Today, a resurgent Russia aviation industry is betting on the latest domestic development - the liner Superjet-100 ", developed by Sukhoi. The basis of the air forces of Russia, like many other countries, are unique aircraft of the Su-27 ". It is the strength and pride of aviation!This is our pride. Because a man who laid the foundations of Russia's aviation, Pavel Sukhoi - our countryman, a native of Vitebsk land.
Pavel Sukhoi was born in the village Glubokoje (now - the town of Vitebsk region), July 10, 1895. His birth surprisingly coincided with the birth of aviation. Around that time, Alexander Mozhajskij designed the first aeronautic apparatus heavier than air. However, this fact has not received any publicity, and the aircraft has not been heard.
In 1900 the family of Sukhoj moved to the Gomel. Pavlik, the only boy in a large family, was just five years. The head of the family, Osip A., was a Director of a school for the railroad, directed the musical circle. Their home often hear the music. There was an impressive library. There are special folio - a collection of poems Yakub Kolas, presented by the author. In this atmosphere was growing future genius of aviation.
Then Pavlik goes to school in August 1905. The famous brothers Rait had already successfully fly their planes, but this fact is still hidden from the public. The invention is kept one's own counsel. And 10-year-old boys have other joys: the first phonograph, the first car and just opened an illusion-cinema.
And now is a world sensation! It is 1906. French aviator Santos Dumont in an airplane of its own design rises into the air and flies entire ... 220 meters! The whole world in a joyous stupor. Immediately coming the next record - another Frenchman flies 770 meters in a straight line. All newspapers are trumpeting a new era - aviation. In Paris, there are the brothers Rait, and raise the bar records. These improved apparatus are raised to a height of more than a hundred meters and fly ... 50 miles! More than two hours in the air! Era Aviation occurs finally and irreversibly.
Comes Aviation madness. Airplanes overfly the Eiffel Tower, fly through the English Channel.But in Russia there is no air "boom" yet. While.
But now comes the year 1910. Illustrative airline flights are taking place in Russia. One of them - in Gomel. Paul is 15 years. He was among the spectators demonstration flight of Sergei Utochkin. This shocking act. Like thousands of young men of that time, Paul fascinated reading about updates to aeronautics. He got the article of Zhukovsky that changed his world outlook. Only now he wants himself to design airplanes and believe - is his calling.
In 1914, after graduating college, he decided to go to the professor Mozhayskiy in Moscow for implementing his plans. But in August the war begins. Pavel Osipovich sent to the front. Next will be the following events: forced to escape from the front, the teaching in Lunenez and Gomel, meeting with his future wife, Sophia, and, finally, studies in Moscow. He becomes an air constructor.
In times of USSR fully blooming talent of Pavel Sukhoi. Under the leadership of the famous Tupolev, Pavel Osipovich constructs his first aircraft. Everything is, in general, safely. Sukhoj involved in many projects of the Soviet design bureau. But he dreams about the creative independence. And the fate gives a chance!
June 18, 1937 world shaking news - Russian pilots have made flights of the USSR - the United States over the North Pole! Flight headed by the famous Valery Chkalov, set a new distance record. All talk enthusiastically about Chkalov, few people know about Sukhoj who designed this aircraft. And Paul does not like attention to his person.
But the record of Chkalov a month later was breaked! And again on the Sukhoi aircraft design. Gromov's crew covered a distance of 11 thousand kilometers! America crazy about Russian pilots. Such boom and did not dream modern "stars". Fallen glove of Gromov, for example, instantly break into souvenirs. This is a deserved triumph for Russian aviation.
There will be a famous ultra-long flight of female crew of Valentina Grizodubova. And this is a new incredible success of the Soviet aircraft industry and Sukhoy in particular. But there will be failures as well. And these failures have had historic significance.
Developed in the mid of 1930 Su-1 and Su-3 are superior to all the best characteristics of the aircraft that existed before the Second World. But these models did not begin to be produced. Because of the one flaw detail – turbo compressor. Nobody knows how to change a military developments, whether the Red Army had these planes ...
During the The Second World War was released a few hundred well-known Su-2. This apparatus are particularly "survivability" and reliability. Often used to burning, bullet-riddled like a colander, Su-2 successfully returned to the military airfield. Surprisingly, even if the gas-tank of plane was damaged the plane did not explode. By the way, Paul Osipovich personally visited the squadron, asking the pilots about his own planes. Proposals of pilots to modernize the design immediately introduced into the production.
However, such machines were not enough, so there were incidents. For example the famous Pokryshkin attacked our Su-2 taking it for a German novelty.
After the war, the Sukhoi produces a huge number of military orders. In total, more than 50 original designs, of which 30 were built and tested. Peculiarities of its aircraft knew every boy of the postwar era. The famous cosmonauts Titov and Beregovoj were flying by aircraft marks "Su". But for a long time the name of the general design of these planes has remained classified.
Pavel Osipovich, wise man, whose ideas are ahead of his time, having all sorts of awards and titles, until his death remained a simple and humane. He was impatient to unprofessionalism and bragging. Was precise and penetrating. Do not reckon with the titles and regalia, often simple engineer who sowed the idea advanced in the project, caused by Pavel Sukhoi more attention than bureaucratic meetings.
Pavel Osipovich died in 1975 at the age of eighty. Ideas, worked on them for life, and now urgent and promising.
The enormous capacity for work, patriotism, and dedication - that is the true portrait of our illustrious countryman. Let us "declassify" name genius aircraft with special pride will bring to future generations.
P.S. Medal number 1 Andrei Tupolev, which was established by the Academy of Sciences and is awarded every four years for outstanding achievements in the field of aeronautical science and technology, was posthumously awarded the general designer of aircraft Osipovich Pavel Sukhoi.
Dmitry Rubanik
