Tupolev Tu-114 for FS2004

Credits

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Package structure

You must install the package in the following order:
  1. The base package ("Khrushchev livery")
  2. Other packages ("Aeroflot-JAL" and "Aeroflot 70-ies") in any order
The base package installs the first Tu-114 (CCCP-L5611): the model (120-seats cabin), the livery, the sounds, the panel and flight dynamics files. It installs this documentation too.

Each other package adds a new livery and a new model. The package "Aeroflot-JAL" installs the standard Tu-114 livery in the 60-ies and the model with 105-seats cabin as was used in joint Aeroflot-JAL flights. The package "Aeroflot 70-ies" installs the standard Aeroflot livery in the 70-ies and the model with 220-seats cabin as was used in domestic flights.

Finally, the military version Tu-126 (AWACS) will also be available little time later. It differs from Tu-114 in many points: longer fuselage (because of an antenna coque in the rear), AWACS equipment (a turning plate), some more antennas and radars coques, additional cabin on the top of the fuselage, equipment for airborne refuelling and more... It has, of course, a different paint scheme, has a slightly different cockpit and no passenger cabin. The instruments panel is different too.

Visual model

Developped with FSDS2.24, from summer 2003 to summer 2004, the visual model is intented to be as accurate as possible. Special attention is paid to unique Tu-114 features like counter-rotating propellers, complex landing gears, cabin windows. Propellers are auto-feathering, they feather when the engines are off and the aircraft is airborne. Each main landing gear has not less than 26 animated parts and a dozen of dependent moving parts. The stabilizer has variable pitch, it is bounded to flaps deployment. Passenger doors are animated too, but not cargo doors (intentionally). Landing light deployment is animated. When landing lights are retracted they go off but taxi lights can still be used.

The virtual interior model is the most intresting part of the package. You must have the ActiveCamera plugin to be able to visit the passenger cabin. Otherwise you'll be limited to the cockpit. Sometimes the Active Camera refuses to move. Try switching to the 2D panel, then back to the VC. Now the Active Camera should normally work well. Animated parts in the cockpit include yokes, pedals, thrust levers, parking brake handles, propellers pitch levers, flaps and gears levers and opening windows. The front passenger door is also animated, as well as the handle

Since the interior model is huge, we had to save polygons. So we have ommited few places of the cabin: lavatories and the rear entries. The rest is present. Dynamic wing views are there too. From nose to tail, you'll pass through: the cockpit, the front entry, the front passenger cabin, the front wardrobe, the restaurant, the kitchen relay, a small service compartment and a stairway to the lower deck, the sleeping compartments and finally the rear passenger cabin. As you walk through the cabins, you'll easily find two Pravda newspapers, try to find the third one!

Textures

We tried to use the less possible number of texture files, so the mappings are densely fit. Even after this effort of economy, textures take much place and can be slow to show up depending on your hardware. Exterior 32-bit textures use alpha-channel for reflections and _L files for light mapping. Interior 32-bit textures use alpha-channel for transparency and _LM night extensions.

The package contains only one livery - the first unit CCCP-L5611. Including other liveries in the package would make the package size grow dramatically. Other liveries are available for separate download - standard Tu-114 mid-sixties livery with Japan Air Lines (CCCP-76490) and standard Aeroflot 70-ies livery (CCCP-76464). AWACS version Tu-126 will be available a little time later than the rest of the liveries. The additional liveries come together with different cabin layouts. Standard Tu-114 has a 120-seats cabin. Aeroflot-JAL model has a 105-seats cabin - the front cabin becomes first-class and 6-abreast seats are replaced by 4-abreast larger seats. Late Aeroflot livery comes with the domestic variant for 220 seats (alternatively 6- and 7-abreast) completely changed inside - no more restaurant, no more sleeping compartments. Since this variant is too huge in terms of polygon count, some concessions have been made to simplify the model: in this variant, the cabin windows animation is deactivated and propeller auto-feathering is not visible from the cabin.


First, standard Tu-114 and Aeroflot 70-ies liveries.

Animations

Keys assignments: There is neither spoilers nor braking parachute on Tu-114.

Flight Dynamics

We dispose of lot of Tupolev Tu-114 technical specifications. So we've tried to match the model behaviour as close as possible to the real characteristics. Unfortunately, we can't find a real Tu-114 pilot to test the dynamics (as we did for An-24) since the plane has been retired 30 years ago. However, some pilots wrote books describing quite precisely their feelings when flying Tu-114 and we've take those memories in account to simulate the particular behaviour of such a heavy aircraft.

Sounds

WAV sound files come from two freeware sound packs: Tu-95 sounds by ??? and Tu-95 sounds by Ellis. These sounds are combined to reproduce with maximum fidelity the authentic bass roar of NK-12 engines. You'll hear as well the rumble of relatively slow counter-rotating propellers as the whistle of jet turbines moving them.