This Day in Aviation History
June 17th, 1955
First flight of the Tupolev Tu-104.
 
The Tupolev Tu-104 (NATO reporting name: Camel) was a twin-engined medium-range narrow-body turbojet-powered Soviet airliner and the world’s first successful jet airliner. Although it was the sixth jet airliner to fly (following, in order, the British Vickers Type 618 Nene-Viking, de Havilland Comet , Canadian Avro Canada C102 Jetliner, US Boeing 367-80 and French Sud Caravelle), the Tu-104 was the second to enter regular service (with Aeroflot) and the first to provide a sustained and successful service (the Comet which had entered service in 1952, was withdrawn from 1954-1958 following a series of crashes due to structural failure). The Tu-104 was the sole jetliner operating in the world between 1956 and 1958.
 
In 1957, Czechoslovak Airlines – ČSA, (now Czech Airlines) became the first airline in the world to fly a route exclusively with jet airliners, using the Tu-104A variant between Prague and Moscow. In civil service, the Tu-104 carried over 90 million passengers with Aeroflot (then the world’s largest airline), and a lesser number with ČSA, while it also saw operations with the Soviet Air Force. Its successors include the Tu-124 (one of the first turbofan-powered airliners), the Tu-134 and the Tu-154….
 
Source:
Wikipedia, Tupolev Tu-104: http://gstv.us/1S7eUfd
 
YouTube, Tupolev Tu-104 NATO Code: Camel: http://gstv.us/1S7fCc8
 
YouTube, Czechoslovak Airlines Tu-104 cockpit: http://gstv.us/1S7f3PP
 
YouTube, Поисковый отряд 22.04.2014. ТУ-104 (Russian): http://gstv.us/1S7eXHZ
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/1S7fTfe
 
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