The Kazan Tu-214 airliner has reserves for weight reduction by lightening the cabin, but a large-scale redesign of the aircraft with the installation of a new composite wing is economically unjustified. This was stated by an aviation expert, author of the Telegram channel SkyExpert.
According to him, a significant part of the passenger aircraft's weight is formed by cabin equipment — seats, galleys, lavatories, overhead bins, and other elements. Their optimization can indeed provide a noticeable effect.
The cabin generally weighs a lot. Each seat weighs several kilograms, and then this can be multiplied by 210–220. Plus galleys, lavatories, carpets, shelves, and much more. So yes, the Tu-214 had reserves for savings. A lot could have been thrown out.
However, the idea of installing a new, enlarged composite wing on the Tu-214 completely breaks the economics, the specialist believes.
Why change its wing and put an even bigger one? If the wing is already huge and overweight. As for composite — what's the point? It's so much money, it's cheaper to close the whole project.
The expert also did not confirm rumors about the prospective Tu-214M and the possible installation of the PD-14M on it. According to him, there is no real confirmation of such plans.
The situation with the Tu-214 has moved off the ground: KAZ has received contracts for the production of airliners.
The head of OAK, Vadim Badeha, stated that in 2026 KAZ will build four aircraft, in 2027 — eight, and from 2027 — as many as 20 aircraft.
Read more on the topic:
- Tu-214 and MC-21 face a problem that production alone cannot solve
- Tu-214 and Tu-160 Attract China's Interest
- The Tu-214 "suitcase without a handle" was offered a rescue recipe without "Yakovlev"