BELARUSSIAN company „Minsk civil aviation plant № 407” is overhauling Tupolev Tu-134UBL combat trainers, belonging to Russian Navy. Few days ago, spotters managed to capture this rare aircraft on video, while it was performing testing flight after its overhaul in BELARUSSIA´s capital MINSK. According to the eye witnesses, the test flight lasted over 3 hours. Prior to the test flight, the crew of Tu-134UBL has performed several runs down the runway, checking the function of brakes, engines, flaps and its vertical and horizontal stabilizers. Based on the writings on the fuselage, this example belongs to the Russian Navy base in KRASNODAR region.
Tu-134UBL is combat trainer, designed to train pilots and navigators of Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 bombers. It is based on Tu-134B airliner´s airframe. They were manufactured on “Kharkov aviation plant” in UKRAINE, during the Soviet era. Around 90 airframes were produced. It features enlarged front fuselage, which accommodates bombing radar and aiming equipment. It allows to use aiming and ranging device for 12 trainees simultaneously and can be loaded with practice bombs.