Tupolev aircraft designer. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev biography

    Tupolev Andrey Nikolaevich Encyclopedia "Aviation"

    Tupolev Andrey Nikolaevich- A. N. Tupolev Tupolev Andrey Nikolaevich (1888-1972) - Soviet aircraft designer, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1953; Corresponding Member 1933), Colonel General Engineer (1968), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972), Hero of Labor ... ... Encyclopedia "Aviation"

    Tupolev, Andrey Nikolaevich- Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev. TUPOLEV Andrei Nikolaevich (1888 1972), aircraft designer. The founder of the construction of all-metal aircraft in the USSR. Since 1924, under the leadership of Tupolev, over 100 types of aircraft (civilian and ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

    TUPOLEV Andrey Nikolaevich- (1888 1972) Soviet aircraft designer, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1953; corresponding member 1933), colonel general engineer (1968), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972), Hero of Labor of the RSFSR (1926). In 1908 he entered the Imperial Technical ... ... Military Encyclopedia

    Soviet aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1953), colonel general engineer (1968), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972) ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

    - (1888 1972) Russian aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1953), colonel general engineer (1968), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972). In 1937 41 was repressed. Under the leadership of Tupolev, St. 100 types of military and ... ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

    - (1888 1972) Soviet aircraft designer, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1953; corresponding member 1933), colonel general engineer (1968), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972), Hero of Labor of the RSFSR (1926). In 1908 he entered the Imperial ... ... Encyclopedia of technology

    - (1888 1972), aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1953), colonel general engineer (1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972). In 1937 41 was groundlessly repressed. Under the leadership of Tupolev, more than 100 types of military and ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    - [R. Oct 29 (November 10, 1888] owls. aircraft designer, acad. (since 1953; corresponding member since 1933). General lieutenant of engineering technical. service, Hero of the Socialist. Labor (1945). Honored activity n. etc. RSFSR (1933). Dep. Top. Council of the USSR 3rd 5th convocations. In 1909… … Big biographical encyclopedia

    - (1888, the village of Pustomazovo, Tver province 1972, Moscow), aircraft designer, academician (1953), colonel general engineer (1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972), Hero of Labor of the RSFSR (1926). He graduated with honors (1918). Together with was ... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev (1888-1972),

aircraft designer, academician.

Born in the village of Pustomazovo, Tver province. He received his primary education at home, graduated from the Tver classical gymnasium and entered the mechanical department of the Higher Moscow Technical School.
In 1909 he entered the aeronautical circle. He worked on the construction of gliders, made flights on them.


ANT-1 on trials.



A.N. Tupolev (in the center) at the ANT-1

A student and collaborator of Nikolai Zhukovsky. In 1918, together with Zhukovsky, he founded the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute.
In 1918-1935. Tupolev - Deputy Head of the Institute, heads an experimental design bureau, whose activities are related to the design of aircraft, torpedo boats and snowmobiles.

In total, more than 100 types of military and civil aircraft were created under his leadership, 70 of which were mass-produced, including the ANT-25, Tu-104 (the first passenger jet), Tu-114, Tu-144 (supersonic passenger).

78 world records were set on Tupolev's planes, 28 unique flights were made, including V. Chkalov and M. Gromov on ANT-25 across the North Pole to the USA.
Tupolev became an academician, general designer.

The name of Tupolev is carried by the Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex in Moscow, Kazansky aviation institute, an island in the Ob Bay of the Kara Sea. In the city of Kimry, Tver region, a bust of Tupolev was erected.
Tupolev's son, Alexander Andreevich Tupolev, is also a well-known aircraft designer and academician.

Photo gallery of TU aircraft:

TU - 134



TU - 144







TU - 154



TU - 204


V April 1910 year student imperial technical schools Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev announced that he would flight on the glider own designs over Lefortovsky park. Look a lot of people gathered for this spectacle people, reporters, photographers. Tupolev fled, then felt that the ground was leaving from under his feet and flew! In all my life Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev will create about 150 aircraft models from aircraft ANT-1 and ending supersonic by passenger plane (see article) ! For comparison, we can say that ANT-1 wings area was 10 square meters and Tu-144 - 500 square meters ! On airplanes Tupolev will be installed 78 World Records! Done 30 worldwide famous flights! There is hardly another aircraft designer, created such number aircraft ! Also, except for aviation technology Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev designed, for example torpedo and civil boats, snowmobile and other technology. Few to whom known that it was all done in spite of circumstances , people and logic events . Contemporaries Tupolev gave him a nickname "icebreaker". Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev made history and was a part of this history THE USSR!

Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was born November 10, 1888 years on the farm Pustomazovo Tverskoy provinces. Family Tupolev was large, Andrey Nikolaevich became 6th child in the family. While studying at gymnasiums his beloved the subject was physics. teacher physics v gymnasiums was Nikolai Fyodorovich Platonov, that was extraordinary teacher ! Later Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev so wrote about his physics teacher: Not limited gymnasium course, he organized astronomical circle, took us to excursions on the iron road, textile factories, set intricate and fascinating experiments on mechanics, optics and electricity." WITH childhood Tupolev had to take care About Me yourself. Also in childhood he enthusiastically started tinkering wooden toys and model ships. Being high school student Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev decided sell their wooden crafts, so that with the proceeds drive through on country. When he turned 13 years, he went to journey across Nizhny Novgorod, Astrakhan, Tiflis, Rostov, Moscow.

In the autumn of 1908 of the year Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev successfully passed the exams in 2 Moscow higher educational institutions - Imperial Technical school and Institute of Communications Engineers. From 2 educational institutions he chose Technical School. One of the teachers of this school was at that time the famous scientist Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky ( see article "Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky"), who taught a course called "Theoretical foundations of aeronautics". Lectures Zhukovsky were not only interesting, but evoked hype among students!!! During lectures due to shortage of places students in the audience and stood and even sat on the semi! attended lectures Zhukovsky and Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. Its for real captured idea aeronautics.

students organized in the school aeronautic circle and choose Zhukovsky chairman Cup. First product, made by students in this circle, became glider. Truth, glider it can be called with stretch. By design, it was rather closer to hang glider. Tupolev had a chance the first fly on this machine, and it is safe flew over on it across the river Yauza. present aircraft designer must definitely try FEELING OF FLIGHT. He must feel, how AIR HOLD aircraft ! Feel, experienced during this short flight Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev remembered for all life!

The next flying apparatus made students after glider became real airplane. It was accurate copy aircraft French inventor Louis Blériot, on which the for the first time v stories flew across the strait English Channel. Respectively first flying apparatus Tupolev became Louis Blériot plane. This is not nothing reprehensible because all aircraft designers who have achieved great success, started with building existing aircraft models. Already at that time Zhukovsky singled out Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev among other students thanks to his inclinations leader, technical ingenuity, big working capacity. When Zhukovsky decided to create aerodynamic laboratory in Higher Moscow Technical School, then appointed Tupolev manager equipment aviation laboratory.

At the beginning 20th century in Of Russia there was a lively discussion about the future country. students took an active participation in this discussion. They organized underground mugs, reading forbidden literature. V Soviet time Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev tried to present active wrestler against royal regime, but in fact he was far from Total this and completely dedicated own life study and aviation! Later Tupolev recalled : "Service, which I could provide comrades seemed so empty, what am I agreed. I was asked to allow use my address for correspondence with other student organizations ». Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev allowed. Police fast figured out the address prohibited correspondence and March 14, 1911 his year arrested put in police plot. Authorities forced Tupolev leave Moscow. Not a request helped. director school, not even a solicitation Zhukovsky! Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev went to parents.

Across one and a half years to promote Zhukovsky, Tupolev restore at the school. But here autumn 1919 year he found tuberculosis. Him cut out one thing lung. The doctors warned : « Living with such a disease not for long, but can. But to work with large categorically forbidden". All of my life Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev will live by the principle every day can be the last one so you have to do maximum possible!

He returned v technical school only through 3 year, in year start World War I war. students accepted participation in creating real combat devices. They produced calculations and blowdown devices in wind tunnel. V 1918 year Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev graduated technical school in the specialty mechanical engineer. At this time in Of Russia happened turbulent political events. As a result revolution happened change of power. Industry work stopped reigned in the country chaos, devastation and hunger. However, even in such an environment people were found who decided continue own case no matter what !

Such people turned out to be Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky and Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. They asked the government to create institute for studying the problems of aeronautics. Zhukovsky and Tupolev So earnestly proved the necessity of the existence of such an institution that the government not only allowed, but also gave money for project implementation !!! Zhukovsky and Tupolev So were delighted success that we decided Mark this case ! On the way home they come in soon Cafe. There was nothing but curdled milk and honey. Accordingly, they noted such a great event as the beginning origins of TsAGI just having eaten curdled milk With honey!

chief TsAGI(Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute) became Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky. His deputy, as they said then "comrade" was appointed Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev aged 30 years . Tupolev elected head of department aviation. This department was essentially design bureau (KB), where they met build aircraft. But first we decided to create a serious scientific and experimental base. In addition, it was determined in advance which direction work will be carried out.

While in Of Russia rich in forest aircraft built from WOOD, and there was a strong lumberjack lobby. But Tupolev managed to prove advantages of metal and proposed to build from METAL. He also suggested another innovation. Then Russian aircraft by type of design were BIPLANES, Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev proposed MONOPLANES. By that time in the world already existed samples metal monoplanes. V Of Russia there were certain technical difficulties in their production, but in spite of this it came understanding, that further perspective creating aircraft for monoplanes from metal.

The point is that on that moment v Of Russia generally DID NOT EXIST metal production, raw materials for aviation industry. So Tupolev took up ORGANIZATION OF PRODUCTION OF RAW MATERIALS for aviation, from METAL. This was also facilitated understanding of officials developing industry.

From this it is clear that Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was engaged decision complex problems, including causes, causing this problem. This principle he will follow the whole my a life! He also followed another principle - sequence of steps while moving towards the target. For example, details from aluminum first applied and tested not on airplanes, but on the ground - on gliders and snowmobiles. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev recalled : « From new material we will build, for example, snowmobile. We'll survive everything troubles assimilation new tricks work. Let's study application duralumin not on the plane, where is the mistake worth a life people, but on vehicles moving along earthly firmament. It is much safer. A engineers and workers will be typed experience and on them ».

V 1923 year young KB issued first airplane. The car was named after primary letters of the surname, patronymic name "ANT-1". The plane had a scheme monoplane. Duralumin it was used very limitedly, only for research. Second the car was already wholly from metal. During testing, we studied metal behavior already in real aircraft sample. Tests have shown that it is superior German "Junkers" and English "Bristol". For creating ANT-2, Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev awarded with a prize a trip to France, England and Germany!

He did not suspect that from the moment first success and travel abroad started after him secret observation OGPU and careful compilation dossier. Moreover, Tupolev was NON-PARTY and famous for independence. After suggestions join the ranks VKP(b) Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev refused. He was asked : « Why you not want to join VKP(b)? By beliefs or you it no need?" He replied : « Of course by beliefs because I do not need it." Such an answer at that time was more, how risky. Then to consist in the ranks party meant - to be or not to be further career. Tragedy will happen later.

Treated like intermediate construction stage full-fledged aircraft for military and civil aviation. The point is that at that time NOT ALL used precise calculations in the design of aircraft. Many constructors acted on intuition. But Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev already then, starting from the design, used wind tunnel, balance for determining alignment, spent static tests. Today these operations seem taken for granted and then it was still necessary come up with and build. Parallel with the construction of aircraft went arrangement research base TsAGI.

Third machine type Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, already built serially. V mid 1920s years Red Army Air Force consisted mainly of foreign aircraft, purchased Abroad. became one of the first domestic aircraft, which was supposed to REPLACE aircraft, PURCHASED abroad. V 1926 year August 31st one from specimens with the name "Proletarian", manned M.M.Gromov made famous high-speed flight on capitals states Western Europe!!!

There's no way could not understand in which country Russians acquired this plane !? For Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev It was it is better any praise! In addition, he was not indifferent PRESTIGE countries and how then Tupolev said he was set "Catch up and overtake the West!" V May 1927 years in the USSR begins fundraising on defense under the slogan our answer Chamberlain. V 1927 year August 20 ANT-3 with the title "Our Answer" flew out of Moscow v Tokyo!

The next large achievement KB Tupolev became huge in those days bomber "ANT-4". Scheme this bomber has become classic.

The development of bombers around the world went exactly according to the scheme chosen Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev - it's free-bearing monoplane with engines located on leading edge of the wing. At the beginning 1929 of the year ANT-4 committed historical flight Moscow—New York! V August 1929 of the year M.M. Gromov ( see article "Mikhail Mikhailovich Gromov") on the first passenger airplane Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, « ANT-9″ with the title "Wings of Soviets" makes a flight to Western Europe!

another car KB Tupolev became a four-engine ANT-6″. V troops this car is called TB-3. Abbreviation "TB" meant "Heavy Bomber". V 1932 year May 1st on the holiday, 9 aircraft ANT-6 pass over Red Square. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev becomes leading aircraft designer in THE USSR.

Government forced even forgive him NON-PARTY. 15 year old anniversary TsAGI was declared a holiday for all Soviet science and technology!!! He was celebrated in Bolshoi Theatre, there was all guide country. Heavy Commissar industry Sergo Ordzhonikidze proclaimed from the podium Tupolev the best representative new Soviet intelligentsia. Rest aircraft designers considered themselves undeservedly bypassed. Each subsequent bomber took everything big sizes. It seemed that the designers decided to try to what degree generally possible enlarge aircraft in this race for size !

V 1932 year editor magazine "Spark", Mikhail Koltsov made a proposal for construction in honor of 40th anniversary of creative activities Maxim Gorky with the aim of agitation giant aircraft. Then citizens our country collected for its construction 6 000 000 rubles ! Today it over 1,000,000,000 rubles ! As a result, there appeared biggest v the world plane from metal "Maxim Gorky". giant tests, Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev passed successfully! test pilot M.M. Gromov ( see article "Mikhail Mikhailovich Gromov") gave the best reviews about this car ! V 1935 year May 18th "Maksim Gorky" suffered disaster as a result COLLISIONS With fighter I-5, accompanying "Maxim Gorky". Fighter I-5 ruled Nikolai Pavlovich Blagin. Blagin committed ERROR in piloting when performing aerobatics, "dead loop". He made flyby "Maxim Gorky", did not calculate the distance before him and exit from "dead loop" nearly vertically crashed nose v wing of Maxim Gorky. perished 46 Human.

Inspections have begun KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. Investigation conducted by the commission NKVD. Behind the back Tupolev whispered detractors. he himself experienced incident no less relatives dead ! Andrey Nikolaevich until the end of your life helped money families dead and injured in plane crashes his planes . Every month from salaries he is with daughter Julia spread the money around envelopes, and then she delivered them by addresses. But 2 grandmothers for some reason he took the money alone, together With daughter.

On the West aircraft manufacturers counted only to myself, and for Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev stood financial whole states! Thanks to centralization of financial means and ability convince customer Tupolev became main aircraft manufacturer THE USSR. Even then, the project budget Andrey Nikolaevich on the head exceeded other Soviet aircraft designers ! He easily talked to the then head of aviation industry Peter Ionovich Baranov, People's Commissar of Heavy industry Sergo Ordzhonikidze. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev could force work for yourself industries! Any task he started fulfill only after provided myself reliable rear. Main he organized production in Moscow, where could it be the most powerful aviation base on the central airfield. Branches of enterprises Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev were in Kazan, v Kuibyshev(today Samara), v Voronezh, v Taganrog.

Then aviation was measure of success country. Many sought to occupy in it high position. Some did it for proximity To authorities. So Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev ( see the article now having at this time KB became Stalin's referent on questions aviation. He could produce impressions to plant your small plane to some small lawn somewhere near With Stalin's dacha. Although, of course, this is not at all does not diminish the merits of Yakovlev in business aircraft industry. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev never did not seek participate in under carpet fight and brushed aside warnings. On the first place he had a lover Work, in which he did not know defeat!

Before the war Tupolev, and was getting many tasks, and for many I took it myself - airplanes, snowmobiles, gondolas, airships, torpedo boats. All this he designed from metal. It is no coincidence that the country's leadership more often applied with tasks to KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev because they were behind him scientific and experimental base TsAGI, factories producing scarce products from aluminum. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev considered himself an activist state scale and you can tell them was! He could myself do not hesitate present to the customer building task future aircraft, especially since the customer not always clearly represented what this aircraft or other product, should be.

Despite the attached efforts governments, aviation v the USSR developed SLOWLY. Not enough qualified personnel, funds, experience, and production capacities. Plans for the production of aircraft were frustrated. This state of affairs couldn't for a long time arrange. At the beginning 1930s years began reorganization. V 1931 year everything experienced aircraft industry decided to collect into one powerful Centre. A graduate was appointed head of this association Air Force Academy, Sergei Ilyushin(see article) . Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev also entered compound associations.

Such a design "collective farm" clearly not arranged Tupolev. He is fine knew their opportunities! This association was extremely centralized so it couldn't last long. Across 18 months Tupolev Design Bureau became again independent. After doom again independence, KB Tupolev set to work with a new energy! Andrey Nikolaevich I was not only involved in design. He worked and promotion their cars in serial production and operation. Exactly Tupolev first v the USSR started creating branches design office at factories, who produced his aircraft serially. Such innovation strongly reduced terms implementation new technology.

next plane KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev became "SB". Abbreviation decoding - fast bomber The fact is that military tasked to create bomber possessing no less speed than the then fighters and if necessary capable leave from fighters to speed! This is a requirement for speed It was PRIORITY and Design Bureau Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev at designing this type of aircraft came from the main thing is speed.

This requirement was achieved, among other things, thanks to minimal squares windshield resistance fuselage(narrow fuselage) . Sat really was leaving from fighters that time ! the only inconvenience for the pilots narrow fuselage . This was especially evident during Finnish wars when flights were carried out winter v thick clothes . However, with this reconciled to please speed bomber. This car has become the most numerous bomber Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, they were released over 6,000 things !

TO mid 1930s years the USSR had the most numerous bomber fleet in the world majority whose aircraft belonged KB Tupolev! armada Sat and TB-3 already existed and approach were new cars ! V 1936 year Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev appoint deputy chief aviation industry, while he still remained the main designer of his KB. V 1937 A number of significant events took place during the year Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. This year May 5th his plane ANT-7 for the first time flying over North Pole! Across fortnight, May 21st ANT-6 landed on a drifting ice floe expedition Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin.

Those who for the first time saw the plane Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, ANT-25 took him for FANTASTIC plane from FUTURE! By this time it had accumulated solid experience aviation flights pilots and navigators. The government decides to establish world distance record flight by straight. Crew Valery Pavlovich Chkalov ( see article " Valery Pavlovich Chkalov), on through North Pole flew to America June 20, 1937 of the year ! Following a similar flight carried out Mikhail Mikhailovich Gromov. On airplanes KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev several have been installed world records ! But that's all changed v overnight.

V 1937 year On October 21, Tupolev was arrested right into it working office with standard at the time the wording - foreign spy member wrecking organizations ??? He was accused of transferring drawings of foreign intelligence and that he supposedly With 1924 year is French agent intelligence. Remembered all foreign business trips Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. Sentence sounded like this : deprivation of liberty for a period of 15 years with a defeat in political rights and with confiscation all personal property belonging to him.

How such understand and not just arrest, and herself monstrous injustice!? After all, he so many made for country! His aircraft were bomber base aviation THE USSR. His cars after record flights brought glory to the country! He created advanced industries industry! But Stalinist regime was relentless! Also arrested and Tupolev's wife, Yulia Nikolaevna. She will leave from there through 2 year completely sick. After arrest parents 2nd children Tupoleva - 16-year-old Yulia and 13-year-old Alexey will remain alone. The very next day after the arrest, the name Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev disappeared from printed publications, as if it wasn't aircraft with brand "ANT". By car Tupolev instead "ANT" an abbreviation appeared for several years TsAGI.

First Tupolev long been in solitary camera on Lubyanka. Then he was transferred to Butyrskaya prison. There investigators, replacing each other several days in a row, led interrogation, not giving Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev nor sit, nor sleep. V Butyrskaya he was in jail for about of the year. Subsequently, he will write a letter to Beria, that all signed by him protocols are beaten out by force. Except himself Tupolev arrested and almost all workers his KB. Their NOT shot but created PRISON KB, which then prisoners named "Sharaga", "Sharashka". Number of specialists "Sharashki" made up 316 people arrested from 1937 on 1938th of the year. Names in "Sharashka" was not, everyone prisoner assigned ROOM.

Chief designer "Sharagi" became natural Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. He could even find in himself the courage to disagree to work in "Sharaga" so he put 2 conditions, notice Stalinist regime! First, he agree to work in "Sharaga" only if it family will remain on freedom and he see you with a family . He started to work only after after receiving from the family the confirmation. Second, to plug to his work other talented specialists. By attracting To their work others arrested designers, Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev trying save colleagues from shooting, prisons and camps. He calls surnames those who should be translated v "Sharashka". So appeared list of "two hundred"! This list includes the future general designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, who at the time was leaving term in the mines for Kolyma. Tupolev led diploma project Queen and even then I noticed capabilities Sergei Pavlovich. Queen brought to "Sharashka" sick With scurvy and completely exhausted. But the main thing is that it a life was saved! So that Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was, of course "lump"!

V "Sharashka" Tupolev behaved NOT ORDINARY. Otherwise, he could not spiritual freedom didn't let me feel a slave even being prisoners! First happened incomprehensible for that time event is he refused to comply exercise Stalin and Beria, who ordered to create 4-x motor bomber. Tupolev proved that for these conditions wars appropriate construct 2 motor diving high speed bomber. Former prisoner Sharashki by Leonid Kerber recalled : « When having climbed the whole aircraft in the assembly shop and not finding his overseer Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev To pleasure all workers and free constructors loudly shouted. Hey who's here my, Come here hurry up follow me and do not get lost, me you search is not handy! This IMPRESSED! Same way Tupolev could, during a conversation with colleagues, seeing behind his back, guards, shout out loud. SHUT!"

After start Great Patriotic wars "Sharagu" evacuated to Omsk and many prisoners freed, including Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. V imprisonment he stayed 3 years 9 months and became again free constructor . After the conclusion on the loose he didn't hold no one resentment. Even in a circle families never to anyone didn't complain. He said : « Gotta love that one motherland, which there is!" But throughout the whole subsequent life he categorically did not accept Stalinist repressions! Much later, after the election Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev v The Supreme Council he will lead there pardon committee. V the USSR he will be called "Key to Jail" Tupolev came huge number of letters from requests about release repressed. He sent petitions and called over the phone and asked personal conversations at the expense of these people, if those really were convicted undeservedly.

After release it would be logical use Tupolev with his design talent and organizational ability, but the government was slow plug in Tupolev To cause defense of the country. Still in jail Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev designed an aircraft under the index "103". He did not have a cell paper, That's why Tupolev's calculations produced in UME and in between interrogations. In fact, this machine SAVE A LIFE Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev. On the front this car flew under the name Created in prison became the best bomber Great Patriotic wars ! He excelled for all characteristics German "Junkers-88". But built these bombers it was quite Little.

The point is that in early wars aviation factories have been loaded production approved aircraft types. convince government rebuild conveyor for the release of another, let even more perfect plane, in time of war, it was too hard. Factories debugged release of fighters Yakovleva(see article "Alexander Sergeevich Yakovlev") and Lavochkin(see article "Semyon Alekseevich Lavochkin"), bombers Ilyushin(see article "Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin") and Petlyakova. Being unclaimed Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev remains only one - farther improve already existing Although it must be said that in this he succeeded having created several modifications bomber. V 1943 year KB Tupolev moved to Moscow. From that moment on, it remained not so much time until new takeoff KB.

V 1943 year Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev award State Prize! V 1944 give the title major general aviation ! In the victorious 1945 year Title of Hero Soviet Union with delivery the highest awards USSR, Order of Lenin.

V 1947 year will be awarded the title lieutenant general, will be awarded again State Prize and the second The order of Lenin. All these awards Andrey Nikolaevich received when system more did not cancel mine sentence! He will rehabilitated only in 1955 year. This position allowed Keep human "in check". In spite of this Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev did not idolater.

V end World War II wars relationship between allies the USSR and USA everything became tighter and then atomic bombing in Of Japan v August 1945 year the situation is even more worsened. At that time the USSR too started to develop your nuclear weapons. But do nuclear the bomb it's just half the battle need it more and deliver to the right place. Given the fact that nuclear bomb has pretty impressive weight and sizes, to deliver it to the right place can only certain carrier. Relevant missiles back then did not have. Here Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev and instructed create such carrier, that is airplane. At Tupolev at that time was already project of his such a bomber capable carry nuclear bomb. but Stalin decided otherwise. He ordered copy american bomber B-29. Exactly they produced atomic bombing in Japan.

In second half 1940s years B-29 flew not only bombing of Japan but also flew into intelligence flights on territory of the USSR on the thousand kilometers. Several of these B-29 forced put on territory of the USSR. After that their surpassed v Moscow and started copying. For all work given 2 years. Certain difficulties. In addition to the translation from inch dimensional quantities v metric, it was necessary to create materials, devices, units. It was a work of scale Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. He set to work energetically and puzzled not only aviation industry, but adjacent industries providing development materials, equipment, instruments. In essence, this task brought the USSR on the new level technologies and development technology! The created aircraft was named Tu-4. His accelerated launched at a rapid pace series and made 800 machines.

Till Tupolev created Tu-4, aviation began to move from piston To reactive thrust. The first reactive aircraft KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev turned out unsuccessful. For example, noticeable yielded frontline bomber Ilyushin, Il-28. but Andrey Nikolaevich released the next car large by size, "Tu-16", which has become one of the best bombers in the world! Tu-16 produced not only in very in large quantities but also in different modifications. In service distant aviation USSR, Tu-16 stood a few decades!

At Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev there was another professional trait. He often had to work in conditions unlimited funding but at the same time he is very diligently belonged to spending funds ! So, for example, in 1930s many years civil cars Tupolev were just redone from military. In general, many of his aircraft were unified. For instance, passenger airplane PS-9 developed on the basis scout R-6. Later after the war, when it was time to create jet passenger airplane, Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev already gone verified way. Moreover, he gave not only savings, but also additional reliability guarantee new aircraft, thanks to the fact that they have already been used verified v work aggregates. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev generally believed that it had not yet been accumulated own sufficient experience in creating passenger jets aircraft, you can not proceed to their design with zero. Need to take it already well-established the structure itself and on its base With small make alterations passenger airplane.

Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev always to the end defended own opinion. For him ranks and did not have a title no values. He could call Kremlin connection to someone minister and say : « Why are you bothering me to do business That is enough free and at ease! Until the end of life Tupolev will remain NON-PARTY. One day one of high party officials orders him to do new plane to party congress. For what Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev will answer : « Transfer congress!!!" Once again he will be ordered : « To November 7th the plane was in air!" When November 7th government commission arrived at the airport see the result I saw how 2 helicopters keep on cables in the sky empty frame of the projected aircraft !!! In government forced been with it put up. Aircraft Tupolev were the best!

Well proven Tu-16 bomber was taken for basis for development passenger aircraft Tu-104. For passenger option in it was necessary remake only fuselage. Truth, word "only", gives not quite right picture of quantity future work for KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. The point is that on passenger airplane except fuselage enlargement, it was necessary leave his also sealed and all this while saving strength. The fuselage, being airtight, withstands more air pressure from within aircraft, since on a large altitude pressure air overboard aircraft many times less, how inside the sealed fuselage, due to the large sparsity air overboard.

First in the world jet passenger became an airplane British Comet. Across short operating time Comets several disasters this type of aircraft. Comets were taken off the airlines find out the reasons disasters. figured out causes 3 years and came to conclusion what in certain location fuselage skin did not survive in flight long-term deformations and fuselage skin occurred in flight crack. KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev took into account this sad experience and on their planes avoided repetition similar errors.

V 1955 year June 17 Tu-104 committed first test flight. V September 1956 of the year the first Soviet jet passenger airplane Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, Tu-104 made his first voyage with passengers. Tu-104 opened regular airline Moscow-Omsk-Irkutsk. However, in 1958 year happened immediately 2nd catastrophes this type of aircraft. On the Tupolev rained down accusations. As a result investigations It was established, what disasters occurred as a result insufficient deflection angle of the stabilizer. Malfunction eliminated and operation of this type of aircraft successfully continued. Tu-104 became symbol technical capabilities THE USSR. Airplane with pride shown at air shows abroad. Tupolev attended at many of these shows. V foreign his trips always accompanied spouse Yulia Nikolaevna. She knew well enough 4 language. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev only knew French, but didn't like translators, That's why Yulia Nikolaevna constantly present in foreign trips and was his translator.

main theme KB Tupolev were heavy military aircraft. Far bomber aircraft the USSR It consisted of Tu-4 and Tu-16. But progress aviation development required speed increase and range flight . By both sides iron curtain flared up no joke fight for excellence! lose this race was it is forbidden because in fact at stake stood by itself the existence of the USSR! Price question was too much high to rely on one company, even if KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev.

The country's leadership instructed this exercise and allocated facilities straightaway 2nd Design Bureau - Tupolev and Myasishcheva(see article "Vladimir Mikhailovich Myasishchev"). Deadlines set as always shortest. So a former worker Tupolev Design Bureau, V.M. Myasishchev became his competitor. Different firms have different fit to the solution of the task. Bomber Myasishcheva had a great degree novelty! differently and could not be given the assignment ! Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was a prudent conservatism. Although the task and its forced apply a lot innovations! The result of the competition was acceptance of both projects - Myasishchevsky jet "M-4" and Tupolev Tu-95 turboprop.

Airplane Tupolev, Tu-95 is still in use today, and the aircraft Myasishcheva, M-4 out of use. Conclusion M-4 out of application before, how Tu-95 was conditioned not so many rejection from this designs, how absence necessary for him engines. jet bomber engines M-4 spent too a lot of fuel at minimal perspective traction increase(see article "The main reasons for the collapse of the Soviet and Russian aviation industry").

Naturally Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev considered himself the first in creating our heavy aircraft. When encroachments on his championship he usually immediately reacted. But at the beginning 1960s frantic years began arms race, and work became to grab on the everyone. In addition, now the planes have become much are more complicated. A very large number labor-intensive projects in which they participated numerous related enterprises. All this did not scare Tupolev. In all this he was like a fish v water.

Next time monopoly Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev disturbed by another former employee his KB, Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi ( see article « Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi. KB Sukhova won competition to create supersonic strategic missile carrier. After the appearance of this aircraft was named "Su-100", "weave" ( see article "Su-100"). The aircraft had OUTSTANDING characteristics and SUCCESSFULLY passed TESTS!!! But it turned out that Dry build these planes serially nowhere. aircraft factories capable place such large-sized products are under the control Tupolev, and he had your plans to load their enterprises.

V KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev simultaneously were under development dozens projects. In addition to bombers, these were passenger liners. After Tu-104 appeared new plane with big size, which was supposed to contain 170 passengers ! He got the name Tu-114 and was equipped turboprop engines. It was also an aircraft created on base strategic bomber, Tu-95 and was designed for intercontinental range of flight . At that moment Tu-114, Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev was the largest passenger by plane to the world!

Tu-114 appeared in to a large extent thanks to the board N.S. Khrushchev, who was very hot desire to surprise peace ! Especially, Khrushchev wanted to show our achievements, Americans to demonstrate supposedly development benefits our country. Khrushchev even insisted about to fly to America exactly on Tu-114, although fine knew What's on that moment liner more I FAILED completely all TESTS! Long distance liner Tu-114 established 32 world record !!! Per 15 years of operation occurred only one catastrophe Tu-114, but NOT on the aircraft's fault. In their design activities Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev skillfully combined traditional technical solutions with innovations. By the same principle Andrey Nikolaevich acted during the creation following passenger aircraft , "Tu-124", Tu-134 and Tu-154. Aircraft Tupolev released several hundreds of pieces v year!!!

Exception from this rule became passenger supersonic Tu-144(see article) . EXTRAORDINARY for passenger aviation flight parameters – 2nd speed of sound, height flight from 17 000 before 20 000 meters, non-standard engines, supply comfortable flight conditions for passengers and crew. All this assumed UNSeen prior design decisions, application new materials and new technologies. During creation Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was already in declining age, but he wanted to have time to solve this super complex task ! Besides Tupolev set the task overtake English-French similar project "Concord", who is already went full progress.

When creating at stake PRESTIGE countries, therefore FACILITIES to create it simply DID NOT COUNT! Andrei Nikolaevich, being no longer so energetic, he still tried strain all their opportunities to attract industry countries to implement this project! The task KB Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev DONE!!! took off on 2 months before Concorde, namely December 31, 1968 of the year !!! Total supersonic passenger aircraft were built 19 pieces.

Unfortunately 2nd catastrophes since served PREPOSITION for closing the project ??? And the first catastrophe June 3rd, 1973 years in Le Bourget(see article) happened NOT on THE FAULT OF THE AIRCRAFT and CREW, a decision to close project after second catastrophe, which, although it occurred due to equipment failure, was the result THE POINT-SIGHTED MANAGEMENT our country ??? The most mass Soviet passenger aircraft for a long time became Tu-154.

A son Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, Alexei went along father's footsteps and became aircraft designer ( see article "Alexey Andreevich Tupolev"). Daughter, Julia became medical worker. She went With father on all trips was on duty in his work cabinet and performed the functions the attending physician. May be, thanks to daughter Tupolev reach the age 84 year instead of released him 35 years ! Andrey Nikolaevich was good family man. It was very important to him preservation family, correct parenting! The fiftieth anniversary of Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev Design Bureau celebrated in October 1972 year as holiday of Soviet science and technology. Tupolev awarded Third Star of the Hero of Socialist Labor!!! He won't be December 23, 1972 of the year. Doctors don't understand how Andrey Nikolaevich lived long and bright life with incurable illness, how to endure prison conclusion, nervous overload !?

Perhaps, the best characterization Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev given by test pilot Mark Lazarevich Gallay: “Rarely I met a man in my life like this cared little about what impression he produces on surrounding! Maybe that's why impression he invariably produced the most strong. They talk about him rudeness Yes Tupolev did not hesitate to use non-normative vocabulary. Could on technical advice very much impartial speak out to colleagues from others KB, but could cry, not hiding tears, if trials his cars people were dying!" They also talk about justice Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev, skill listen to the point council, whoever it comes from. However, by no means does he did not suppress someone else's authority. He's scary did not like careerists, lazy and stupid but always could to exalt people standing!

One can say Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev partly lucky, he ended up in the right place v the right moment but then you have to add - he NOT in vain took it place, being suitable candidacy as nobody else! Its many times asked why he does not write memoirs about my rich and saturated life ? Usually he or remained silent or laughed it off but once Seriously said : « I don't write, I do apparently Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev it was much more interesting to do something new, how recall about already done!

Tu-144 Flight Moscow—Alma-Ata

Aircrafts

Awards and Titles

(November 10, 1888 - December 23, 1972) - Soviet aircraft designer, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, colonel-general-engineer (1968), three times Hero of Socialist Labor (1945, 1957, 1972), Hero of Labor of the RSFSR (1926).

Under the leadership of Tupolev, more than a hundred types of aircraft were designed, 70 of which were mass-produced. On his aircraft, 78 world records were set, about 30 outstanding flights were made.

Tupolev brought up a galaxy of prominent aviation designers and scientists who headed the aircraft design bureaus. Among them are V. M. Petlyakov, P. O. Sukhoi, V. M. Myasishchev, A. I. Putilov, V. A. Chizhevsky, A. A. Arkhangelsky, M. L. Mil, A. P. Golubkov , I. F. Nezval, A. A. Tupolev.

Biography

Born on November 10 (October 29, old style), 1888, in the village of Pustomazov, Kimrsky district, Tver province, in the family of a provincial notary.

Even while studying at the gymnasium, he showed great interest in the exact sciences and technology. In 1908 he entered the Imperial Technical School (later MVTU). At school, he became seriously interested in aerodynamics. Since 1909 - a member of the aeronautical circle. Participated in the construction of a glider, on which he independently made the first flight (1910). In 1911, successful studies and active scientific activity were interrupted when he was arrested for participating in unrest and distributing illegal literature and administratively deported from Moscow to his homeland under the covert supervision of the police. And only on the eve of the First World War did he manage to return to the school, which he graduated with honors in 1918. In 1916-1918, Tupolev participated in the work of the first aviation settlement bureau in Russia; designed the first wind tunnels at the school. Together with N. E. Zhukovsky, he was the organizer and one of the leaders of TsAGI. In TsAGI, the vocation of a young engineer was finally determined. In 1918-1936, he was a member of the board and deputy head of the institute for experimental all-metal aircraft construction.

On October 21, 1937, A.N. Tupolev was arrested on charges of sabotage and espionage. Together with him, the entire top of TsAGI and the Design Bureau, the director of most aircraft factories, was arrested. Many of them were shot. In conclusion, he worked in the closed design bureau of the NKVD - TsKB-29 ("Tupolev Sharaga").

Aircrafts

In 1925, Andrei Nikolaevich created the all-metal twin-engine aircraft TB-1, which was distinguished by high flight performance and was considered one of the best bombers in the world. In 1932, an improved TB-3 aircraft was designed, with the help of which the expedition landed at the North Pole in 1937. Also in 1932, under the leadership of Tupolev, the ANT-25 aircraft was designed by the brigade of P. O. Sukhoi. In 1934, a multi-engine aircraft of the Maxim Gorky model appeared. It had eight engines, a useful area of ​​more than 100 m² and a passenger capacity of up to 60 people.

After World War II, the Tupolev Design Bureau developed and produced a new model - the Tu-16 jet bomber. He was able to reach speeds of over 1000 km/h. The first domestic jet civil aircraft, the Tu-104, also appeared.

In 1957, the first turboprop intercontinental passenger aircraft Tu-114 was developed.

Memory

In 1973, the Kazan Aviation Institute was named after Tupolev (since 1992 - Kazan State Technical University).

In the city of Kimry on Mayskaya Square on September 7, 1979, a bust was erected (sculptor Kh. B. Gevorkyan) in memory of the three times Hero of Socialist Labor Tupolev A. N.

One of the streets of Donetsk (Ukraine) bears the name of A. N. Tupolev. In Kiev, on Academician Tupolev Street, the buildings of the ASTC named after O. K. Antonov are located.

Awards and Titles

  • Awarded eight Orders of Lenin (1933, 1945, 1947, January 1949, December 1949, 1953, 1958, 1968), Orders of the October Revolution (1971), Orders of Suvorov 2nd Class (1944), Patriotic War 1st Class (1943), two orders of the Red Banner of Labor (1927, 1933), orders of the Red Star (1933), "Badge of Honor" (1936), medals, the Order of Georgy Dimitrov (People's Republic of Bulgaria, 1964).
  • Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1957), four Stalin Prizes of the 1st degree (1943, 1948, 1949, 1952) and the State Prize of the USSR (1972).
  • Honorary citizen of Paris (1964), New York and the city of Zhukovsky, Moscow Region (1968).
  • Honorary Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society of Great Britain (1970) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (1971).
  • Awarded to N.E. Zhukovsky Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1958), FAI Gold Aviation Medal (1958), Leonardo da Vinci Prize (1971), gold medal Society of the founders of French aviation (1971).

Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev developed over 100 types of aircraft, 70 of which were mass-produced. 78 world records were won on Tupolev's aircraft, 28 unique flights were made, including the rescue of the crew of the Chelyuskin steamer on the ANT-4, non-stop flights to the USA over the North Pole by the crews of V. P. Chkalov and M. M. Gromov on the ANT-25 , landing of the scientific expedition "North Pole" headed by ID Papanin.

Andrei Nikolaevich was born on October 29 (November 10), 1888 in the village of Pustomazovo, Tver province (now the Kalinin region) of the Korchevsky district of the Suvorov volost in a large family Nikolai Ivanovich and Anna Vasilievna Tupolev. Anna Vasilievna, nee Lisitsyna (1850-1928), the daughter of a court investigator, was born in Tiflis, graduated from the Tver gymnasium. She spoke fluent French and German, played the piano, taught the children herself and kept house.

Nikolai Ivanovich Tupolev (1842-2911), according to the memoirs of Andrei Nikolaevich, was from the Siberian Cossacks, from Surgut. After graduating from the Tobolsk gymnasium in 1860, he began working as a teacher of arithmetic and geometry in the Berezovsky district school, and two years later, wanting to continue his education, he went to Moscow and entered the university. However, being involved in student unrest, he did not receive a diploma and in 1867 he again taught arithmetic and geometry, but already at the Uglich district school. The police do not leave him in the mowing here either: since May 1870, Nikolai Ivanovich has been under secret supervision. He leaves for the Tver province, where he holds the position of notary of the Tver district court for the city of Korchevo.

Andrei Nikolayevich recalled that "his father was weary of the service... and in 1876 he acquired a small plot of land 25 km from Kimry, in the Tver province, where he settled down to farm"1. And further Andrei Nikolaevich writes; “Our family was very friendly and large. The elder brother Sergey, then Tatyana, Maria, Nikolai, Vera, me and Natalya. Mother gave all her strength and all her soul to the family. I would not say that the family was patriarchal, the family was, undeniably cutting-edge. Life in the family was modest."


Having received primary education At home, Andrei Nikolaevich in 1901 entered the Tver gymnasium, from which he graduated in May 1908.

In the autumn of 1908 he became a student of the mechanical faculty of the Moscow Technical School.

In October 1909, N. E. Zhukovsky began to read a course of lectures on aeronautics at the IMTU. He also became the honorary chairman of the Aeronautical Circle, formed on the initiative of students. Andrei Tupolev appeared in the Aeronautical Circle in December 1909, when an exhibition was being prepared for the XII Congress of Naturalists and Physicians with an aeronautics subsection chaired by Nikolai Yegorovich.

Already in his second year, Tupolev developed a wind tunnel and built a biplane glider made of wood and canvas, on which he flew across the Yauza with his comrades from the circle.


The journal "Library of Aeronautics" reported: "Particularly interesting is the model of the Antoinette airplane of the latest design (the work of the student-technician Tupolev), very well executed with all the smallest details."

In 1911, A.N. Tupolev was arrested for participating in gatherings and distributing leaflets. The student was soon released, but expelled from MTU for an indefinite period. Even Zhukovsky could not help him. Andrei Nikolaevich returned to studies only in 1914.

In 1915, he was invited to head the hydroplane department of the Dux aircraft factory, and in 1917, he was appointed head of the settlement department of the Air Force Control Bureau. He continues to cooperate with N.E. Zhukovsky and becomes his closest student and assistant.

On June 11, 1918, Andrei Nikolaevich defended at the State Testing Commission of the Moscow Higher Technical School "Special Project" - "Experience in the development of a hydroplane according to wind tunnel tests" and received the title of mechanical engineer (with honors). At this time (June 15-25), the II All-Russian (first Soviet) aviation congress was held in Moscow, at which N. E. Zhukovsky, assessing the significance thesis Andrey Nikolaevich, said: "... of our employees, six people presented projects for airplanes of new systems and received the title of mechanical engineers. One of these projects - a hydroplane, presented by our engineer Tupolev, represents an outstanding study of how it rises from the water, how it sits on the water, and thanks to the research of a young scientist who took advantage of English experiments, the matter was cleared up. If these studies were published, they would be the glory of Russian scientific aviation."

Since 1918 he has been working at TsAGI under the direction of N.E. Zhukovsky. In 1919, Andrey Nikolayevich also worked in the commission for the construction of snowmobiles as deputy chairman of prof. N. R. Brilling.


On April 5, 1921, at a meeting of TsAGI researchers, Andrei Nikolayevich was unanimously elected as a fellow director of the institute. At the same meeting, it was decided to introduce the heads of all departments to the TsAGI board. Andrei Nikolaevich, as the head of the department, was a member of the collegium until 1930 - the beginning of the reorganization of TsAGI.

Since the beginning of the 1920s, A. N. Tupolev has been fighting for the introduction of light metal-duralumin into the domestic aircraft industry in order to move on to the construction of all-metal aircraft in the coming years. The first thing that had to be done was to start producing a domestic light and strong aluminum alloy suitable for the aircraft industry, to study its properties, develop new design principles, create a range of profiles used and a technology for their production, etc. The discussion of this issue at TsAGI ended with the fact that The TsAGI board, convinced by the arguments of Andrey Nikolayevich, submitted to the Scientific Committee of the Air Force (NC, UVVF) a proposal to organize the production of domestic duralumin.

After the snowmobile, TsAGI was given the task of building a glider, a high-speed vessel capable of conducting reconnaissance on shallow rivers. Since there was no such experience in shipbuilding, I had to turn to the experiments of D.P. Grigorovich on a flying boat. In the middle of 1921, the first GANT 1 was ready.

The experience gained in the development and construction of snowmobiles and gliders proved to be necessary in the construction of the first aircraft.

In June 1923, the construction of the first all-metal river glider ANT-2 began. And in November, A. N. Tupolev already tested it on the Yauza River. With a 30 hp engine. With. with an ANT-2 propeller showed a speed of 21.5 knots (40.0 km / h). When designing the glider and during its testing, some design problems were solved; managed, for example, to achieve the creation of a waterproof riveted seam. In the future, with a more powerful Siemens engine of 75 hp. With. ANT-2 was operated in Chuvashia on the line Cheboksary - Vasilsursk, taking on board three or four people.

In March 1927, a boat was built and sent to the hydrodrome created by that time, which received the name "Firstborn".

"Pervenets" became the first engineering structure built entirely of duralumin and intended for operation at sea. It had a displacement of 9 tons, was armed with a 450 mm torpedo and one 7.62 mm machine gun. Two motors of 600 hp. With. allowed to develop a maximum speed in calm water up to 54 knots (JOO km / h), and with an economic course, up to 30 knots (55.6 km / h). The radius of action in this case was 200 miles (370 km) and 340 miles (630 km), respectively. It was equipped with a night sight, a transceiver radio station. The crew included a helmsman, a machine gunner, a mechanic, a spare.


Glisser ANT-2, 1927. Right G.M. Musinyants, A.N. Tupolev, Yu.N. Flaxerman, A.A. Boikov, A.A. Arkhangelsky, N.I. Petrov

In April 1922, under the leadership of A.N. Tupolev, the design of a single-seat aircraft AHT-I began. It was a small sports cantilever monoplane with a wingspan of 7.2 m, of mixed design - like the first snowmobile, like the first glider. During the design process, studies were carried out in the MVTU wind tunnel, the main elements were subjected to static tests. The plane was assembled on the second floor of the building now occupied by the N. E. Zhukovsky Science and Memorial Museum. In October 1923, the construction was completed and the first aircraft designed by Tupolev was tested.

In May 1923, after the creation of all-metal snowmobiles and a glider, Andrei Nikolaevich and his team began designing the ANT-2 aircraft. According to the scheme, it was a cantilever high-wing aircraft. 100 hp air-cooled engine; the passenger cabin accommodated two people sitting facing each other; in the "reloading" version, a third could be placed. The cockpit is open.


On May 27, the aircraft was demonstrated to the leadership of the UVVS and TsAGI. ANT-2 successfully passed the tests. A speed of 169.7 km/h was reached on the measuring kilometer. With two passengers, he climbed 1000m in 7 minutes, 2000m in 17 minutes, 3000m in 39 minutes. The ceiling was not reached. With three passengers (transshipment option), the height of 2000 m was reached in 25 minutes.

Compared to a similar machine of those years by the Bristol company, the ANT-2, with the same engine power and the same number of passengers, had a higher flight speed and a lower weight of the structure. Already the first passenger aircraft of A. N. Tupolev was in no way inferior to the aircraft of a well-known English company.

The plane in 1926 successfully flew over the capitals of Europe in 4 days (Moscow - Berlin - Paris - Vienna - Prague - Moscow). Another ANT-3 flew 20,000 kilometers from Moscow to Tokyo and back.

In the 1920s, Andrei Nikolaevich reviews and takes an indispensable part in the consideration by the TsAGI board of aircraft projects proposed by other organizations. At the forefront, he always put the state, and not departmental or personal interests, even if it concerned himself.


Two light single-engine all-metal aircraft have been created, experience has been accumulated, and Andrei Nikolaevich is starting to realize his main goal - the creation of heavy aircraft.

In November 1924, the Special Technical Bureau for Military Inventions (Ostekhbyuro), on the basis of these studies, gave TsAGI an assignment to design a heavy twin-engine bomber.


A strict construction period has been set - nine months. He persevered in spite of all the difficulties. On November 26, 1925, pilot A.I. Tomashevsky first took the ANT-4 into the air. State tests of the ANT-4 continued until July 15, 1926. During the tests, the pilot A. I. Tomashevsky set two world records for the duration of the flight with a load on the ANT-4: the first flight with a payload of 2054 kg lasted 4 h 15 min, and in the second - in 12 hours the plane flew 2000 km with a load of 1000 kg.

Since that time, especially after the appearance of ANT-4 in the USA, they began to copy the scheme proposed by A. N. Tupolev abroad. In fact, the designs of all subsequent heavy bombers were based on the TB-1 scheme. The constructive solution for unloading the wing, proposed by Andrei Nikolaevich, turned out to be so effective that it was accepted all over the world and has remained practically the only one to date.


With the crew of the "Country of the Soviets". From left: F. Boltov, B. Sterligov, A. Tupolev, D. Fufaev, S. Shestakov

The operational reliability of the ANT-4 has been tested under extreme conditions. A unique flight from Moscow to New York was made on the ANT-4 "Country of Soviets" aircraft. It lasted from August 23 to November 1, 1929. The distance of 21,242 km was covered under extremely adverse weather conditions (fogs alternated with storms and storms on the route) in 142 flight hours.

The aviation department of TsAGI, under the leadership of Andrei Nikolaevich, designed and built three aircraft - ANT-1, ANT-2 and ANT-3. An order was received for the construction of two more aircraft. TsAGI has become a recognized center for the design and production of all-metal aircraft. The volume of Air Force tasks for new, more complex aircraft has increased. The capabilities of the MVTU laboratories no longer corresponded to the tasks facing TsAGI.


In July 1929, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks adopted a resolution "On the state of defense of the USSR." In particular, it provided for a radical technical reconstruction of aviation. The Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR approved a program for the creation of new aircraft; the main attention was paid to heavy bomber aircraft.

The task was fully consistent with the heavy four-engine bomber ANT-6 (TB-3), developed at TsAGI since the end of 1925 on the initiative and under the leadership of Andrei Nikolaevich. The main idea put by Andrey Nikolaevich as the basis for ensuring the efficiency of heavy aircraft - wing unloading and a thick profile at the wing root - found its brilliant embodiment in the design of the ANT-6.

General information (part 2)

In December 1930, the world's first four-engine all-metal cantilever monoplane ANT-6, built in the new AGOS building, under the leadership of A.N. Tupolev, began to undergo flight tests.

Already in February 1931, the Air Force Administration came to the conclusion that the aircraft "according to its flight data is a completely modern bomber at the level of the best foreign aircraft." It was decided to launch it in a series.

In 1933-1934. 3 TB-3 aircraft with demonstration flights each visited Warsaw, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Paris, causing the admiration of experts. When the Soviet government in 1934 relocated 150 TB-3s to Far East, the Japanese aggressors had to abandon the occupation of Korea and Manchuria.

By the mid-1930s, the USSR was the only country in the world that had mass-produced such huge machines as the TB-3. These excellent aircraft became the basis on which new areas of the Air Force were born and successfully developed - airborne troops, military transport aviation.


In a report at a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council of TsAGI on August 15, 1933, A. N. Tupolev, talking about the work related to the modification and re-equipment of TB-3 carried out in the first half of the year, noted that "-.. at the moment TB-3 we have covered three world records: flight with a heavy load on the range, duration and flight speed. In other words, ... in the face of TB-3 we have a completely modern, powerful and heavily armed machine, quite modern even today" .

By creating only this machine, a milestone for the world aircraft industry, Andrey Nikolayevich would have immortalized his name in the history of aviation.


At the end of 1932, the 40th anniversary was celebrated literary activity A. M. Gorky. The editor of the Ogonyok magazine, the well-known journalist Mikhail Koltsov, proposed building a huge, unprecedented propaganda aircraft, a giant aircraft, in honor of Gorky. The idea was supported by a meeting of employees of the magazine and newspaper association. Fundraising for the construction of a multi-engine aircraft began, the All-Union Committee for the Construction of Maxim Gorky was elected, which included more than 70 representatives of figures in technology, art, literature, among them A. N. Tupolev, V. E. Meyerhold, Mate Zalka, V And Kachalov.

Such a complex technical task, which has no analogues in the world aircraft industry, can only be handled by the TsAGI team led by A. N. Tupolev. In March 1933, the All-Union Committee signed an agreement with TsAGI. Under the contract, an aircraft that met the accepted technical requirements was to be presented for factory testing, that is, taken to the airfield in an unprecedentedly short time (one year and two months), by May 1, 1934.

June 17, 1934 the aircraft "Maxim Gorky" made its first flight. Andrei Nikolaevich was confident in the reliability of his aircraft, and already on the third day after the start of the tests, June 19, 1934, “Maxim Gorky participated in the parade in honor of the return of the Chelyuskin heroes. Regular flights of the giant aircraft began.

In the same year, 1934, world records were set on the Maxim Gorky for carrying capacity - 10 and 15 tons to a height of 5000 m.

The transition to such colossal machines required the solution of a number of scientific and purely engineering problems. Andrei Nikolaevich believed that the experience gained during the creation of the ANT-25 served as the basis for this. It was shown that with a large elongation, vibration can be avoided and, as Andrei Nikolaevich said, "revolutionary unloading" can be achieved. He called revolutionary unloading his idea of ​​​​placing in a wing of a large elongation, according to its span, cargo-engines, fuel tanks, shooting installations, office premises, as on Maxim Gorky. This made it possible to increase the wing span without increasing bending loads at its root in flight. Tupolev believed that "unloading and elongation - these are the two main issues in terms of raising the aerodynamic qualities of the machine. This joint - unloading and elongation - gave better aerodynamics and revolutionary expanded our capabilities."

Starting from the graduation project, hydroaviation has always been in the field of view of A. N. Tupolev. In 1921, he taught the course "Hydroaviation" at the Institute of Engineers of the Red Air Fleet. N. E. Zhukovsky. Gliders and torpedo boats were a transitional step towards the creation of flying boats. Already in 1925, the Naval Department gave the task to TsAGI to develop a marine long-range reconnaissance aircraft (MDR). But at that time, AGOS was loaded with more urgent work, and Tupolev could not immediately begin its implementation in full. As an intermediate solution, as noted earlier, Andrei Nikolaevich puts on floats first the newly built (in August 1925) ANT-4 (TB-1), and then the ANT-7 (R-6). Both machines have been successfully operated on a float chassis for a long time.

In 1933, the design of a large seaplane ANT-22 (MK-1, sea cruiser) began in the brigade of heavy naval aircraft. The requirements of the customer - reconnaissance of remote sea areas, the ability to deliver bombing and torpedo strikes, high seaworthiness - determined the features of the machine. It was carried out according to the scheme of a catamaran with six engines in three tandem installations on the center section.

In the future, Andrey Nikolayevich no longer returned to seaplanes: with an increase in flight range, with the solution of the problem of refueling in the air, land aircraft became accessible to any point of the oceans.

In the first half of the thirties, the design bureau of A. N. Tupolev became the leading world-class aircraft manufacturing company in the class of bombers with experience in large-scale production of heavy machines. Thanks to this, the domestic aviation industry has received a powerful development. The task of winning the world distance record, one of the main indicators for heavy vehicles, has become real.

In 1931, a special commission was formed under the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR to build a record-breaking aircraft for long-range non-stop flight. Andrey Nikolaevich prepared a preliminary design of the aircraft; The government decided to build an aircraft designed by Tupolev - ANT-25 (RD-1 - "Range Record") with an M-34 engine for flight to a design range of 13,000 km and a guaranteed range of 10,000 km.

On June 22, 1933, the first flight of the new aircraft took place. And on September 10, his understudy took off into the air. The chief pilot who tested the ANT-25 aircraft was M. M. Gromov.

The legendary flights Moscow - Franz Josef Land - Petropavlovsk - in Kamchatka by V. Chkalov, G. Baidukov and A. Belyakov on July 22, 1936 and Moscow - Portsland (USA) by the crew of V. Chkalov were made on this plane.

Having set the task of creating the best aircraft in the world, Andrey Nikolayevich, together with the teams of the design bureaus and departments of TsAGI, carried out tremendous scientific and experimental work, and by the mid-30s, A. N. Tupolev's design bureau began to develop a new class of light and heavy all-metal aircraft with wing, cantilever monoplanes with retractable landing gear and a mechanized wing, in many ways ahead of the aircraft of the capitalist countries. Aircraft of this class, built in 1933-1937, include: ANT-21, a twin-engine multi-seat fighter (MI-3); ANT-31, single-seat single-engine fighter (I-14); ANT-36, combat version of ANT-25, long-range bomber (DB-1); ANT-40, twin-engine high-speed bomber (SB); ANT-46, twin-engine, two-seat fighter (DI-8); ANT-29, twin-engine two-seat cannon fighter (DIP); ANT-37, twin-engine long-range bomber (DB-2); ANT-41, twin-engine torpedo bomber (T-1); ANT-35, twin-engine passenger aircraft (PS-35); ANT-42, four-engine heavy bomber (TB-7); ANT-44, four-engine naval heavy bomber (MTB-2), amphibian.

The last planes were produced without Tupolev. In 1937, the aircraft designer was suspended from work and arrested. At first he was kept in the Lubyanka, then he was transferred to the Butyrka prison. The investigator tried to obtain recognition of the aircraft designer that he had sold the drawings of the aircraft abroad.

At the end of 1938-beginning of 1939, the arrested specialists were gathered in Bolshevo to be used for their intended purpose. Among them was A.N. Tupolev, around whom several people grouped, who became the core of the future design bureau. It was behind bars that Tupolev and his associates formulated a proposal for the ANT-58 (TU-2).

In the fall of 1940, the aircraft began to be tested. A speed of 643 km / h was achieved - more than that of modern fighters. Stalin decided to build the aircraft in a mass series. Everyone was waiting for release. However, the developers began to impose new requirements, in particular on the placement of the crew in one cabin.


For almost a year Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was in Moscow prisons (on Lubyanka and in Butyrki), and then for about three years in another prison - Central Design Bureau No. 29 (TsKB-29) People's Commissariat Internal Affairs, where he was instructed to create a front-line dive bomber. TsKB-29 was located first in Bolshevo in the former labor commune of the OGPU, and later in the building of KOSOS, built shortly before that on the idea of ​​Tupolev, where the Oak Hall, conceived by him as a reception hall, became one of the bedrooms for "enemies of the people".

Neither low slander, nor hardships broke Andrei Nikolaevich. And in these sometimes infinitely difficult conditions, he, giving all his strength to work for the good of the Motherland, managed to rally capable, thinking people around him. Colleagues of Andrei Nikolaevich recalled that when he was assigned to work on "103", he compiled a list of the necessary specialists, including scientists and engineers whom he knew from joint work.

As it turned out later, this list saved a lot of people from death. About 100 prisoners were brought to TsKB-29 from prisons and camps, regardless of the "formulas of the accusation", - specialists, among whom were not only aircraft. So, S.P. Korolev (in 1930 Andrey Nikolayevich was the head of his graduation project), the chief designer of plant No. 1 D.S. Markov, who was already halfway from the Saratov Central to Kolyma, ended up in TsKB-29, Chief Engineer A. S. Ivanov of the Gorky Automobile Plant, A. S. Fainshtein, a specialist in the field of non-metallic materials, Yu. A. Krutkov, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and many others.

For the development of the Tu-2 Andrei Nikolaevich in 1943 was awarded the State Prize of the first degree. In August 1944, he was awarded the rank of Major General of the IAS, at the same time he was awarded the order Suvorov II degree. On September 16, 1945, by decree of the Supreme Council "For work in the field of national defense during the Great Patriotic War against non-fascist invaders," Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal. This award was a recognition of all the work of Andrei Nikolaevich in the organization of the Soviet aircraft industry, in the creation of heavy aircraft.


All 1418 days of the Great Patriotic War, the crews of the Air Force units fought on aircraft created by the design bureau of A. N. Tupolev. Both military and civilian vehicles, built in large and small series, were used in the battles. Total in the Great Patriotic war about 5,000 ANT and Tu aircraft participated: about 150 ANT-4 (TB-1) aircraft, about 600 ANT-6 (TB-3) aircraft, used as bombers, aircraft as part of the "link" and landing, about 300 ANT-7 (R-6) - glider tugs for delivering cargo to partisans, up to 60 ANT-9 (PS-9) - transport, sanitary and landing, about 3000 ANT-40 (SB) - bombers, military transport and glider tugs , 93 ANT-42 (TB-7, Pe-8) bombers, ANT-44 (MTB-2) bomber and, finally, about 800 Tu-2 (ANT-58), which largely ensured the victorious end of the war.


The aggressive plans of the new contenders for world domination who owned the atomic bomb, which arose at the end of the Second World War, demanded special measures from the leadership of our country to ensure defense capability. Among others, it was decided to create a heavy strategic bomber capable of carrying an atomic bomb.

Even before this decision, Andrey Nikolayevich had already developed a project and a model of the "64" (ANT-64) aircraft, capable of solving the assigned task and surpassing the American "super-fortress" B-29 in its expected flight characteristics. But since the Americans have already proved that it is possible to drop from the B-29 atomic bombs, Stalin instructed to build an exact copy of the B-29.

The planes assembled in Kazan were tested near Moscow, then on long-distance flights to Central Asia. Stalin signed the act of acceptance of the aircraft, changing the name to "Tu-4".

For organizing the production of Tu-4, A.N. Tupolev was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1947, and was awarded the rank of lieutenant general of the engineering service.

In January 1951, a four-engine Tu-85 strategic bomber with a mass of more than 100 tons was tested. The combat range was 12,000 km.

The creation of the Tu-85 aircraft, in which all the best achievements of aviation science and technology were embodied, was the result of work on heavy aircraft with a straight wing and piston engines.

Serial construction of the aircraft was not started. By this time, under the leadership of A. N. Tupolev, the research and experimental development teams of the Design Bureau, TsAGI and other institutes showed the fundamental possibility of creating long-range jet aircraft with high cruising speed, so the Air Force lost interest in the Tu-85 aircraft.

A. N. Tupolev was confident in the possibility of creating a heavy transonic aircraft, for which the normal physical efforts of the pilot are sufficient to control. He managed to inspire and organize many scientists and engineers to solve this and many other equally important problems for mastering high flight speeds. Facilitating this work, he creates a number of aircraft that allow confirming the recommendations of science and gaining the experience necessary for designers to create a heavy transonic aircraft.

On June 27, 1947, the Tu-12 aircraft took off, pilot L.D. Flight). Andrey Nikolayevich jokingly remarked after the flight; "Well, now we have seen with our own eyes that you can fly without a propeller." This flight marked the beginning of the jet era in the Design Bureau. On the Tu-12, they studied the problems that new technology: sealing the fuel wires for kerosene, protecting the fuselage from the jet of flame. Based on this experience, they decided to build a Tu-14 front-line bomber, which became the prototype for subsequent machines.

After working on the Tu-14, Tupolev suggested adding a high-speed swept-wing bomber to the design bureau's work plan. The proposal was approved, work began on the Tu-82 medium bomber with a 30-40 degree sweep wing. In the summer of 1949, the car was at the airfield. The tests were completed quickly and gave good results. The Tu-82 was followed by the Tu-91 close infantry support bomber.

By January 1949, when A.N. Tupolev's 60th birthday was celebrated, his design bureau had developed 57 aircraft, built and tested 32, 21 types went into mass production. According to the merit of the hero of the day, he was awarded the Order of Lenin.

In the winter of 1952, tests began on the Tu-16 multi-ton jet machine. Stalin suggested that Tupolev add two more engines and create an intercontinental bomber capable of flying to America and back. The aircraft designer refused to solve the problem with the existing engines, but the range of the Tu-16 was increased by the use of tanker aircraft. Tu-16 was produced not only in the USSR, but also in China and is still in service. In NATO military circles, the Tu-16 was nicknamed "Badger" - a badger, an evil, uncompromising beast, capable of giving a fierce rebuff. Of the foreign aircraft of this class, the American B-47 was operated for only a few years, and the serial production of the British bombers "Valient", "Victor" and "Volcano" began later than the Tu-16, and they were produced in small series.


1956 Tu-104 has already flown abroad. In London, he caused surprise and delight.

For success in the production of Tu-16 and Tu-104 A.N. Tupolev in 1949 and 1952 was awarded the state prize of the 1st degree. On October 23, 1953, the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences approved his election as an academician.

A.N. Tupolev nevertheless decided to follow Stalin’s instructions and launched the Tu-95 long-range heavy bomber into development.

Tu-16 and Tupolev-95 became the first bomber and then missile-carrying systems in Soviet aviation, which include not only aircraft and missiles, but also a number of technical services outside the aircraft.

Andrei Nikolaevich was the first to grasp the need of the time to create a heavy jet passenger aircraft that would meet the requirements for the development of civil aviation as a transport system. In 1954, the project of a jet passenger liner, the Tu-104 aircraft, was approved, which became the first jet aircraft in the world to carry out regular passenger transportation. In 1956, the Tu-114 successfully passed the tests and went into production, and at the Paris Air Show in 1957 it became a sensation.

In 1960, Tupolev began developing the Tu-124 jet aircraft for short ranges. With a speed close to that of the Tu-104, the car turned out to be comfortable and unpretentious, it could even land on water. When it was necessary to increase the number of passengers to 56 people, the Tupolev Design Bureau released the Tu-134. This aircraft was used not only in the USSR, but also abroad.

The next aircraft was the first Soviet Airbus Tu-154. In 1967, the machine began testing, and in the summer of 1971 it entered service.

In the autumn of 1968, Andrei Nikolaevich's 80th birthday was celebrated. And on December 31, a message appeared in the newspapers about the first flight of the world's first supersonic passenger liner Tu-144.

Until the autumn of 1970, the aircraft flew 100 hours, reaching a maximum speed of 2430 km per hour. Passenger flights began on November 1, 1977.

The era of the birth of heavy jet aviation, the development of transonic and supersonic flight speeds is grandiose. Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev was its leader, the only aviation designer in our country who solved the problem of creating heavy supersonic aircraft for all purposes, as well as the first aviation complexes. Success was achieved thanks to the ability of A. N. Tupolev to involve many thousands of scientists and engineers in all interconnected fields of science and technology, his perseverance in overcoming difficulties and confidence in success.

His ideas contributed to the creation of new and the expansion of old research and design institutes.

Andrei Nikolaevich died on December 23, 1972. the post of chief designer was taken by his son. In honor of the aircraft designer, the USSR Academy of Sciences established the A.N. Tupolev medal.