=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/n/a/2006/08/22/internatio= nal/i062717D03.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, August 22, 2006 (AP) Details on Russia's Tu-154 Plane By The Associated Press (08-22) 06:27 PDT , (AP) -- A look at the Tupolev 154 jetliner: The Tu-154 remains the standard medium range airliner on domestic flights in Russia and other former Soviet states and to a lesser extent in eastern Europe and Iran. The Tu-154 first flew on Oct. 4, 1968. The first production example was delivered to Aeroflot in early 1971, although regular commercial service did not begin until February 1972. Length: 157 feet, 2 inches. Height: 37 feet, 5 inches. Wingspan: 123 feet, 3 inches. Propulsion: 3 jet engines. Maximum Speed: TU-154, approximately 605 mph; TU-154M, approximately 590 mph. Range: TU-154, approximately 1,870 nautical miles; TU-154M, 2100 nautical miles. Maximum Takeoff Weight: TU-154, 198,415 pounds; TU-154M, 220,460 pounds. Crew: TU-154 — Flight crew of three or four. Seating: TU-154, 158 to 164 at six abreast; TU-154M, 180 at six abreast. First deployed: TU-154, Oct. 4, 1968; regular commercial service began in February 1972; TU-154M, 1982. Production: Approximately 900 Tu-154s of all models have been built, including approximately 325 Tu-154Ms. About 580 were in service in late 1998. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2006 AP