Companies

JSC “Tupolev”

Top Management

Shareholders of TUPOLEV (JSC):

• JSC “UAC” (90,8% of the shares)
• Private shareholders (9,2% of the shares)

TUPOLEV (JSC) owns 73,75% of the CJSC “Aviastar-SP” shares

Sphere of activities

Development, production and repairs of aircraft including dual-use aviation.
Engineering, manufacturing and repairs of military aircraft.

Current projects

Now the main trends of TUPOLEV’s major current programs are:

• further development of Tu-204 (Тu-204-100, Тu-204-300, Тu-204С, Тu-204-120, Тu-204-120С, Тu-204-120СЕ, Тu-204СЕ, Тu-204-100Е) and Tu-214 (Тu-214F) aircraft family programs;
• further development of Tu-334 (Тu-334-100, Тu-334-100C, Тu-334-100D, Тu-334-120, Тu-334-120D) aircraft family programs;
• development of regional turbojet Tu-324 and Tu-414 aircraft family programs;
• development of a next generation long-range aviation complex on basis of Tu-160 rocket carrier.

History

The process of formation and development of the Design Bureau named after A.N. Tupolev differed from that of other aircraft Design Bureaus. First of all, the Tupolev Design Bureau evolved as a fundamental continuation and realization of all advanced trends in the Russian aviation science and technology at the beginning of the XX-th century. The Design Bureau foundation was preceded by rapid growth of interest in aeronautics and aviation in Russia. Works of N.E. Zhukovskiy confirmed that. In 1909 N.E. Zhukovskiy started giving lectures on “Aeronautics” and led a students’ aeronautical study group at the Emperor’s Technical School. One of the students was a man of great intellectual capabilities and huge interest in anything new in aviation – Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev.

N.E. Zhukovskiy and his students, the first of them was A.N. Tupolev, after mastering scientific prognostication and relying on the experience of their scientific and practical work, understood that further development of aircraft construction was impossible without the organization of a solid scientific research base. Thus, appeared the idea to create a scientific aerohydrodynamic Institute.

Zhukovskiy and Tupolev addressed their proposal to N.P. Gorbunov, the manager of scientific and technical department (NTO) of VSNKH. The idea of the creation of institute was supported by V.I. Lenin. Thus, in December 1918, a unique Institute – the scientific base of aircraft building – TsAGI (Central Aerodynamic State Institute) has started its activity.

N.E. Zhukovskiy was elected as the Chairman of Board of TsAGI. A.N. Tupolev, being the first deputy, headed the Aviation Division of TsAGI. He leaded the organization of the Institute, realizing the ideas of N.E. Zhukovskiy into life. As a result, an Institute capable of not only giving scientific recommendations, but also supervising the development of aircraft-building branch was created.

From the outset TsAGI started to develop various sciences: light aircraft alloys, corrosion and protection from it; aircraft motors, strength of aircraft construction, flight tests methods and many others. Subsequently, some of these scientific directions successfully continued their development in specialized institutes such as the All-Union Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM), Central Institute of Aviation Motor Construction (TsIAM) and Test Flight Institute (LII).

After the N.E. Zhukovskiy’s death A.N. Tupolev together with S.A. Chaplygin (the new Head of TsAGI’s Board) continued working on further extension and development of TsAGI. In parallel with the main design work A.N. Tupolev actively participated in creation of the experimental base. The largest in the world for the time wind tunnel T1-TP was built according to the scheme developed by A.N. Tupolev as early as in 1915. On his initiative a test pond- towing tank was created as well as a laboratory of static tests of aircraft constructions, departments of operation, flight testing and fine-tuning of aircraft (OELID) and others. Until the last days of his life A.N. Tupolev took active part in the development of the experimental bases of TsAGI and other institutions called to solve the problems of aircraft construction.

In 1918-1936 A.N. Tupolev was member of the Board and the Deputy of Chief of TsAGI on the experimental all-metal aircraft construction. A.N. Tupolev was the organizer of the production of one Soviet aluminum alloys – duralumin-type alloy and semi-fabricated products from it. Since 1922 A.N. Tupolev headed the Commission on the construction of metal aircraft within TsAGI. From that time an experimental Bureau on design and production of all-metal aircraft of different classes, formed and headed by A.N. Tupolev, started its operations in TsAGI. Therefore, the date of the establishment of the abovementioned Commission – October 22, 1922 – according to A.N. Tupolev himself, was considered to be the date of foundation of the experimental design bureau of TsAGI – TUPOLEV Design Bureau.

The first Tupolev’s aircraft, small light aircraft Ant-1 (1923), was not all-metal yet, but the second passenger aircraft Ant-2 (1924) was made using Yunkers’ technology that predetermined certain awkwardness of its outward appearance. The following model was the all-metal reconnaissance aircraft R-3 (Ant-3, 1925). After its triumphal flights through Europe and Japan the world learned that the Soviet Union could build metal aircraft. And for A.N. Tupolev and AGOS TsAGI, headed by him, the success of R-3 became the beginning of all-metal aircraft construction in Russia (AGOS – the association of the divisions of TsAGI in aviation, hydroaviation and aircraft development areas).

For the first time in the world A.N. Tupolev not only scientifically substantiated the rationality scheme of a cantilever all-metal monoplane with a high “construction altitude” wing profile with engines located in wing’s socks, but also created such a unique aircraft as Ant-4, heavy bomber monoplane with two engines, 1926. A.N. Tupolev has developed and implemented the technology of mass production of light and heavy metal aircraft. Under his management bombers, reconnaissance jets, fighters, passenger, transport, seagoing, special record aircraft as well as aerosledges, torpedo boats, gondolas, power plants and tail assembly of the first Soviet dirigibles were designed. A.N. Tupolev has put into the domestic aircraft manufacturing practice of organization of Design Bureau branches at production plants. That fact considerably accelerated the aircraft’ output as well as the creation of Design Bureau’s own flight-finishing bases that reduced duration of the plant and official tests of experimental machines.

In 1932 the Plant of Experimental Structures was commissioned, simultaneously the Design Bureau moved to another building – to TsAGI Design Department of Manufacturing Research. By 1935 a rather efficient structure of the Design Bureau divisions was built with well-defined share of labor among them. Different teams were headed by Tupolev’s close colleagues – V.M. Petlyakov, I.I. Pogosskiy, A.P. Golubkov, P.O. Sukhoi, A.A. Arkhangelskiy, V.M. Myasishev and other designers whose names would remain forever in the history of Russia’s and world aircraft manufacturing.

In 1936 A.N. Tupolev was appointed the First Deputy Chief and the Chief Engineer of the Aviation Industry Directorate of People’s Commissariat oh Heavy Industry. At the same time A.N. Tupolev headed the Design Bureau and Research Plant, which were withdrawn from TsAGI, and named as a plant #156 within People’s Commissariat of Aviation Industry.

Throughout his entire creative way A.N. Tupolev paid close attention to the creation of new aviation materials. On his insistence and with his support light magnesium alloys – from the second half 1930-s; high-strength aluminum alloys for heavy high-speed aircraft – from the end of 1940-1950-s; heat-resistant aluminum alloys for supersonic aircraft – from the end of 1960-s were created and widely used. A.N. Tupolev first began to use chromansil (high-strength steel), fiberglass laminate and many other aviation non-metallic materials he also organized a special laboratory for research and development of technological processes production, serial implementation and creation of new non-metallic materials.

In 1937-1941 A.N. Tupolev and many of his colleagues were subjected to unreasonable repressions. Tupolev in custody worked in Central Design Bureau (CDB-29) of NKVD where he created “103” (Tu-2) front-line bomber. In 1939 within NKVD the structure of the Tupolev’s team was formed. It was that team that lead the Soviet aviation to success in the area of heavy and mainly heavy jet aircraft industry.

Milestone Tupolev’s aircraft that embraced of scientific, technological and aviation design newest achievements during the pre-war period were: Ant-4, Ant-6, Ant-40, Ant-42, Tu-2 bombers; Ant-9, Ant-14, Ant-20 “Maxim Gorkiy” and record Ant-25 passenger aircraft. Such aircraft as TV-1, TV-3, SB, R-6, TV-7, MTB-2, Tu-2 and the torpedo boats G-4 and G-5 participated in the Great Patriotic War.

During the postwar period, a number of military and civilian aircraft were created under the leadership of A.N. Tupolev (since 1956 he was the General Designer). Among them: Tu-4 strategic bomber, Tu-12 first Soviet jet bomber, Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber, Tu-16 bomber, Tu-22 long-range supersonic bomber and missile carrier and Tu-128 supersonic loitering interceptor-fighter. In 1964 a long-range supersonic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Tu-123 “Yastreb” was adopted, which became the first of Tupolev’s family of unmanned reconnaissance complexes.

In 1956-1957 a new unit was established within the TUPOLEV Design Bureau (TDB) to develop unmanned air vehicles: “121”, “123” missiles and Tu-131 anti-aircraft controlled projectile were developed. Works on “130” gliding down hypersonic apparatus and “136” (“Star”) rocket plane were also conducted. Since 1955 works were being under way to develop bombers with nuclear power plant (NPP). After Tu-95LAL flying laboratory’s flights it was planned to create Tu-119 experimental aircraft and Tu-120 supersonic bombers with NPP.

The first native passenger jet aircraft Tu-104 was built on the basis of Tu-16 long-range missile-carrier bomber in 1955. The first turboprop long-range intercontinental passenger aircraft Tu-114, short and medium range Tu-110, Tu-124, Tu-134 were followed later.

In late 1960-s the TDB worked on Tu-22M, a multi-mode long-range missile-carrying bomber with variable sweep, that became the basis of USSR’s Long-Range Military and Navy aviation. That aircraft gradually replaced subsonic Tu-16 and supersonic Tu-22.

The 1960-s passed under the sign of development of Tu-154 – the new medium-haul passenger aircraft, which replaced the first generation jet liners. Tu-144, the first in the world supersonic passenger aircraft (together with Alexey A. Tupolev), was also developed during that time.

Tu-154 mid-range passenger aircraft became a turning point for TDB in development of advanced passenger aircraft. For the first time TDB designed a passenger aircraft that was not based on a military prototype. That made it possible to highly efficient passenger aircraft with economic and operational characteristics on par with the best world’s analogues.

Tu-154 performed its first flight in 1968, and already in early 1970-s these machines were intensively operated on routes within the USSR and abroad. Till the end of the XX-th century more than 900 Tu-154 were produced in several versions. Tu-154M was the best version of Tu-154, its economic efficiency was significantly increased due to installation of advanced and more efficient engines and improved aerodynamics. Different versions of Tu-154 are still in operations in Russia and abroad.

Creation of Tu-144, the first in the world supersonic passenger aircraft, was a separate glorious chapter in TDB history. In the course of Tu-144 development a number of most complicated scientific and technical problems of supersonic passenger aviation were solved. That fact allows optimism in future progress of this aspect of passenger air transportation and especially in creation of supersonic passenger aircraft of the second generation.

Under the leadership of A.N. Tupolev more than 100 projects of air vehicles of different types were designed and developed. Almost 70 projects were realized in serial production.

78 world records were set on Typolev’s aircraft, about 30 prominent continuous flights were performed. A.N. Tupolev brought up the galaxy of prominent aircraft designers and scientists that headed aircraft different design bureaus. Among them V.M. Petlyakov, P.O. Sukhoi, V.M. Myasitchev, A.I. Poutilov, V.A. Chizhevskiy, A.A. Arkhangelskiy, M.L. Mil, A.P. Goulubkov, I.F. Nezval and others.

In the 1970-s after A.N. Tupolev’s death the Enterprise (from 1966 it was called the Moscow Machinery Plant “Opyt”) was headed by his son, Alexei A. Tupolev. Next decades the TUPOLEV Design Bureau was busy with designing Tu-160 the multi-mode intercontinental missile carrier for Long-Range Military aviation, worked on unmanned reconnaissance complexes of new generation “Reis” and “Strizh”, deployed research and development works on passenger aircraft of new generation that resulted in building Tu-204 mid-range and Tu-334 short-range aircraft.

Despite of all subjective and objective difficulties in life of the TUPOLEV Design Bureau and its personnel several versions of mid-range Tu-204 entered serial production and operation; the newest short-range Tu-334 was built, its tests began and maiden flight was done in 1990-s.

The TUPOLEV Design Bureau’s background is a story of designing and building heavy civil and military aircraft. All these years were characterized by successful solution of completely new tasks and creation of fundamentally new aircraft. It was like that with Ant-2 the first all-metal aircraft, a giant aircraft “Maxim Gorky” (Ant-20), Tu-104 the first passenger jet, Tu-144 the first supersonic passenger aircraft and Tu-155 the first aircraft operating on cryogenic fuel.

At the turn of the century the TUPOLEV Design Bureau was incorporated in to a new structure – “TUPOLEV” (JSC), comprising test facilities and a serial aircraft manufacturing plant “AVIASTAR” in Ulianovsk besides the Design Bureau.

JSC “TUPOLEV” became the part of “UAC” JSC under Presidential Decree #140 on February 20, 2006.

Current information on the company represented at:

http://www.tupolev.ru/Russian/Show.asp?SectionID=26