Tupolev Tu-330: Dead or Alive? Tu-230: Was It Ever Alive? Tu-130?

The Tupolev Tu-330 was originally supposed to fly in 1996.

There were reports that the construction of the first prototype had actually started in the mid-90s, but I haven’t seen any indications of actual hardware or even a mockup.

As late as 2004, there were continuing reports that the Tu-330 was indeed a live program, and Tupolev’s own site still features at least two pages on Tu-330. By all appearances, some of the information dates from as late as 2002.

Oddly enough, the competing IL-214 “MTA” has barely been mentioned since 2003.

For those who don’t know, the Tu-330 was a high winged military transport derivative of the Tu-204 family.

Tupolev also promoted another smaller twin turbofan transport based on the Tu-334 regional jet, the Tu-230.

The Tu-230 was in the same size and weight class as the later IL-214.

There also was the even smaller turboprop Tu-130, a proposal that was very similar to the CN-235.

Tu-330….Tu-230….Tu-130? Does anyone have any additional information?

By all appearances, the Tu-330 was the most serious proposition.

Here are some links:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/tu-330.htm
http://www.tupolev.ru/English/Show.asp?SectionID=131
http://www.tupolev.ru/English/Show.asp?SectionID=123

Attached below are the Tu-330 drawings from the corporate site: