Tu-104

aircraft

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June 17, 2026

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The Tupolev Tu-104 was the Soviet Union's first commercial jetliner. It first flew on June 17, 1955, and was developed by the Tupolev design bureau, which was led by Aleksey Tupolev, son of the renowned aircraft designer Andrey Tupolev.12

The Tu-104 was created by adapting components from the Tu-16 bomber, featuring a new 55-seat pressurized fuselage. While it served reliably for many years, its high operating costs would have made it uncompetitive for Western airlines. The Tu-104 began a lineage of Tupolev airliners, including the supersonic Tu-144.3

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Andrey Nikolayevich Tupolev
…aircraft were derived from these—the Tu-104, which appeared in 1955 and became one of the first jet transports to provide regular passenger service, and the Tu-114 long-range passenger plane, the largest propeller-driven aircraft ever in regular service.
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…aircraft were derived from these—the Tu-104, which appeared in 1955 and became one of the first jet transports to provide regular passenger service, and the Tu-114 long-range passenger plane, the largest propeller-driven aircraft ever in regular service.
Read More

history of flight
The airlines reequip
The Tupolev Tu-104 prototype made its first flight on June 17, 1955, only 11 months after the first flight of the Boeing 367–80 but 30 months before the first flight of a production 707. Tupolev had leaped ahead by using the components of the Tu-16 bomber, adding…
Read More
The Tupolev Tu-104 prototype made its first flight on June 17, 1955, only 11 months after the first flight of the Boeing 367–80 but 30 months before the first flight of a production 707. Tupolev had leaped ahead by using the components of the Tu-16 bomber, adding…
Read More