Wrocław 2002r.
Jakub Marszałkiewicz
Tu-134 SP-LHD for scrap.
Below I present an article by Mr. Jakub Marszałkiewicz about how valuable educational aviation exhibits in Poland are sometimes treated. The article was written in 2002. and is also history.
Tupolew Tu-134 from the Aviation Research Institute in Wrocław.
Jakub Marszałkiewicz
History of the Tu-134.
This plane was a development of the Tu-124. Initially, it was even designated as Tu-124 A. After major changes were introduced (hull structure change, T-tail, engines moved to the rear), its designation was changed to Tu-134. In the NATO code it was called "Crusty". The Tu-134 first took to the air in 1963. Production started in 1966. and in 1967. the first Tu-134s started operation on Aeroflot lines. In 1970. a version of the Tu-134 A was developed with an elongated fuselage of 2.10 m, a new glazed nose and better Soloviev D30-II engines. It could take 76 passengers and had a thrust reverser (the first Tu-134 was equipped with a braking parachute!). During its operation, many further development versions of this aircraft were developed, such as the Tu-134 B with 90 seats and a military version for learning how to pilot bombers. Overall, about 700 Tu-134 of all versions were built.
Tu-134 in Poland.
The Tu-134 was brought to Poland in 1969. It was the first transport jet plane used in Poland (The first passenger jet to land in Poland was the Russian Tu-104, which arrived at the Bemowo-Babice airport in Warsaw on July 24, 1956. For three days, it was viewed by 100,000 Warsaw residents, i.e. every tenth inhabitant of Warsaw. ) The first Tu-134 A with a glazed nose was put into service in LOT Polish Airlines in 1973. Tu-134 introduced a new quality in the connections of PLL LOT. They were operated until the beginning of the nineties in LOT Polish Airlines and the 36th Special Regiment of Transport Aviation. In the mid-1990s, LOT Polish Airlines tried to sell its Tupolevs to the east, but not all of them found buyers. One of them went to the Aviation Museum in Krakow, the second is used for exercises by the police anti-terrorist group on Mszczonowska Street at Reduta in Aleje Jerozolimskie in Warsaw, and the third, thanks to the efforts of the former director, engineer Czesław Samochowski, was transferred to the Aviation Research Institute in Wrocław in 1998. A copy of the Tu-134 A with a glass nose was once searched for by the Boeing Museum in Seattle in Eastern Europe, but none of the Lottery Tupolevs found their way there.
Tu-134 A SP-LHD at the Aviation Research Institute in Wrocław.
The plane marked SP-LHD, after being brought to Wrocław, was placed next to the school playground at ul. Kiełczowska 43. The plane was fully complete except for the engines for which the LZN only received empty covers. The work related to the transport of this large plane, personally devoting his private time, was supervised by Director Switowski, who was going to create an aviation museum on the premises of the Aviation Research Institute. Unfortunately, the vision of the director was destroyed when he quit his job at LZN in 1999. Today, aviation enthusiasts from LZN-Wrocław remember Mr. Sensowski with great fondness. He was the last headmaster of this school who believed in rebuilding its former glory. Initially, Mr. Sensowski tried to arrange a lecture hall inside Tupolev. However, the task turned out to be very difficult. Despite the efficiency of many on-board devices, connecting to them turned out to be too expensive. Contrary to appearances, operating such a "room" was not easy. The interior of the hull was stuffy in summer and chilly in winter. In view of the problems, the plane was left as it was, treating it as a museum exhibit. Every once in a while groups of enthusiasts would borrow a key to the padlock and view the Tupolev inside. Unfortunately, in 5 years the Tu-134 was smeared by vandals with markers and sprays, but it could be removed with a solvent.
"Death" of the plane – August 2002.
At the end of August 2002, my friend Daniel Buza, who happened to be in the Aviation Scientific Works, called me and, speaking in an angry voice, informed me about the destruction of the plane. This fact surprised me completely. Yes, there were reports in the press that our Tupolev could be sold, but everything indicated that it would go into competent hands! Besides, until now, nothing was 100% known. Daniel learned from the workers cutting the plane that TLLTO was doing the work. Unfortunately, the company’s web address does not work, and only the answering machine spoke on the phone. Later, I came to the "crime scene" and photographed with Daniel the cut wreckage of Tupolev. Moments later, I met the CEO, Eng. Barbara Oleszek, whom I asked for an interview about the Tu-134. When asked why it was destroyed, the director replied: "But it will be assembled from these parts on the spot." I replied that it was impossible, because the plane was already cut (several hundred meters behind our backs, the workers were cutting the last parts.) The director’s reply was as evasive as the previous one: "Too bad, it will be scrapped. Old ships are also being scrapped. Yes it is. it is already … (…) thanks to us, he extended his life by five years "… Then the headmaster added another questionable words:" … the plane was a threat to the students and the school has no money to support it. .. "First of all, the plane was not a threat, as apart from traces of sprays and markers, its technical condition has not changed since 1998. Secondly, the theory of keeping the Tu-134 from the school cash register is also questionable, because ultimately no works related to the adaptation of the Tu-134 to the "hall" were not carried out, so the only costs that were incurred were the costs of transport, and this in turn was also handled by you Sensory, not Mrs. Oleszek. Mrs Oleszek also told me that LZN had been announcing for a year its willingness to put Tupolev in good hands. Perhaps, but it certainly did not reach the place where it was needed, i.e. to professional aviation publications. Later I told the engineer that this exhibit should go to the museum, that the decision was incompetent and we are sorry for that. The director told us to leave the LZN area (I have never heard anyone ever asked to leave there !!!) with the complaint that we did not ask the porter for permission to enter! At the end, walking towards the exit, I told the director that I am sorry, as an aviation enthusiast, that such a fate befell the monument of aviation technology. Then like Indiana Jones we said, "This should go to the museum!" and we left.
The case of the destroyed Tupolev haunted me. I’ve been calling various people who might see something about it. Mr. Eng. Czesław Samochowski described the matter briefly: "I do not even want to see them destroy what I was building. There are no more enthusiasts there …". Equally depressed and upset by the fact was a distinguished employee of LZN-Wrocław, M.Sc. Krzysztof Wolfram: "I do not understand such an attitude! After all, this plane could still be used as an excellent teaching device!" I learned from Mr. Sensowski that Tupolew was sold via the commune to a private owner who undertook to continue to use it. Whatever this "use" would mean, the fact is that it was cut for scrap in front of the director … Mrs. Oleszek’s decision in this matter surprised us all the more that just a few months ago the director donated several hundred zlotys to the modeling section for the purchase of accessories and models. Unfortunately, as in the case of the Iła-14 named "Parrot" in Warsaw, this plane was destroyed by people professionally involved in aviation and having high technical education … I am not able to understand such an attitude. For example, I am not passionate about bridges, but I would never scrap a historic bridge in my life, because I realize that it is also a technical monument. I was also worried about the attitude of some modelers from LZN, who are after all interested in aviation and did not react when they saw you happening. Some of them perceived it with a smile saying: "I was saying goodbye to him myself …". To my question why he did nothing, the colleague replied: "But such scrap metal is unnecessary for school …" These words were not spoken by a layman, but by a very experienced modeller! I will not provide his data, because I like him, but it is sad that even among people actively involved in aviation, there are cases – colloquially speaking – of ignoring evident examples of destroying the history of Polish aviation !!!
History repeats itself.
It was not the first incident of this type in LZN-Wrocław, but the first after 1990. During the socialist period, there were some very interesting structures in this school, which were also scrapped. The difference is that those were the times when even the Spitfires from the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw were scrapped. Today there is no PZPR supervision anymore and incidents of this type still occur … The Experimental Aviation Association commented this fact best: "The fact is irrefutable, but it is not our fault. Why LZN does not announce its decisions to the environment, then we could intervene? I guess that’s what they mean. " In the area of LZN there were once: Jak-17, Jak-23, Jak-9, Ił-10, Ił-12. Where are these planes today? What astronomical prices would they get today? Even if they were to be resold, they would be available for viewing elsewhere. A quote from a famous statesman comes to mind:
Who does not respect and value tradition and the past
This one is not worthy of the respect of the present
Neither rights to the future.
Józef Piłsudzki, April 20, 1922 Vilnius MK
Superfluous comment …
What’s next?
The following planes and aviation equipment are currently located on the premises of LZN-Wrocław:
AIRPLANES AND GLIDERS:
Lim-2 (silver), Lim-2 (painted in the colors of "tiger" – completely inconsistent with the historical truth), An-2 SP-DNA, Mi-2 (with the inscription "LOTNICZE ZAKŁADY NAUKOWE"), TS-11 Iskra no. .706, cabin and airfoil from another Iskra, MiG-21PFM No. 11 (with the inscription "SCHOOL"), MiG-21UM No. 7502, SZD-12 Mucha. ENGINES FROM THE FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT: MiG-15 / Lim-1,2, Po-2 / CSS-13, Jak-9, Ił-18, TS-11 Iskra, Zlin. The engines are in very good condition. CAB SIMULATORS: TŁ-1 (for MiG-15), An-2, Mi-2. FRAGMENTS OF AERONAUTICAL STRUCTURES: cabin and airfoil from TS-11, fuselage truss from Dromader, rotor fragment from SM-1. In addition, there are many small aviation components on the premises of the LZN, such as instruments, sights, containers and others. LZN also has original operating manuals for some aircraft and a large collection of aviation literature in the library. It is a collection of great value. After the Mechanical Technical School of Aviation Research Institutes has been closed down, their fate will be very uncertain in a few (3?) Years. We have to make sure that all this equipment ends up in competent hands, that is, to the museum.
Jakub Marszałkiewicz