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Tu-124
	Aeroflot Tu-124
Role	Airliner
Manufacturer	Tupolev OKB
First flight	29 March 1960
Introduced	2 October 1962
Retired	1980 (civil aviation), 1992 (military service)
Status	Retired
Primary users	Aeroflot; ČSA
Number built	165
Developed from	Tupolev Tu-104
Variants	Tupolev Tu-134

The Tupolev Tu-124 (NATO codename: 'Cookpot') was a Soviet short range twinjet airliner of 56 passenger capacity. It was the world's first turbofan-powered airliner.

[edit] Design and development

Developed from the medium-range Tupolev Tu-104, the Tu-124 was meant to meet Aeroflot's requirement for a regional airliner to supersede the Ilyushin Il-14. It was very similar to the Tu-104 (merely a scaled-down version). The two were hard to tell apart when seen at a distance. It was not a complete copy of the Tu-104, however. The Tu-124 included a number of refinements, including double-slotted flaps, a large centre-section airbrake, automatic spoilers, and the extension of the wings' trailing edge roots. It also included a drogue parachute to be used in the event of an emergency landing or landing on a slippery surface and low pressure tyres in the event of a rough landing surface. It also enjoyed better fuel efficiency, being the first transport aircraft fitted with turbofans.

[edit] Competition Within The COMECON

The German Democratic Republic (DDR) attepted to compete within the COMECON trading bloc with its own four-engined design called the Baade B-152. The design was unsuccessful, leading Interflug to buy the Tu-134 instead.

[edit] Variants

Tu-124/Tu-124V: The first production variant. The international demand for it was small, because most foreign airlines were waiting to buy the improved Tupolev Tu-134.
Tu-124K/Tu-124K2: These were the VIP configuration. They were operated by the militaries of Iraq and China, and by the Indian Air Force.
Tu-124Sh-1: Military version used as navigator trainers.
Tu-124Sh-2: Military version used as navigator trainers.