Some of the main achievements of Russian and Soviet aviation are associated with the aircraft designer Nikolay Nikolayevich Polikarpov. He was born in 1892 in the village of Georgievskoye, Oryol Governorate.
While still a student at a local seminary, he passed the exams without attending classes in order to enter the mechanical engineering department of the Saint Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, where, having developed a penchant for aviation, he took a course in aeronautics.
After graduating from the institute, Nikolay got into the aviation department of the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory. At that time, it was led by the inventor Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, who created the series of Russky Vityaz and Ilya Muromets aircraft.
With the Soviets coming to power, Polikarpov began working at the Moscow Dux Aircraft Factory, also known as GAZ No. 1. There, the young engineer successfully redesigned the British DH-9 bomber and turned it into the P-1 reconnaissance plane. His inventions also included the first Soviet fighter I-1 and the five-seater passenger aircraft PM-1.
During the following years, he developed even more successful fighter models and training aircraft, including the R-5 reconnaissance bomber aircraft, which gained wide popularity after its involvement in the rescue of the crew of the SS Chelyuskin steamer that became ice-bound.
But in October 1929, Nikolay Polikarpov was arrested on fabricated charges of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activities, which were pretty standard at the time. Polikarpov was sentenced to death. However, a few months later he was transferred to the Special Design Bureau, set at Butyrka prison. There, together with his colleague Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich, he developed the most successful Soviet fighter — the I-5.
After that, Polikarpov’s sentence was changed to a suspended one, and later he was granted amnesty.
After being released, the designer worked at the Central Design Bureau, then at aircraft factory No. 156, continuing to create masterpieces of Soviet aviation. Unfortunately, not all of Polikarpov’s creations were successful. It was the very first test flight of the I-180 fighter that led to the death of the Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Pavlovich Chkalov.
Along with the director of the plant and the deputy, Polikarpov was arrested. The designer was saved by the fact that he never signed the admission forms for a test flight of the aircraft.
In December 1939, all the best employees and all the projects of Nikolay Polikarpov were transferred to the new Design Bureau. But the engineer did not sink into despair, instead, he established a new aircraft factory almost from scratch.
The Russian genius of aircraft construction died at the age of 52, not long before the end of the war. In total, Polikarpov designed over 80 planes of various types.
While still a student at a local seminary, he passed the exams without attending classes in order to enter the mechanical engineering department of the Saint Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, where, having developed a penchant for aviation, he took a course in aeronautics.
After graduating from the institute, Nikolay got into the aviation department of the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory. At that time, it was led by the inventor Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, who created the series of Russky Vityaz and Ilya Muromets aircraft.
With the Soviets coming to power, Polikarpov began working at the Moscow Dux Aircraft Factory, also known as GAZ No. 1. There, the young engineer successfully redesigned the British DH-9 bomber and turned it into the P-1 reconnaissance plane. His inventions also included the first Soviet fighter I-1 and the five-seater passenger aircraft PM-1.
During the following years, he developed even more successful fighter models and training aircraft, including the R-5 reconnaissance bomber aircraft, which gained wide popularity after its involvement in the rescue of the crew of the SS Chelyuskin steamer that became ice-bound.
But in October 1929, Nikolay Polikarpov was arrested on fabricated charges of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activities, which were pretty standard at the time. Polikarpov was sentenced to death. However, a few months later he was transferred to the Special Design Bureau, set at Butyrka prison. There, together with his colleague Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich, he developed the most successful Soviet fighter — the I-5.
After that, Polikarpov’s sentence was changed to a suspended one, and later he was granted amnesty.
After being released, the designer worked at the Central Design Bureau, then at aircraft factory No. 156, continuing to create masterpieces of Soviet aviation. Unfortunately, not all of Polikarpov’s creations were successful. It was the very first test flight of the I-180 fighter that led to the death of the Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Pavlovich Chkalov.
Along with the director of the plant and the deputy, Polikarpov was arrested. The designer was saved by the fact that he never signed the admission forms for a test flight of the aircraft.
In December 1939, all the best employees and all the projects of Nikolay Polikarpov were transferred to the new Design Bureau. But the engineer did not sink into despair, instead, he established a new aircraft factory almost from scratch.
The Russian genius of aircraft construction died at the age of 52, not long before the end of the war. In total, Polikarpov designed over 80 planes of various types.
