NATO uses a system of code names , called reporting names , to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states , former Warsaw Pact countries, China , and other countries. The system assists military communications by providing short, one or two-syllable names, as alternatives to the precise proper names , which may be easily confused under operational conditions or are unknown in the Western world .
24-665: The Tupolev Tu-124 ( NATO reporting name : Cookpot ) is a 56-passenger short-range twin-jet airliner built in the Soviet Union . It was the Soviet Union's first operational airliner powered by turbofan engines. Developed from the medium-range Tupolev Tu-104 jetliner , the Tu-124 was meant to meet Aeroflot 's requirement for a regional airliner/jetliner to replace the Ilyushin Il-14 on domestic routes. Resembling
48-458: A 75% scaled-down Tu-104, the two were hard to tell apart at a distance but it was not a complete copy of the Tu-104. The Tu-124 had a number of refinements, including double-slotted flaps, a large center-section airbrake and automatic spoilers. Unlike the Tu-104, the wing trailing edge inboard of the undercarriage was unswept. The Tu-124 had a drogue parachute similar to those on fighter jets like
72-613: A VIP configuration, and designated Tu-124K. However, Aeroflot never placed them into service, and they were purchased by the Indian Air Force . A number were also sold to military users, including the Soviet Air Force , which used them as navigational trainers, and to the Chinese Air Force . A total of 164 Tu-124s were built. Issues with the safety of the Tu-104 affected the fate of the Tu-124, although
96-672: A bomber aircraft refers to the Tupolev Tu-95 , or "Fulcrum" for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighter aircraft. For fixed-wing aircraft, one-syllable names are used for propeller aircraft and two-syllable names for aircraft with jet engines. This distinction is not made for helicopters. Before the 1980s, reporting names for submarines were taken from the NATO spelling alphabet . Modifications of existing designs were given descriptive terms, such as " Whiskey Long Bin ". From
120-503: A library containing books, films, and photos is also accessible to visitors. The Central Air Force Museum is located on the grounds of the Gagarin Air Force Academy on the site of the former Monino Airfield , 40 km (25 mi) east of Moscow . The origins of the museum go back to 1940 when the village of Monino was selected to be the location of what is now the Gagarin Air Force Academy . The museum itself
144-584: A new hangar had been built to house the World War II aircraft. In 2016, it was reported that the museum was to close, with the exhibits being transferred to Patriot Park . New halls with the modern equipment for exhibitions were built. However, a new exhibition hall was opened in February 2020. The museum contains a range of aircraft, both domestic and foreign, including military, civil and special purpose. The museum also houses associated pieces, such as
168-566: Is an aviation museum in Monino , Moscow Oblast , Russia . A branch of the Central Armed Forces Museum , it is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Soviet aircraft , with a collection including 173 aircraft and 127 aircraft engines on display. The museum also features additional displays, including Cold War -era American espionage equipment, weapons, instruments, uniforms , artwork, and
192-752: Is in the museum of the Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (formerly the Tu-124 manufacturer Factory 135), another is in China's Datangshan aviation museum in Beijing , another at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino outside Moscow. A Tu-124K is on display at New Delhi Airport and next to the State Museum at Lucknow Zoo. A total of fifteen Tu-124s were written off in crashes during
216-732: The Five Eyes Air Force Interoperability Council (AFIC), previously known as the Air Standardization Coordinating Committee (ASCC), which is separate from NATO . Based in Washington DC, AFIC comprises representatives from the militaries of three NATO members (Canada, the United Kingdom and United States) and two non-NATO countries (Australia and New Zealand). When the system was introduced in
240-553: The Lockheed Martin F-16 , Chengdu J-10 , Avro Vulcan , and Lockheed Martin SR-71 to be used in an emergency landing or landing on a slippery surface and had low pressure tires for operation from unpaved airfields. As on the Tu-104 the engines were installed in the wing roots, but the turbofan engines used less fuel. The installation of the engines close to the fuselage allowed vibrations to be more readily transmitted to
264-484: The 1950s, reporting names also implicitly designated potentially hostile aircraft. However, since the end of the Cold War, some NATO air forces have operated various aircraft types with reporting names (e.g. the "Fulcrum" Mikoyan MiG-29 ). The United States Department of Defense (DOD) expands on the NATO reporting names in some cases. NATO refers to surface-to-air missile systems mounted on ships or submarines with
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#1732772978183288-650: The 1980s, new designs were given names derived from Russian words, such as " Akula ", or "shark". These names did not correspond to the Soviet names. Coincidentally, "Akula", which was assigned to an attack submarine by NATO, was the actual Soviet name for the ballistic missile submarine NATO named " Typhoon-class ". The NATO names for submarines of the People's Republic of China are taken from Chinese dynasties . Central Air Force Museum The Central Air Force Museum ( Russian : Центральный музей Военно-воздушных сил РФ )
312-604: The East German airline Interflug being the only airlines other than Aeroflot that bought the Tu-124 new, although ČSA sold its surviving Tu-124s to Iraqi Airways for use on VIP flights in 1973. Interflug used its three Tu-124s as an alternative to the Ilyushin Il-62 , when the Il-62s were grounded due to mechanical issues. All three were sold back to the Soviet Union in 1975. Three airframes were completed in 1966 in
336-513: The NATO names, preferring a native Russian nickname. An exception was that Soviet airmen appreciated the MiG-29 's codename "Fulcrum", as an indication of its pivotal role in Soviet air defence. To reduce the risk of confusion, unusual or made-up names are allocated, the idea being that the names chosen are unlikely to occur in normal conversation and are easier to memorise. For fixed-wing aircraft,
360-598: The aircraft's close air support role. Transports have names starting with "C" (for "cargo"), resulting in names like "Condor" for the Antonov An-124 or "Candid" for the Ilyushin Il-76 . The initial letter of the name indicates the use of that equipment. The alphanumeric designations (eg AA-2) are assigned by the Department of Defense . The first letter indicates the type of aircraft, e.g., "Bear" for
384-459: The cabin, which reduced passenger comfort, and also reduced the fatigue life of the wing assembly. The standard seating of the basic version was 44 seats. The first of two prototype, SSSR-45000 (C/N 0350101) made its first flight from Zhukovsky airfield on 24 March 1960. The second prototype, SSSR-45001 (C/N 0350102), followed in June 1960. Two other airframes served as a static test cells. Testing
408-432: The end of 1962. The improved Tu-124V, which could seat 56 passengers instead of the 44 of the original model, and which had increased range and maximum takeoff weight, came into service in 1964. An Aeroflot Tu-124V was exhibited at the 1965 Paris Air Show . Despite the aircraft's low purchase price (stated as $ 1.45 million in 1965) and low operating costs, few were exported, with Československé Státní Aerolinie (ČSA) and
432-489: The number of syllables indicates the type of the aircraft's engine. Single-syllable code names denote reciprocating engine or turboprop , while two-syllable code names denote jet engine . Bombers have names starting with the letter "B", and names like "Badger" ( Tupolev Tu-16 ), "Blackjack" ( Tupolev Tu-160 ) and "Bear" ( Tupolev Tu-95 ) have been used. "Frogfoot", the reporting name for the Sukhoi Su-25 , references
456-600: The reliability of the Tu-124 was slightly better. Production ended in 1965 and Aeroflot decommissioned its last twelve Tu-124s on 21 January 1980. The Tu-124 continued in operation for some years with the Soviet Air Force and in Iraq, but all aircraft were withdrawn before and in 1990, The ones in Iraq military and Iraqi Airways were destroyed in early 1990s during the Gulf War . Several Tu-124s have been preserved. One
480-520: The same names as the corresponding land-based systems, but the US DOD assigns a different series of numbers with a different suffix (i.e., SA-N- versus SA-) for these systems. The names are kept the same as a convenience. Where there is no corresponding system, a new name is devised. The Soviet Union did not always assign official "popular names" to its aircraft, but unofficial nicknames were common as in any air force . Generally, Soviet pilots did not use
504-405: The type's operational career; another two aircraft of Iraqi Airways were destroyed on the ground during the Gulf War . Data from Soviet Transport Aircraft since 1945 General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists NATO reporting name The assignment of reporting names is managed by
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#1732772978183528-498: The uniforms, documents, models and equipment related to the aircraft. The museum is currently open to members of the public to visit. The museum has never published a catalog of exhibits or a guidebook. Anniversary books about the Gagarin Air Force Academy contain small sections with history and descriptions of exhibits. There is a photo gallery of the museum, taken in 1988-1994 by photographer Viktor Leontyev,
552-444: Was founded in 1958, two years after the airfield was closed, and had 6 aircraft and 20 aircraft guns at the time. When it opened to the public another two years later in 1960, it had 14 aircraft. By early 1970, the museum's collection had expanded to about 40 aircraft. In 1990, the aircraft on display were rearranged according to design bureau and chronological order. The museum's main hall was mostly destroyed by fire in 2005. By 2013,
576-511: Was successful, and the aircraft entered production at Factory 135 at Kharkiv , Ukraine , replacing the Tu-104 in production. Deliveries to Aeroflot began in August 1962, with the type operating its first scheduled passenger service, between Moscow and Tallinn in Estonia , on 2 October 1962. Aeroflot was impressed with the flight performance of the Tu-124 and used it on domestic routes from
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