cabin and new radio and navigation equipment. Six were converted into Tu-104B-TS troop transport and casualty evacuation aircraft, and two airframes — СССР-42441 and СССР-42443 — became the experimental Tu-104E prototypes.