RuAviation

In November 1986, the Tu-104 airplane with the flight number USSR-42322 made its last officially registered flight. On November 11, the airliner made a flight from Moscow to Ulyanovsk, where it took its place of honor in the Civil Aviation Museum in Barataevka.

The crew, consisting of experienced pilots of the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation (GosNIIGA), included Nikolai Pavlovich Volodkin, the aircraft commander, Honored Pilot of the USSR, G. Demenko, the co-pilot, I. Abdalasov, the navigator, V. Tsedrov, the flight engineer, and I. Ilyin, the flight engineer. They successfully completed the flight and delivered the airplane to the museum.

The history of Tu-104 operation in Aeroflot began in 1956, when the first flight Moscow – Omsk – Irkutsk was made. However, in 1977 the gradual withdrawal of this type of aircraft from Aeroflot’s fleet began, and in 1979 it was decided to completely stop their operation in civil aviation. The last flight with passengers on board the Tu-104 at Aeroflot took place on November 20, 1979, and on December 31 of the same year a ferry flight from Sheremetyevo to Pulkovo was performed. Up to 1981 the Tu-104 continued to be used by the USSR Air Force, but in 1983 the last airliner was decommissioned.

After decommissioning, several Tu-104s were installed as monuments in various cities of the USSR. However, the Central Museum of Civil Aviation in Ulyanovsk, founded in 1983, did not have such a valuable exhibit. After a long search, we managed to find the airplane in the “Salon” version on the Kola Peninsula. Although the cockpit and passenger compartment were in poor condition due to mold and rust as a result of five years of “storage” with open apertures, the engines were in good condition. A team of specialists from GosNIIGA conducted inspections and restoration work for three weeks to restore the airplane to its former appearance.

On November 1, 1986, the plane flew to Moscow, and 10 days later went to Ulyanovsk. Today Tu-104 with the flight number USSR-42322 is one of the valuable exhibits of the museum. Its interior has been restored and the airplane has been painted. The museum conducts excursions, during which visitors can climb into the cabin of this legendary airliner and feel the atmosphere of traveling back in time.

The history of the last flight of the Tu-104 and its place in the Ulyanovsk Civil Aviation Museum are important parts of the heritage of the Russian aviation industry. This airplane has become a symbol of progress and achievements of the national aviation industry, and its preservation and exhibition in the museum allow visitors to learn more about civil aviation in the USSR and appreciate the contribution that the Tu-104 made to its development.