What invented boilermakers. Backpack parachute. History of one invention. From a helmet to a satchel

One of the main inventions of aviation - the parachute - appeared thanks to the dedication and efforts of just one person - the self-taught designer Gleb Kotelnikov. He had not only to solve many of the most difficult technical problems for his time, but also for a long time to achieve the start of mass production of a rescue kit.

early years

The future inventor of the parachute Gleb Kotelnikov was born on January 18 (30), 1872 in St. Petersburg. His father was a professor of higher mathematics at the capital's university. The whole family was fond of art: music, painting and theater. Amateur performances were often staged in the house. Therefore, it is not surprising that the inventor of the parachute, who had not yet taken place, dreamed of a stage in his childhood.

The boy perfectly played the piano and some other musical instruments (balalaika, mandolin, violin). At the same time, all these hobbies did not prevent Gleb from being keenly interested in technology. Having received from birth, he constantly made and collected something (for example, at the age of 13 he managed to assemble a working camera).

Career

The future that the inventor of the parachute chose for himself was determined after a family tragedy. Gleb's father died prematurely, and his son had to give up his dreams of a conservatory. He went to the Kiev Artillery School. The young man graduated in 1894 and thus became an officer. Three years of military service followed. After retiring, Kotelnikov became an official in the provincial excise department. In 1899 he married his childhood friend Yulia Volkova.

In 1910, the family with three children moved to St. Petersburg. In the capital, the future inventor of the parachute became an actor in People's House, taking the pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov for the stage. St. Petersburg gave him new opportunities for realizing his inventive potential. All previous years, the nugget continued to engage in design at an amateur level.

Passion for airplanes

At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of aviation began. Demonstration flights began to be carried out in many cities of Russia, including St. Petersburg, which were of great interest to the public. It was in this way that the future inventor of the backpack parachute, Gleb Kotelnikov, got acquainted with aviation. Being indifferent to technology all his life, he could not help but catch fire with an interest in aircraft.

By coincidence, Kotelnikov became an unwitting witness to the first death of a pilot in history. Russian aviation. During a demonstration flight, pilot Matsievich fell off his seat and died, falling to the ground. Following him, a primitive and unstable aircraft fell.

The need for a parachute

The accident involving Matsievich was a natural consequence of the insecurity of flights on the very first aircraft. If a person went into the air, he put his life on the line. This problem arose even before the advent of aircraft. AT XIX century balloons suffered from a similar unresolved issue. In the event of a fire, people were trapped. They could not leave the vehicle in distress.

Only the invention of the parachute could resolve this dilemma. The first experiments on its production were carried out in the West. However, the task technical features was extremely difficult for its time. For many years, aviation has been marking time. The inability to provide a life-saving guarantee to pilots seriously hampered the development of the entire aeronautics industry. Only desperate daredevils went into it.

Work on the invention

After a tragic episode on a demonstration flight, Gleb Kotelnikov (the one who invented the parachute) turned his apartment into a full-fledged workshop. The designer was obsessed with the idea of ​​​​creating a life-saving device that would help pilots survive in the event of a plane crash. The most surprising thing was that an amateur actor took on a technical task alone, over which many experts from all over the world had been struggling for many years to no avail.

The inventor of the parachute, Kotelnikov, carried out all his experiments at his own expense. Money was tight, often had to save on details. Copies of life-saving equipment were dropped from kites and Petersburg roofs. Kotelnikov acquired a pile of books on the history of flying. Experience passed one after another. Gradually, the inventor came to an approximate configuration of the future rescue vehicle. It was supposed to be a strong and lightweight parachute. Small and foldable, it could always be with a person and help out in the most dangerous moment.

Solving technical problems

The use of a parachute with an imperfect design was fraught with several serious flaws. First of all, this is a powerful jerk that was waiting for the pilot during the opening of the canopy. Therefore, Gleb Kotelnikov (the one who invented the parachute) devoted a lot of time to designing suspension system. He also had to redo the mounts several times. When using the wrong design of a life-saving device, a person could randomly rotate in the air.

The inventor of the aviation backpack parachute tested his first models on mannequin dolls. He used silk as a fabric. In order for this matter to be able to lower a person to the ground at a safe speed, it took about 50 square meters canvases. At first, Kotelnikov folded the parachute into a head helmet, but so much silk could not fit in it. The inventor had to come up with an original solution for this problem.

backpack idea

Perhaps the name of the inventor of the parachute would have been different if Gleb Kotelnikov had not guessed to solve the problem of folding the parachute with the help of a special satchel. In order to fit matter into it, I had to come up with an original drawing and intricate cutting. Finally, the inventor began to create the first prototype. In this case, his wife helped him.

Soon the RK-1 (Russian - Kotelnikovsky) was ready. Inside a special metal satchel there was a shelf and two coil springs. Kotelnikov made the design so that it could open as quickly as possible. To do this, the pilot only needed to pull a special cord. The springs inside the satchel opened the dome, and the fall became smooth.

Finishing touches

The parachute consisted of 24 canvases. Through the entire dome there were slings, which were connected on suspension straps. They were fastened with hooks to the base, put on a person. It consisted of a dozen waist, shoulder and chest straps. Leg wraps were also included. The parachute device allowed the pilot to control it when descending to the ground.

When it became clear that the invention would be a breakthrough in aviation, Kotelnikov became concerned about copyright. He did not have a patent, and therefore any outsider who saw the parachute in action and understood the principle of its functioning could steal the idea. These fears forced Gleb Evgenievich to transfer his tests to remote Novgorod places, which were advised by the inventor's son. It was there that the final version of the new life-saving equipment would be tested.

Fight for a patent

The amazing story of the invention of the parachute continued on August 10, 1911, when Kotelnikov wrote a detailed letter to the War Ministry. He described in detail specifications novelties and explained the importance of its implementation in the army and civil aviation. Indeed, the number of aircraft only grew, and this threatened new deaths of brave pilots.

However, Kotelnikov's first letter was lost. It became clear that now the inventor has to deal with terrible bureaucratic red tape. He started the War Department and various commissions. In the end, Gleb Evgenievich broke into the committee on inventions. However, the functionaries of this department rejected the idea of ​​​​the designer. They refused to issue a patent, considering

Confession

After a failure in his homeland, Kotelnikov achieved official registration of his invention in France. The long-awaited event took place on March 20, 1912. Then it was possible to organize general tests, which were attended by pilots and other persons involved in the young Russian aviation. They took place on June 6, 1912 in the village of Salyuzi near St. Petersburg. After the death of Gleb Evgenievich, this locality was renamed Kotelnikovo.

On a June morning, before the eyes of an astonished public, the balloon pilot cut the end of the loop, and a specially prepared dummy began to fall to the ground. Spectators watched what was happening in the air with the help of binoculars. A few seconds later, the mechanism worked, and the dome swung open in the sky. There was no wind that day, which caused the dummy to land right on its feet and, after standing there for a few more seconds, fell. After this public test, the whole world became aware of who was the inventor of the aviation backpack parachute.

Mass release of parachutes

First mass production RK-1 began in France in 1913. Demand for parachutes rose by an order of magnitude after the First World War. In Russia, rescue kits were needed for the pilots of the Ilya Muromets aircraft. Then, for many years, the RK-1 remained indispensable in Soviet aviation.

Under the Bolshevik rule, Kotelnikov continued to modify his original invention. He worked extensively with Zhukovsky, who shared his own aerodynamic laboratory. Experienced jumps with trial models of parachutes turned into a mass spectacle - they came great amount spectators. In 1923, the RK-2 model appeared. Gleb Kotelnikov supplied her with a semi-soft satchel. Several more modifications followed. Parachutes became more comfortable and practical.

Simultaneously with his Kotelnikov devoted a lot of time to helping flying clubs. He gave lectures, was a welcome guest in sports communities. At the age of 55, due to age, the inventor stopped experiments. He transferred all his legacy to the Soviet state. For numerous merits, Kotelnikov was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Being retired, Kotelnikov continued to live in the northern capital. He wrote books and textbooks. When did the Great Patriotic War, already elderly and weakly seeing Gleb Evgenievich, nevertheless, took an active part in the organization air defense Leningrad. Siege winter and famine inflicted swipe by his health. Kotelnikov was evacuated to Moscow, where he died on November 22, 1944. The famous inventor was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

G. E. Kotelnikov

From a miniature on ivory, located in the State. Tretyakov Gallery.

Work thin. Yu. V. Kotelnikova.

The author of this book, the Russian inventor Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov, was the first to design a backpack parachute of free and automatic action. But Kotelnikov was neither an engineer nor an aircraft designer. It was a self-taught designer, but he created a parachute that even the best specialists Abroad.

His life, his works are of interest not only to skydivers Soviet Union, but also to Soviet children who love aviation and follow its progress.

Gleb Evgenyevich Kotelnikov was born in 1872 in the family of a professor of mechanics and higher mathematics at the St. Petersburg Forestry Institute - Evgeny Grigoryevich Kotelnikov. Kotelnikov's parents loved music, theater, sometimes performed in amateur performances. All this was accepted by the young Kotelnikov. Since childhood, he fell in love with the stage and began to strive for it.

But, besides the theater, young Kotelnikov was fond of technology, made various toys and models. The father encouraged these inclinations of his son and tried to develop them.

Once the son asked his father to buy him a camera.

Buy, buy ... - answered the father. - Buy, my brother, everything is possible if there is money. But you yourself try to do it. If something comes up, I'll buy a real one.

The son knew that it was useless to ask his father now. The father did not change his mind. Instead of buying breakfast for himself at the gymnasium, Kotelnikov began to save money. When five rubles accumulated, I bought an old lens. Kotelnikov worked for a long time, but the device did it anyway. The son solemnly presented the first picture to his father. After checking this camera, the professor praised the work and fulfilled his promise - he bought a real one.

But in 1889, a misfortune befell the family: Professor Kotelnikov died. Gleb Evgenievich had just graduated from high school. Retirement was difficult.

Kotelnikov entered a military school. But he did not like drill, barracks discipline. After graduating from school as an artilleryman, Kotelnikov served three years of compulsory service. He was weary of serving in the army, seeing the disenfranchisement of the soldiers, the rudeness of the officers. As soon as the term of service ended, Kotelnikov retired.

In 1898, Gleb Evgenievich left for the province, where he served as an excise official. In the provinces, he helped organize people's houses, drama clubs. And sometimes he played as an amateur actor. He became interested in working in the theater, and when he returned to St. Petersburg, he joined the troupe of the People's House.

So in 1910, in the thirty-ninth year of his life, Gleb Evgenievich became an actor Glebov-Kotelnikov.

At this time, the first Russian pilots showed the audience their first flights. People then just learned to take to the air on airplanes - machines heavier than air. There were no Russian airplanes yet, and Russian pilots flew foreign planes.

The actor Glebov-Kotelnikov, who loved technology since childhood, could not be indifferent to these events that worried all of St. Petersburg. He went to the Commandant's airfield and there, together with the rest of the spectators, watched the unprecedented machines, listened to the unusual sound from the propeller of the aircraft.

Kotelnikov did not remain an indifferent witness when he saw the death of the pilot Matsievich, who crashed to death, falling from an airplane. This was the first casualty of Russian aviation. But she didn't go unnoticed. Russian actor Kotelnikov decided to build an apparatus on which pilots could descend to the ground if an airplane crash occurs in the air.

Abroad also worked on the creation aviation parachute. And although they were design specialists who had Better conditions work, but their parachutes were too complex, heavy, bulky. Such parachutes were not suitable for aviation.

Kotelnikov built a model of his parachute and tested it. It was a light parachute stowed in a knapsack. He was always with the pilot. The parachute worked flawlessly.

On October 27, 1911, Kotelnikov patented his invention "RK-1" (Russian, Kotelnikov's first) and applied to the military ministry.

In the ministry, Kotelnikov was accepted, listened to, approved the design, but rejected "as unnecessary."

This was the first failure. The foreigner Lomach learned about this failure of the Russian inventor, in whose office they sold equipment for aviation. Lomach invited Kotelnikov to his office and offered to help build a parachute.

Lomach built two copies of the RK-1 parachute. Their tests gave good results. And yet in Russia they were not interested in parachuting.

But after testing "RK-1" in Russia, abroad already knew about the invention of Kotelnikov. And when Lomach arrived in France, everyone looked with interest at the jumps of the student Ossovsky from the 53-meter-high bridge in Rouen.

And since 1913, knapsack parachutes similar to Kotelnikov's began to appear abroad.

Only at the very beginning of the World War did the War Ministry remember Kotelnikov and his parachutes. Now he was called and decided to make several dozen parachutes for the front.

But it was not possible to introduce a parachute in all aviation. Head of Russian air force believed that "a parachute in aviation is a harmful thing."

After the revolution, during civil war, Kotelnikov's parachutes were used by the aeronautical units of our Red Army.

In 1921, at the request of the Main Directorate of the Air Fleet, the Soviet government awarded Gleb Evgenievich.

Kotelnikov started working again, improving his parachute. In 1923, he released a new, semi-rigid backpack parachute "RK-2". Kotelnikov was the first to develop a postman parachute that could lower loads to the ground. He developed a collective parachute to rescue passengers in case of civil aircraft crashes.

Kotelnikov invented a basket parachute, where the basket is separated from the balloon by turning the steering wheel.

Finally, in 1924, Kotelnikov created the RK-3 parachute. A year later, in 1925, the Irwin foreign parachute appeared, similar in design to Kotelnikov's, but more carefully designed. He was given preference. The Kotelnikovsky parachutes, which had not yet been tested at that time, were made handicraft. We bought the right to manufacture his parachutes from Irvine. But we know the name of that Russian designer who first developed all the principles of the aviation parachute that we use now.

The self-taught inventor Kotelnikov created his parachute in tsarist Russia. In that technically backward country, he, of course, could not meet with either attention or support, just as Ladygin, Yablochkov, Popov, Michurin, Tsiolkovsky and others did not meet this.

In his book, Gleb Evgenievich tells Soviet children how people learned to build parachutes and descend to the ground with them. He also tells about how he created his own parachute in those days when the tsarist officials considered the parachute unnecessary and even harmful.

In our country, thousands of people are now engaged in parachuting, learn to use a parachute, jump with it. They know that a parachute is necessary both in the defense of our homeland and in their daily work. And to replace our paratroopers, aircraft designers, pilots, a new generation is growing up, which should know and respect the work of this self-taught designer, whose parachute was the basis for the best modern parachutes.

GLEB KOTELNIKOV - INVENTOR OF THE FIRST Knapsack Parachute On November 9, 1911, the world's first backpack parachute RK-1, developed by Gleb Kotelnikov, was successfully tested. Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov was born on January 30, 1872 in St. Petersburg in the family of a professor of mechanics and higher mathematics. Parents were fond of the theater, and this hobby was instilled in their son. Since childhood, he sang, played the violin, and he also liked to make different toys and models. In 1894 Gleb Kotelnikov graduated from the Kiev military school , and after serving three years of compulsory service, went into the reserve. He served as an excise officer in the provinces, helped organize drama circles, sometimes acted in performances himself, and continued to design. In 1910, Gleb returned to St. Petersburg and became an actor in the troupe of the People's House on the St. Petersburg Side (pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov). Then, under the impression of the death of the pilot Matsievich L.M., Kotelnikov began to develop a parachute. Before Kotelnikov, the pilots escaped with the help of long folded "umbrellas" fixed on the plane. Their design was very unreliable, besides, they greatly increased the weight of the aircraft. Therefore, they were rarely used. Having successfully tested his invention in November 1911, in December of the same year, Kotelnikov tried to register his invention - a free action backpack parachute in Russia, but for unknown reasons he did not receive a patent. The parachute had a round shape, fit into a metal satchel located on the pilot with the help of a suspension system. At the bottom of the knapsack under the dome there were springs that threw the dome into the stream after the jumper pulled out the pull ring. Subsequently, the hard satchel was replaced with a soft one, and honeycombs appeared at its bottom for laying slings in them. This design of the rescue parachute is still used today. He made a second attempt to register his invention in France and on March 20, 1912 he received a patent for No. 438,612. First, on June 2, 1912, Kotelnikov conducted demonstration tests of a parachute using a car. The car was dispersed, and Kotelnikov pulled the trigger belt. The parachute tied to the tow hooks instantly opened, and its braking power was transferred to the car, forcing the engine to stall. On June 6 of the same year, parachute tests took place in the Gatchina camp of the Aeronautical School near the village of Salizi. At different heights, a mannequin weighing about 80 kg was dropped from a balloon with a parachute. All the throws were successful, but the Main Engineering Directorate of the Russian Army did not accept it for production because of the fears of the head of the Russian air forces, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, that the aviators would leave the airplane at the slightest malfunction. In the winter of 1912-1913, the RK-1 parachute designed by G.E. Kotelnikov was presented by the commercial firm Lomach and Co. for a competition in Paris and Rouen. On January 5, 1913, Ossovsky, a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, made his first RK-1 parachute jump in Rouen from the 60-meter mark of a bridge spanning the Seine. The parachute worked brilliantly. The Russian invention was recognized abroad. And the tsarist government remembered him only during the First World War. At the beginning of the war, reserve lieutenant G.E. Kotelnikov was drafted into the army and sent to the automotive unit. However, soon the pilot G.V. Alekhnovich convinced the command to supply the crews of multi-engine aircraft with RK-1 parachutes. Soon Kotelnikov was summoned to the Main Military Engineering Directorate and offered to take part in the manufacture of backpack parachutes for aviators. In 1923, Gleb Evgenievich created a new model of the RK-2 backpack parachute. Later, a model of the RK-3 parachute with a soft backpack appeared, for which a patent for No. 1607 was received on July 4, 1924. In the same 1924, Kotelnikov made a cargo parachute RK-4 with a dome with a diameter of 12 m. up to 300 kg. In 1926, G.E. Kotelnikov transferred all his inventions to the Soviet government. In September 1949, the village of Salizi, where Kotelnikov's parachute was first tested, was renamed Kotelnikovo. A modest monument depicting a parachute was erected not far from the test site.

Indeed, in those distant, distant times, it was impossible to use a parachute, because then there was nothing to fly on - not balloons, no aviation. And there was no landing then either. Leonardo could only jump from different buildings, for example, from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But why jump from it? For what? That is, the invention appeared before the need for it. Therefore, due to uselessness, the parachute was forgotten for as much as 300 years.

They remembered the “anti-fall” device (namely, the word “parachute” is translated as such) only in the 18th century, when the first balloons appeared, which often fell along with their passengers. Parachutes were then made of linen, and although they were strong, they were heavy. They were tied at the bottom or side hot air balloon. Later, the fabric began to be rubberized, and the parachute became even heavier. In addition, a folded parachute took up a lot of space. Therefore, when the first airplanes began to fly, parachutes were either not used or were stowed along the fuselage. In short, this thing used to be very inconvenient to use.

And in 1911, an ordinary Russian actor of the St. Petersburg People's House Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov (1872-1944) came up with a parachute design that became popular all over the world. Moreover, this design, with some minor changes, is still used today.

Kotelnikov significantly reduced the weight of the parachute. He replaced heavy linen with strong but light silk. He sewed a thin elastic cable into the edge of the parachute, and divided the lines into two groups, which were attached to the shoulder girths of the suspension system. This allowed the skydiver to control the flight of his saving friend. People stopped aimlessly and limply hanging in the air under the influence of the wind. It became possible even to hold competitions on the accuracy of landing.

And finally, the most important invention of Kotelnikov - he put the parachute in a small metal backpack attached to the body of the paratrooper. At the bottom of the satchel was special shelf, and under it - strong springs that instantly threw the parachute out when the jumper pulled out the retaining ring. The parachute has become maneuverable, compact and comfortable.

Kotelnikov called the first parachute model RK-1, which meant "Kotelnikov's Knapsack". A few years later, he improved the RK-1, and the RK-2 and RK-3 appeared. The metal satchel was replaced with a canvas one in the form of an envelope, and there were also “honeycombs” that prevent the lines from tangling. Modern parachutes have almost the same design.

To be sure of the reliability of the device, Gleb Evgenievich personally conducted numerous tests on reduced models. The lifeguard worked flawlessly!

Kotelnikov, of course, wanted to quickly register and put into production this important invention for aviation, which could save the lives of many pilots. But here he ran into the ruthless Russian bureaucracy.

First, Gleb Evgenievich went to the Main Military Engineering Directorate. But the head of the department stated bluntly: "A parachute in aviation is a harmful thing, since pilots, at the slightest danger, will escape by parachutes, providing aircraft for death."

Then Kotelnikov turned to the War Ministry. The inventor asked for subsidies for the manufacture of an experimental parachute and for more serious tests. But even here he was refused, since one authoritative member of the commission believed that "the aviator's legs would come off from the blow when the parachute opened."

In 1912, Kotelnikov, with the help of the St. Petersburg entrepreneur V. A. Lomach, was able to build two prototypes of his backpack parachute. Full-scale tests were successfully carried out in the air: different aviators dropped a dummy of Ivan Ivanovich with a parachute at different heights. Kotelnikov's invention worked perfectly - it never failed, and Ivan Ivanovich did not receive any damage.

In the same year in Paris international competition paratroopers Lomach showed the invention of Kotelnikov in action. The French were delighted and bought both samples from him, and then set up their own production.

And in Russia, Kotelnikov's parachutes were remembered only two years later, when the First World War began. An experimental batch was made for Sikorsky's planes, but then the officials decided to buy parachutes abroad anyway. Although foreign analogues were exactly the same as those of Kotelnikov, because they were made according to his samples.

Already in Soviet times Gleb Evgenievich developed the world's first cargo parachute RK-4. Its dome had a diameter of 12 meters, so it was possible to lower up to 300 kilograms of cargo on it.

Gleb Kotelnikov

Foreword by Major General G. Gromov

Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov. From a miniature on ivory (Tretyakov Gallery) The work of the artist Yu. V. Kotelnikova.

Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov, the first inventor of domestically designed parachutes, with his book "Parachute" contributes to the further development of parachuting in our country.

Deep knowledge of parachute technology and great life experience are reflected in this literary work of G. E. Kotelnikov.

Skydiving is no longer just a sport. Parachute in the army - military weapon. The huge saturation of modern armies with motors, the development of aviation, in particular transport, the presence of perfect parachutes caused the emergence of a new kind of troops - airborne troops.

Our youth need to know the parachute. Many will serve in air force and airborne troops Red Army. The first and basic knowledge about the parachute can be obtained from this book. G. E ... Kotelnikov talks about the history of parachuting, about the nature of parachute equipment, its need for aviation and safety in use.

The book "Parachute" evokes a feeling of pride in our Soviet Motherland. The inventor G. E. Kotelnikov put a lot of work to create a Russian parachute, but only under Soviet rule did his invention receive universal recognition. Thanks to their high quality the domestic parachute, invented by the author of this book, ousted parachutes of foreign designs from our country.

The inquisitiveness of the first inventor of the Russian parachute, his concern for the safety of aviators home country, his energy and perseverance in the struggle for the domestic parachute teach young people how to achieve their goals.

The Russian parachute, improved by new, young designers, is a formidable weapon in the hands of the Red Army, which is defending the freedom and independence of our Motherland from the Nazi invaders.

Major General G. GROMOV

Moscow. August, 1943

I dedicate to the youth of my country.

I never thought that I would have to become the inventor of the parachute. It was 1910. I was thirty-nine years old, I was an actor, I performed at the People's House. Sometimes, in free time, I went to the airfield to look at flights, At that time, in 1910, aviation was just emerging in Russia, Many spectators gathered at the Commandant airfield to admire the flights of our first pilots - Popov, Matsievich, Rudnev, Efimov, Yankovsky and others . The successes of our pilots at that time were significant. Pilot Popov, for example, having risen on a Wright airplane to a height of "as much as a hundred meters", stayed in the air for about an hour. And they wrote about it in all the newspapers. When the airplane descended, the pilot was greeted with deafening applause.

One summer I went to see flights. The day turned out to be beautiful. There were a lot of people at the airport. There were several cars at the start. Then the engine roared, and the extreme car "Wright", on which Popov flew, ran across the green field, took off from the ground and, rising higher, flew over our heads.

Look, - an elderly man who was standing next to me said to me, - the aviator is sitting like a bird on a perch. Well, how long to slip and fall?

But they fasten themselves to the seat with belts, - I answered.

Well, you know, - my neighbor objected, - "there is no master for sin", everything can happen.

Airplane "Wright" of the first years of aviation in flight.

I did not argue, I myself was afraid for the pilot. After all, he sits, not protected by anything either from below or from the sides.

Once, when I was with my wife at the airport, something happened that I was so afraid of. The pilot Lev Matsievich then flew on the Farman. It was October 10, 1910.

Rising into the air, Matsievich made several circles over the airfield. Here is his airplane already at an altitude of more than a hundred meters ... But what happened? Why did a black figure of a man separate from the airplane and rapidly fly down? Someone shouted, everyone jumped up from their seats. And then we saw that the out-of-control plane was falling, turning over in the air, like autumn leaf... It was the first victim of Russian aviation. She made a deep impression on us.

Returning home from the airport, my wife said to me:

Is it really impossible to come up with some very small apparatus that would fall along with a person and throw out a parachute?

In the evening, as usual, I performed at the theater. There was Schiller's tragedy Mary Stuart in which I played the role of Leyster. But on stage I was haunted scary picture Macievich's death. And in the scene with Queen Elizabeth, a completely unusual and unpleasant incident happened to me.

"What did you sigh about?" the queen asks me.

“Oh, do I have no reason to sigh? I began. - Turning my passionate gaze on a bright forehead, I am tormented by the loss that threatens me!

"What can you lose?" - asks Elizabeth.

At that moment, the thought flashed through my head: “How many wonderful, brave people we can still lose, just like we lost Matsievich!” Some kind of eclipse came over me, and I felt with horror that I had forgotten my line to the queen! .. And only the usual acting technique came to the rescue. After a forced "game" pause, I continued:

“Oh, your heart! .. I am losing you, priceless!” - and then continued, as always.

What is it with you today? the actress who played Queen Elizabeth asked me as soon as the curtain fell.

I told her about the terrible incident at the airport.

The idea expressed by my wife about a small apparatus with a parachute positively haunted me.

Airplane "Farman" of the first years of aviation.

Airplane "Farman" of the first years of aviation in flight.

I remembered how, while still a schoolboy, I admired the acrobat Leroux, who parachuted down from a hot air balloon. Of course, I thought, you can think of something for an airplane, but to work in the field of a parachute, you need to know its history from the very beginning.

And I turned to the historian of aeronautics A. A. Rodnykh, who helped me a lot in my studies.

In ancient times, people protected themselves from the scorching rays of the sun with an umbrella and a canopy. And even then they knew that a gust of strong wind was trying to blow away the canopy, to tear the umbrella out of their hands. People also knew how difficult it is to strong wind hold an umbrella in your hands when the wind pulls it out.

Already in ancient times, man, watching the flight of birds, dreamed of rising from the earth himself, flying through the air and soaring like an eagle.

Legends have come down to us, fantastic stories about how some people flew through the air.

The Roman poet Publius Ovid Nason, who lived two thousand years ago, wrote the poem Metamorphoses.

Airplane "Blerio" of the first years of aviation in flight.

In it, he tells how a man named Fillius passionately loved one boy. Filly gave him many gifts, fulfilled all his whims. When Fillius did not fulfill the last desire of his favorite, he threw himself off the cliff in despair and flew away.