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Tupolev Tu-114

Tupolev · Turboprop airliner · Retired

The fastest propliner in history.

Length54.1 m
Wingspan51.1 m
Range8,800 km
MTOW175 t
Typical seats170
Built32
Our numbers

Derived metrics

Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.

Seats per metre#26 of 35
3.14 seats/m typical seats ÷ fuselage length
Range per tonne#38 of 65
50.3 km/t maximum range ÷ MTOW in tonnes
Span-to-length ratio#22 of 68
0.94 wingspan ÷ fuselage length
Weight per metre#28 of 68
3.23 t/m MTOW ÷ fuselage length
Range in hours#21 of 65
10.1 h maximum range ÷ cruise speed
Weight per seat#5 of 35
1029 kg MTOW ÷ typical seats
Sense of scale

How big is it, really?

The Tupolev Tu-114's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.

Tupolev Tu-11451.1 m
Football pitch (width)68 m
Blue whale25 m
New Routemaster bus11.2 m
You (probably)1.75 m
Specification

The numbers

Length54.10 m
Wingspan51.10 m
Height15.50 m
MTOW175,000 kg
Cruise770 km/h — propeller record
Range≈8,800 km
Engines4 × Kuznetsov NK-12MV (contra-rotating)
First flight15 November 1957
Built32

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Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi

The story

What makes it different

The Tu-114 was a Tu-95 strategic bomber with an airliner fuselage — the fastest way for the USSR to get intercontinental range in 1957. It kept the bomber's swept wings and four monstrous NK-12 turboprops with contra-rotating propellers, and cruised at 770 km/h: a propeller speed record that has never been broken.

When Khrushchev flew it to New York in 1959, the aircraft was so tall no American airstairs could reach the door. It flew Moscow to Havana nonstop over 10,000 km, and in partnership with JAL carried the first Moscow–Tokyo services.

Only 32 were built, retired by 1976 — but its bomber parent flies on, and every droning Tu-95 that NATO intercepts today is powered by the same engines that made the Tu-114 the fastest propliner ever.

Common questions

Tupolev Tu-114 — the short answers

How fast is the Tupolev Tu-114?
The Tupolev Tu-114 cruises at about 870 km/h — roughly 470 knots, or 541 mph.
How far can the Tupolev Tu-114 fly?
The Tupolev Tu-114 has a maximum range of about 8,800 km (4,752 nautical miles, 5,469 miles). At its cruise speed that is roughly 10.1 hours in the air.
How many people does the Tupolev Tu-114 carry?
A typical Tupolev Tu-114 carries 170 passengers. Exact figures vary with the operator's chosen configuration.
Is the Tupolev Tu-114 still in production?
Status: Retired. The Tupolev Tu-114 first flew in 1957, and about 32 have been built.
How big is the Tupolev Tu-114?
The Tupolev Tu-114 is 54.1 m long with a wingspan of 51.1 m and a height of 15.5 m. Its maximum takeoff weight is 175,000 kg.
Variants

The Tupolev Tu-114 line

Tu-114
The airliner, 1957–1976.
Tu-126
The radar-picket derivative.
Operators

Who flies the Tupolev Tu-114

No current operators — this aircraft's flying days are over. The operators of record are below.

RUAeroflotThe sole airline operator — flagship international routes, 1961–1976.