Tupolev Tu-116

Tupolev · Soviet Union · first flew 1957 · airliner

The Tupolev Tu-116 was a turboprop-powered long-range airliner designed by the Tupolev design bureau and built in the USSR. It was a VIP transport based on the Tu-95 strategic bomber.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, swept
E — Engines	4 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Passenger windows cut into the fuselage behind the wings
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Four turboprop engines driving eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers
Shoulder-mounted wing
Passenger windows cut into the fuselage behind the wings

It was a Tu-95 with the bombing and protective equipment removed and passenger cabins behind the wings, with windows cut into the fuselage. One survives at the Ulyanovsk Aircraft Museum.

Specifications

The Tupolev Tu-116 has a length of 46.17 m (151 ft).
It has a wingspan of 54.1 m (177 ft).
Its maximum speed is 900 km/h (559 mph).
Typical crew: 7-8.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It was developed in parallel with the Tu-114, with the Tu-116 taking priority because of the numerous visits of Nikita Khrushchev to Western and Eastern countries. It first flew on 23 April 1957.

Variants

Two Tu-116s were modified from regular Tu-95s, serial numbers 402 and 409. Its internal code Tu-114D, for Diplomatic, later caused confusion with the long-range Tu-114D.

Where you'll see it

Neither aircraft was ever used to transport the head of state. After flight testing both were transferred to the Soviet Air Force and served for various purposes until the early 1990s.

Related aircraft

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