Father of transport aviation. Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov. Oleg Antonov, aircraft designer: short biography with photo Antonov aircraft designer biography

It is no secret that Soviet industry has always been famous for the presence of highly qualified personnel, which even the Western capitalist countries wanted to have in their ranks. Many engineers then worked not for the sake of money, but only because the activity to which they devoted themselves was the meaning of their life and great love. One of these historical characters, who at one time managed to make a colossal breakthrough in the aircraft industry, is Oleg Antonov. About this man with an amazing fate and will be discussed in this article.

Biography

The future "father" of many aircraft was born in 1906 in the Moscow province (Trinity village). His great-grandfather spent his life in the Urals and held a high position - he managed local metallurgical enterprises. The grandfather of the future aircraft designer was an engineer by education. He devoted his entire working life to the construction of various bridges. It was he who moved to the village of Trinity and married the daughter of a retired general Bolotnikov. The wife's name was Anna Alexandrovna. Three sons were born in their family: Sasha, Dima and Kostya. The latter eventually became the father of our hero. Konstantin Konstantinovich married Anna Efimovna Bikoryukina, who bore him a daughter, Irina, and a son, whose name the whole world knows today. Of course, this is Oleg Antonov.

I will fly!

These were the thoughts that were in the head of six-year-old Oleg when in the evenings he listened to the stories of his cousin Vladislav about aviation. At that time my cousin was studying in Moscow. According to Antonov himself, it was then that he decided that he would connect his life with airplanes.

But his parents did not share his hobbies. Mother believed that people should not fly at all, because it is unnatural. And the father argued that a man in life should be engaged in a more serious matter than dreaming about heaven. The only family member who supported the guy was his grandmother. It was she who gave him a model airplane equipped with a rubber motor. After such a presentation, Oleg Antonov began to collect everything that only had to do with aviation: photographs, various drawings, newspaper clippings, literature, small models. It was this approach to business that later helped him to study the history of aircraft construction well.

family tragedy

For studying exact sciences Antonov Oleg entered the Saratov real school. However, he was far from the first student. But he managed to perfectly master French, which in a few years bore fruit, because the knowledge gained helped him to communicate without problems with foreign colleagues. Soon the First World War broke out, and his mother, as befits representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, went to work as a nurse. Unfortunately, her career ended tragically. Performing dressings on the wounded in the hospital, she got an infection through a scratch on her arm and died from blood poisoning in the prime of her life. It happened in 1915. From that moment on, Oleg began to be raised by his grandmother.

First independent work

At the age of thirteen, Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich, together with his friends, founded the "Club of Aviation Fans". After some time, the circle began to publish its own magazine, the editor-in-chief, artist, journalist and publisher of which was Antonov. This edition had all the necessary information for people interested in aircraft. Even poems about pilots were printed.

At the age of 14, the young man was outside the walls educational institution. His school closed. Because in single school children were taken only from the age of 16, then the road there was closed to him. But he found a way. His sister Irina already studied at this university. Therefore, he began to go to classes with her, sitting at the back of the desk and absorbing all the information given to the students. So he spent two years. And finally got a certificate. The young man tried to enroll in a flight school, but did not pass because of his health. However, this did not bother the guy. Then he submits documents to Saratov University, but after a while he is again left with nothing, since his faculty was disbanded. Antonov categorically refused to enter the construction department.

Work in the "Society of Friends of the Air Fleet"

Since 1923, Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich has devoted himself entirely to this club. The head of the society was Comrade Golubev, who received the young enthusiasts very cordially. He even helped them with supplies and premises, allocating a small hall in an industrial technical school for classes. It was within its walls that Antonov created his first brainchild - the OKA-1 "Dove" glider. Such an optimistic start, combined with an excellent memory and knowledge, helped Oleg (at that time a student at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute) to create the OKA-3, Standard-1, Standard-2, OKA-7, OKA-8 gliders.

First fall

Tests of the "Dove" in the Crimea did not bring Antonov the desired result - the car never took off. But the pilot, who was assigned to manage it, instilled optimism in the young designer. And he didn't let me get discouraged. Although Oleg did not solve the problem set for himself, he still got something that you can’t buy for any money: acquaintance with the guys present at the rally with the names Pyshnov, Ilyushin, Tikhonravov, who today are already historical personalities of modern aviation.

Appointment to the post

The biography of Oleg Antonov says that in 1930 he graduated from the institute. And three years later he became the chief designer of the design bureau of the glider plant located in the capital. The management set the task for him: to develop various light-winged vehicles and put them into mass production at the plant in Tushino. But while the enterprise was being built, the specialists settled in the basement together with a group of reactive workers led by Sergei Korolev.

Work during the Great Patriotic War

Oleg Antonov, whose photo is shown in this article, with the outbreak of hostilities, received an assignment from the government - to produce the A-7 multi-seat airborne transport glider, developed by him in 1940. After some time, the plant was evacuated to Siberia. There, the designer creates an exclusive model of a glider for transporting light tanks. But him practical use showed that joint work with the TB-3 bomber was inexpedient and unproductive. In 1943, Oleg returned to Yakovlev and became his deputy. But at the same time, Antonov continues to dream of creating an aircraft for a peaceful sky.

Life after the war

In the second half of 1945, engineer Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich became the head of the branch of the Yakovlev Design Bureau in Novosibirsk at the Chkalov plant. Here work began on the creation of agricultural aircraft. The state was in dire need of machines capable of taking off both from the airfield and from the field. For joint work, Antonov took in graduates of the local aviation technical school. And they didn't let their master down. In the summer of 1947, the first An-2 was already in the assembly shop. The car performed great. Therefore, it was decided to build it in Ukraine.

Moving to Kyiv

The aircraft designer liked the city of chestnut trees right away. Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich, whose family by that time was also very tired from endless moving around the country, even physically felt better in Kyiv. But difficulties also arose: we had to re-form the team and material base KB. A year later (in 1953), the bureau received an order to create a transport aircraft equipped with two. The task was completed in two years. And in 1958, it was put into mass production and received the name An-8.

New project

After a visit to Khrushchev's Design Bureau in 1955, the creation of a new machine began. Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich, whose photo was then printed by all newspaper publications, suggested Secretary General create a four-engine aircraft. The ship, according to his idea, could be in two versions: cargo and passenger. As a result, the An-10 was created, capable of quickly flying, landing and taking off from a snowy strip. In 1962, Antonov defended his thesis at the Moscow Aviation Institute and received the title of Doctor of Technical Sciences. During the same period, he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Creation of "Bee"

A good specialist was engineer Antonov Oleg. The photos of the designer presented in the article demonstrate his great achievements in the field of air transportation. As a professional, he was always aware that such a huge country as the Soviet Union was in dire need of a small aircraft that could take to the skies in the absence of a runway. This thought eventually led to the creation of a machine called the Bee. She subsequently had modifications: An-14 and An-28. The plane had only 11 seats.

A new step in aircraft construction

The next brainchild of the Antonov Design Bureau was the now well-known An-22 Antey. It was this aircraft that became at that time the world's first wide-body aircraft. In terms of its dimensions, it significantly exceeded everything that was created on the planet at that time. Therefore, its creation required the introduction of innovative technological and design solutions, as well as the implementation of a huge number of experiments.

The work of the Soviet team was appreciated at the international exhibition in Paris and called it a sensation in the world aircraft industry. The first flights of the novelty confirmed its exclusivity. The vessel has repeatedly proved its peculiarity, easily delivering to the Far North various equipment for oil and gas industry. The military were also satisfied: they received a powerful aircraft that helps to solve many of their problems and questions. Antonov's last lifetime development was the An-124 Ruslan. More than 30 world records have been set on this machine. In total, the design bureau beat the world achievements in the aircraft industry more than 500 times.

Personal life

Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich, for whom his wife was a hope and support, women have always liked. The aircraft designer never allowed himself to look untidy, he was emphatically intelligent and courteous with representatives of the opposite sex, led healthy lifestyle life and was young at heart. Largely because of this, he had three marriages behind him. All of them left children. Surprisingly, he was able to maintain friendly, warm relations with all his spouses without any problems, and his heirs never sorted out the relationship with each other. By the way, a remarkable fact: his third wife - Elvira Pavlovna - was 31 years younger than him.

The legendary engineer died on April 4, 1984. The funeral took place on the 6th. Hold in last way the legendary man came a huge number ordinary people. They betrayed Antonov to the ground

February 7, according to the new style, marks the 107th anniversary of the birth of Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov, an outstanding aircraft designer, whose name occupies an honorable place in the history of aviation. Doctor of Science, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the Lenin Prize and State Prizes of the USSR, creator of the legendary AN-2 ("maize"), as well as the creator of 74 (!) Models of diverse aircraft (52 types of gliders and 22 types of aircraft), founder and head of the famous Soviet experimental design bureau.

The works of the designer made his surname one of the most famous in the world. During the Great Patriotic War he participated in the creation and development of the Yak fighter, one of the most popular and popular aircraft of that period. Together with his design bureau, Antonov shocked the world with the creation of the An-22 Antey heavy turboprop transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 250 tons and the An-124 Ruslan, which had a take-off weight of 402 tons.

O. Antonov was a multifaceted and comprehensively developed personality - he was actively involved in sports and painting (“if I had not become a designer, I would have become an artist”), wrote works on air gliding (“On Wings of Wood and Canvas”, “Ten Times First” , “For everyone and for myself” and others), poems and even stories for children. D. S. Kiva, General Designer and President state enterprise"Antonov" since 2005, spoke about his outstanding predecessor: "Everyone admired his knowledge, vast experience, amazing intuition with a rare combination of purely human qualities - the ability to attract people's hearts, captivate them, rally them, breathe confidence that they can handle any difficult task.

Oleg Antonov was born on February 7, 1906 in the village of Trinity, Podolsk district, Moscow region, in a family of hereditary noblemen - Konstantin Konstantinovich and Anna Efimovna Antonov. When the boy was six years old, the family moved to Saratov.

The Antonov family at the beginning of the 20th century

“I started dreaming about aviation early,” Antonov recalled, “I was in my fourth year when my cousin came to us from Moscow and began to talk about the fantastic flight across the English Channel made by Louis Blériot. All this made a very strong impression on me. Sixty-four years have passed, but I still remember that evening and my brother's story! I decided that I would fly like Blériot (...) And I started building gliders in order to fly. There was no other way for me then. So he became an aircraft designer. All my life I built, built ... True, I flew a little myself. On all of their cars. We, the designers, need this: not a single tester, not a single most detailed report, instrument records will tell about the aircraft what you will feel when you take the helm in your hands. (…) The sky is beautiful. Start all over again, I would become a pilot!

Monoplane "Bleriot XI", on which the Frenchman Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel

Parents did not support children's craving for flying. The father worked as a civil engineer and predicted the future of electrical engineering for his son, the mother believed that a person had nothing to do in the sky. And only the grandmother supported children's dreams by giving a model of an airplane with a rubber engine.

In Saratov, there was virtually no information about aviation. Oleg had to extract information from newspapers and magazines. What, according to him, did a good job - it was possible to consider a variety of aircraft from the point of view of their development. The enthusiastic boy even published a handwritten magazine "Aviation Fans Club", distributed it among his peers with whom he designed kites and aircraft models.

After graduating from a labor school, a fifteen-year-old purposeful young man applied to the aviation school of the Red Air Fleet, but was refused. Then it was possible to study only as a pilot and only with command experience. Antonov was not at a loss, he organized the "Circle of Aviation Lovers", where he designed more serious models. Soon - he took part in the first glider design competition in the USSR, where he sent his amateur drawings. “One day I was walking around Saratov, and suddenly I saw: in the window of the kiosk, the 8th issue of the Smena magazine for 1924 with drawings of my glider! At that time, I knew the rules of drawing still poorly, and I drew many knots in perspective and even painted them with watercolors. On the cover of the magazine, the young aviator rushed with a dashing roll over the Clouds. His large scarf fluttered in the wind and gave the whole picture a romantic uplift.

Cover of the magazine "Change" for 1924

At that time, a branch of the Moscow Soaring Flight Society was opened in Saratov, which had its own glider section and design bureau, headed by O. Antonov. In this design bureau, the young men developed the OKA-1 "Dove" glider, which was presented to the public at the Second All-Union Congress of Gliders in Koktebel in 1924. OKA-1 and its creators received certificates of honor for the originality of the idea - the design was extremely complex, but they were used in production exclusively improvised materials. In the same year, two books by the 18-year-old designer were published with illustrations by the author: "The simplest models of paper gliders" and "Why do we need gliders."

In 1925, O. Antonov entered the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute at the Department of Hydroaviation of the Ship Faculty. During his studies he created six types of gliders. Some of them were released in small series. The release of the glider "City of Lenin", which received the approval of the famous designer S. V. Ilyushin, became a record.

After graduating from the institute, Antonov was sent to work in Moscow to create a glider design bureau. Soon, when the construction of the plant in Tushino was completed, Antonov was appointed chief designer in it. During his work, he assembled more than 30 non-powered aircraft for various tasks. Some models have set world records. For example, "Rot-Front 7" set a record for flight range, flying 749.2 km. The record lasted 30 (!) years.

Glider "Rot-Front 7"

In 1938, O. Antonov took the position of chief engineer for training aircraft at the A. S. Yakovlev Design Bureau, at the personal invitation of the chief designer. Within a year, Antonov developed the Aist small-sized aircraft, which was put into serial production in Kaunas.

During the Great Patriotic War, Antonov was given the task of launching the A-7 landing transport glider, which he had developed in 1940, into serial production. More than 500 of these gliders were used in military operations. For this the designer was awarded a medal"Partisan of the Great Patriotic War". In 1942, Antonov developed the A-40 - for transporting light armored vehicles or light tank. However, he spent most of his time on finalizing and improving the Yak fighter, which was widely used in combat operations.

After the war, Antonov left for Novosibirsk - to lead the design bureau at the aircraft factory. The result was not long in coming. On August 31, 1947, an experimental model of an agricultural aircraft, a year later called AN-2, carried out its first test flight. September 6, 1949 the aircraft went into series production. “Russians are excellent pilots,” wrote Canadian pilot E. Brown, “AN-2 is an amazing airplane. He can even sit on the roof of a barn, and take off from the bell tower.

Legendary AN-2

Domestic pilots nicknamed this plane "Annushka", and civilians - "corn". The device could perform various tasks- from irrigating fields to extinguishing fires, from training paratroopers to participating in Arctic research. Several thousand various modifications of the AN-2 were produced.

Since 1952, the life of O. Antonov was closely connected with Ukraine. He moved to Kyiv with a group of leading specialists, founded the Aircraft Design Bureau (now it is the O. K. Antonov Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex). Most of the new team were graduates of the Kharkov aviation institute(where since 1977 O. Antonov worked as the head of the department).

The first project of the new design bureau was the AN-8 transport aircraft, with two turboprop engines, launched into series in 1958 in Tashkent.

The development of the An-10 and An-12 aircraft began in 1955 after N. S. Khrushchev visited the Design Bureau. In a conversation with the head of state, Antonov proposed the creation of a single 4-engine aircraft in passenger and cargo versions.

Experts believe that the An-10 had a combination of properties that is rare for a passenger airliner: high flight speed, relatively short runway length required, and the ability to take off and land on unpaved and snow-covered airfields. Considering these features, Aeroflot operated the An-10 on short inter-regional routes with poorly prepared and unpaved lanes. Off-design modes of operation, frequent takeoffs and landings led to the rapid consumption of its resource. This caused the formation of fatigue cracks in the strength elements of the An-10 structure. Antonov was very upset by the 1972 disaster and shared with his Kyiv friend the famous surgeon N. Amosov: “No, I will not build large passenger aircraft. I will not survive the simultaneous death of many people. After the accident with the “ten” I woke up more than once from a night call in a cold sweat and answered the phone with a trembling hand - is it really an accident with my plane again?

In the autumn of 1960, O. Antonov received an order to develop a giant aircraft for transporting large loads. A huge unprecedented flying machine was named AN-22 "Antey". The constructive solution for the super-lifting aircraft came to the designer in a dream. The first flight of the giant took place in February 1965.

AN-22 "Antey"

In June of the same year, "Antey" was exhibited in Paris at the international air show. The French journalist Gerard Favard spoke of the most gigantic aircraft that existed on the planet at that time: “When the huge shadow of the Antey swept over the Le Bourget airfield, even the most ardent pessimists let out a cry of admiration. It is fantastic! Flying Tanker! Train in the air! What epithets were invented these days! But none of them could express the impressions that the Soviet supergiant made even on experienced participants in the salon. This is, of course, the number one sensation, before which the rest of the exhibits pale. And I will take the liberty of declaring on behalf of all visitors to the salon that not one of them passed indifferently past the Soviet "Antey" - "the main sensation of the salon."

Antey set 41 world aviation records.

The most powerful development of Antonov was the supergiant aircraft AN-124 "Ruslan", during the creation of which very bold for that time were found technical solutions. In particular, the supercritical swept wing was used for the first time in the world on an aircraft of this class. Ruslan set 30 world records.

"Ruslan"

"Ruslan" was the last aircraft created under the direct supervision of O.K. Antonov, who died on April 4, 1984. The outstanding aircraft designer of our time was buried at the Baikove cemetery in Kyiv. His name is the Kiev Mechanical Plant and the design bureau, which he led.

Further project management was carried out by the General Designer P.V. Balabuev, a student and successor of O.K. Antonova. The world premiere of "Ruslan" took place in Le Bourget in May 1985, where he, as before "Antey", aroused great interest. Serially "Ruslan" was produced at aircraft factories in Kyiv (17 copies) and Ulyanovsk (34 copies). Currently, Ruslans are operated in Russian Air Force, in Volga-Dnepr, Polet and Antonov Airlines.

An-124 "Ruslan" over the domes of the Kremlin

Today, the creators of Ruslan are trying to increase the commercial and consumer attractiveness of Ruslan, the problem of joint Ukrainian-Russian production of the liner is becoming more and more urgent. IN last years new civil versions of An-124-100 were certified: An-124-100M, An-124-100-150 and An-124-100M-150.

In the interests of military transport aviation, it is proposed to resume mass production of Ruslan in the An-124-200 version. They talk about the possibility of operating this liner for another half a century.

Over the entire period of existence of the Antonov Design Bureau, 483 world records were set on its aircraft (by the end of 2005), 378 of which have not been broken so far.

In 1999, for achievements in aviation, Antonov's name was inducted into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame in San Diego, California.

Grave of O. Antonov

As Oleg Konstantinovich said in one of his last speeches: “You can go further only in a revolutionary way, mastering new ideas. And the limits of new technology, as you know, do not exist.

Indeed, it doesn't exist. The Antonov Design Bureau developed an even larger AN-225 Mriya aircraft. If "Ruslan" lifted 150 tons of payload, then "Mriya" - 250. "Mriya" made its first flight in 1988, and in May 1989 performed flights with "Buran" at Baikonur.

An-225 "Mriya" carries the space shuttle "Buran"

Now the AN-225 is in flight condition and is used by the air transport division of the ASTC. O. K. Antonov - Antonov Airlines.

Since 2009, the famous association, which includes several large enterprises in different cities, has been called the Antonov State Aircraft Building Concern.

In 2011, the Ukrainian short-haul passenger aircraft An-158 (An-148-200) was certified, designed to carry from 86 to 99 passengers. In 2012 the Russian leasing company Ilyushin Finance Co signed a contract for the sale of 15 An-148s and An-158s with Panamanian leasing company South American Aircraft Leasing S.A.

I. Weisberg, who visited the aircraft factory in Ulyanovsk in August 2012, in his article “For Ruslan, 30 years is not age!” notes: “The huge half-empty hangars seemed to freeze in anticipation of the giant aircraft for the production of which they were built. The plant still employs specialists who mastered the serial production of Ruslan. New modifications of Ruslan, taking into account the installation of the most modern equipment, are liners of the 21st century. The main thing is not to “blame” the issue and not to miss the time to implement all the decisions made on modernization and renewal series production unique aircraft.

We add: this would be an excellent continuation of the main work of the outstanding domestic aircraft designer O. K. Antonov.

Aircraft designer Oleg Antonov was the creator of many models of aircraft for various purposes. After the Great Patriotic War, he began to lead a design bureau in Kyiv, where most of his projects were implemented.

Family

On February 7, 1904, Oleg Antonov was born in the family of civil engineer Konstantin Antonov. The aircraft designer was born in the small village of Trinity, Podolsky district, Moscow province. When the boy was 8 years old, his parents moved to Saratov.

Father's brother Vladislav often visited the Antonovs. Uncle told nephew amazing stories about aviation. It had only just been born, and that is why it particularly struck the imagination of contemporaries. Among this enthusiastic audience was Oleg Antonov. The aircraft designer later recalled how his uncle's stories greatly influenced his childhood dreams of the future. It was then that the boy realized that he was destined to fly, and any other career would be a waste of time for him.

Passion of a lifetime

Oleg's hobby in the family was shared only by his grandmother. One day she gave her grandson a toy airplane model. At the same time, the father and mother did not pay attention to the son's passion, believing that in the future he should do something more thorough and familiar for that time. But, despite this, photographs and books about airplanes that young Oleg Antonov collected began to appear in the house. The aircraft designer kept these materials until the end of his days. From improvised literature and newspaper clippings, the boy compiled his own reference book, which greatly helped him in the near future. Oleg, at a very young age, knew the history of aircraft construction very well and was ready to discuss the biographies of his favorite pilots for hours.

In Saratov, the boy went to study at the local real school. He made this choice for the sake of the exact sciences. But, in addition to them, the student was fond of other subjects. For example, Oleg perfectly mastered the French language. Later, this skill became his indispensable assistant when meeting with foreign delegations of Western specialists.

The childhood of the future aircraft designer was overshadowed by a terrible loss. In 1914 the First World War began. Oleg's mother signed up as a sister of mercy and began to help the wounded at the local hospital. During one of the dressings, Anna Efimovna was hit by a deadly infection that entered her body through a small scratch. In the summer of 1915, she died of blood poisoning. Her only son was raised by her grandmother.

"Aviation Club"

After graduation primary education Oleg decided to enroll in a flight school. However, it was not accepted due to inconsistency physical requirements. The young man's health was affected by typhus experienced in childhood and the famine of the war years. That defining moment came when the biography of the aircraft designer Antonov could have turned out completely differently.

Finding himself at a crossroads, the young man decided to enter the railway department of Saratov University. In this city, it was as close as possible to the aviation theme. However, a year later the university was reorganized, and the Antonov faculty was abolished. He was offered to go to the construction department, but he refused.

The guy was saved by his “Aviation Fan Club”. He created this circle together with childhood friends who shared a passion for airplanes. The comrades were engaged in amateur activities - in the conditions of information hunger they collected thematic materials and saved up money to assemble their own glider. Meanwhile, the Society of Friends of the Air Fleet appeared in Saratov. The organization gave the "Club" a small room within the walls of an industrial technical school. Thanks to this help, in 1924, the biography of the aircraft designer Antonov was marked by an important event. He created his first aircraft- glider "Dove".

From Koktebel to Leningrad

Soon Oleg and his comrades were invited to Koktebel. In this Crimean town, the second all-Union meeting of glider pilots took place. Antonov, together with his friend Zhenya Bravarsky, miraculously managed to deliver their "Dove" to the other end of the country. To do this, they had to load the car onto the train platform.

In Koktebel, a general review of devices assembled by the same enthusiasts as Antonov was held. The aircraft designer later recalled his mixed feelings when his Dove, piloted by a professional pilot, never took off, but only made a few timid jumps. Of course, it was a failure, but it was the trip to Koktebel that was able to breathe new strength into the young man. In the Crimea, he met numerous associates who, like him, dreamed only of conquering the sky.

Antonov's participation in the glider rally was not in vain. His candidacy was recommended for admission to the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute. The young man was indeed enrolled in the ship faculty, in the department of hydroaviation. This place was perhaps the best in the country, what can we say about the comparison with the former Saratov University, in which Oleg Antonov initially ended up. The aircraft designer received there the necessary experience and skills that made him a first-class expert in his field. There were no problems with specialized literature in Leningrad. The habit of cutting out photos from yellowed newspaper chronicles is a thing of the past. The student quickly got used to the new city. He became an active participant in various circles and sections.

Glider constructor

University studies ended in 1930. In 1933, the 27-year-old designer was appointed head of the design bureau of one of the glider factories in Moscow. For such an age, it was an unprecedented success. How did Oleg Antonov deserve it? The aircraft designer was not only a pro, he was distinguished by leadership qualities and was not afraid to be proactive where his colleagues could take a back seat. Antonov showed all his outstanding skills and character traits already at the first “real” job.

These were the years of the "great leap" when new types of industry were just being created. The Antonov Design Bureau was assigned to the plant in Tushino. The only catch was that this enterprise had not yet been built. The designers had to work in a workshop provided by Osaviakhim. She was not just anywhere, but in the basement on the Garden Ring. Previously, it was used as a wine cellar. Now two teams worked there - glider pilots and jet pilots. The leader of the first group was Oleg Antonov, the leader of the second group was the no less legendary Sergei Korolev. Then the famous designer lived in the same cramped conditions in which he created the future of domestic aviation.

The team working on the creation of new aircraft models was given a clear goal - to give the country a ship that could become accessible to the most diverse segments of the Soviet population. In fact, the leadership of the industry wanted to deprive aviation of its elitism. Antonov achieved his goal. His enterprise began to produce two thousand new ships a year, which was unheard of for the young Soviet economy.

The Great Patriotic War

On June 22, 1941, the Soviet aircraft designer O.K. Antonov met in Lithuanian Kaunas. This city was very close to state border THE USSR. Therefore, it was he who was among the first attacked by the Germans. Antonov managed to evacuate the city just a few hours before the arrival of the Wehrmacht forces. Despite the bombing, he nevertheless returned to Moscow.

In the capital, everything started from scratch. Was picked up new team, which was headed by Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov. The biography of a talented designer was already well known to the state leadership. Therefore, he received several strategically important tasks. Antonov was instructed to develop a ship that would be an excellent tool for transporting troops. After just a few months of painstaking work, the A-7 appeared. The ship was designed for seven passengers. It began to be used to provide food and ammunition for partisan groups that had settled behind enemy lines.

In 1943, the Yakovlev design bureau received a new important employee. They became Oleg Antonov. The aircraft designer, whose biography was already full of various completed projects, took part in the creation and modification of such models as the Yak-3 and Yak-9. These were fighters that became a formidable weapon in the hands of Soviet army. Antonov and Yakovlev had known each other since youthful years. For the first time they met at the already mentioned gathering in Koktebel, where then, by the will of fate, there were many future luminaries of the aircraft industry.

Moving to Kyiv

At the end of the war, when the country was already waiting for the news of the long-awaited victory, Antonov received an offer to prepare a project for a new multi-purpose aircraft. The designer has not yet taken on such machines. The future An-2 was also intended for agricultural purposes. He had to be versatile and be able to land both at the airfield and on an unprepared field.

For the project, a special department of the Yakovlev Design Bureau in Novosibirsk was created. Antonov moved to the east of the country. There he assembled a new team, which consisted mainly of yesterday's students - fresh graduates of the local aviation technical school. It was a big risk, but the authority of the specialist and his unprecedented vigor did their job. An-2 began to be produced already in 1947. True, for the further release of this model, the team moved to Kyiv.

Antonov settled in this city until the end of his life. The aircraft designer, whose biography was full of moving and business trips to various parts of the country, finally found his place. The Kiev bureau became his well-deserved fiefdom. However, Antonov's professional authority often meant nothing to the Soviet bureaucracy, which "cut down" projects and initiatives, knowing for sure what would be "better" for the industry. Therefore, the designer had to literally beat off his planes. The fight against the nomenklatura bureaucracy could not but affect how Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov felt. The personal life of this man could hardly be imagined without sports. But even he did not save the designer from stress and complications. While still studying in Leningrad, Antonov developed tuberculosis. This disease periodically reminded of itself and most often precisely at the moments of the most intense struggle with party functionaries.

An Series

In the 50s, many new models appeared, the creator of which was Antonov. The aircraft designer, whose photo began to appear in all Soviet newspapers, worked every day according to a strict schedule. He gave more than 100%, thanks to which his design bureau became a platform for testing more and more new aircraft. In the late 50s, passenger ships An (An-10 and An-24) appeared. True, Oleg Konstantinovich stopped such projects when one of his models with passengers on board crashed.

Each new aircraft, created in the bowels of the Antonov design bureau, went through several more modifications. In this characteristic attitude towards the car, Oleg Konstantinovich's professional style was manifested. For him, any project of the An series was a significant part of his own life. In addition, Antonov was well aware of his own responsibility to the Soviet people and the cost of even the slightest mistake.

Much more transport "Anov" appeared. The apogee of this line was the An-124, which is also known as "Ruslan". This aircraft, which appeared in 1982, was the world's largest serial cargo aircraft. As it turned out, this project became the swan song of the great designer. In this car, he managed to realize all the ideas that accompanied his professional path. At the same time, the head of the Kyiv Design Bureau was elected an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. This was another confirmation of his merits and a milestone through which all prominent aircraft designers. Oleg Antonov, in addition to his main activity, was also engaged in teaching. At the Kharkiv Aviation Institute named after Zhukovsky, he was the head of the aircraft design department.

The nature and tastes of the aircraft designer

Oleg Antonov stood out from his colleagues not only because of his unique professionalism. This man managed to spend his time as efficiently as possible. The designer was comprehensive developed person, whose life consisted not only of aircraft and numerous parts of these complex machines. Oleg Konstantinovich loved art and even organized art exhibitions in Kyiv and Moscow.

Antonov (an aircraft designer whose family consisted of numerous relatives) loved friendly feasts, although he himself always tried to stay out of the spotlight. All relatives in the memoirs emphasized his sincere modesty. If the conversation did not turn on the case, then Antonov liked to start a conversation about literature or music. His favorite writers were Gogol and Saint-Exupery. However, the always active and enterprising aircraft designer paid attention not only to art. In the 1980s, Oleg Konstantinovich led a campaign to protect Lake Baikal, which was threatened by industrial pollution. Having lived in the workshop all his youth, Antonov appreciated nature more and more over the years. At home, he started a garden, which he carefully looked after.

The ideal of a professional

In the professional environment, there were many rumors about the unique features that Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich possessed. The aircraft designer was remarkable for his democratic character, surprising for his rank. All disputes and questions concerning the future of aircraft were discussed in his design bureau by the whole team in a public mode. There are cases when Antonov (an aircraft designer whose “children” flew over everything Soviet Union) admitted his own mistakes and made changes to the project proposed by his subordinates.

Oleg Konstantinovich remained active and active until his last days. He continued to work as if nothing had happened, despite the steadily aging age. However, even in the eighth ten, the colossus of the aviation industry remained cheerful and fresh. He looked younger than his years and behaved in the same youthful way.

The great aircraft designer died on April 4, 1984 in Kyiv, the city to which he devoted almost 40 years of his life. It is with this place that most of professional biography deceased. After his death, the design bureau of Kyiv was naturally renamed the Antonov Design Bureau. The merits of the specialist were emphasized during his lifetime by numerous awards. Oleg Antonov was a laureate of the Lenin Prize, he received three Orders of Lenin at once, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, etc.

Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich Encyclopedia "Aviation"

Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich- OK Antonov Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich (19061984) Soviet aircraft designer, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1981), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966). A. one of the founders of Soviet gliding. In youth and student years… … Encyclopedia "Aviation"

ANTONOV Oleg Konstantinovich- (1906 1984) Soviet aircraft designer, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1981), Hero of the Socialist. Labor (1966). Antonov is one of the founders of Soviet gliding. In his youth and student years, he developed training gliders OKA I, 2, 3, "Standard 1, 2", ... ... Military Encyclopedia

- (1906 84) aircraft designer, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1981) and the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1967), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966). Under the leadership of Antonov, a number of aircraft were created, including An 124 (Ruslan). Lenin Prize (1962), State Prize of the USSR (1952) ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

- [R. 25.1(7.2).1906, p. Trinity of the Moscow Governorate], Soviet aircraft designer, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966). Member of the CPSU since 1945. In 1930 he graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute named after ... ... Big soviet encyclopedia

- (1906 1984) Soviet aircraft designer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1981), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966). A. one of the founders of Soviet gliding. In his youth and student years, he developed training gliders OKA 1, 2, 3, "Standard 1, 2", a glider ... ... Encyclopedia of technology

- (1906 1984), aircraft designer, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1981) and the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (1967), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966). Under the leadership of Antonov, a number of aircraft were created, including the An 124 ("Ruslan"). USSR State Prize (1952), Lenin Prize ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich - General Designer of Experimental Plant No. 473 of the Ministry of Aviation Industry of the USSR.

Born on January 25 (February 7), 1906 in the village of Troitsa, Voronovskaya volost, Podolsky district, Moscow province (now part of Troitsky administrative district Moscow). Russian. Since 1912 he lived in the city of Saratov. In 1922 he graduated from school.

Since 1923, he worked as the executive secretary of the glider section at the Saratov provincial department Society of Friends of the Air Force. Designed and built training gliders OKA-1 "Dove" and OKA-2.

In 1925, he entered the hydroaviation department of the naval faculty of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, where he became secretary of the technical committee of the glider section of the Leningrad flying club. Designed and built training gliders OKA-3 and "Standard". In 1930 he graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute.

From January 1931 he was the head of the Central Bureau of Glider Designs of Osoaviakhim. Designed training gliders "Standard-2" (OKA-5), OKA-7, US-1 (OKA-8) and US-2 (OKA-9), soaring glider "City of Lenin".

In 1932-1938 he was the chief designer of the Tushino Glider Plant. In this position, he designed soaring gliders RF-5, RF-6, RF-7, training gliders US-3, US-4, US-5, US-6, PS-1, PS-2, BS-3, BS -4, BS-5, M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5, M-6, experimental gliders RE-1, RE-2, RE-3, RE-4, RE -5, RE-6, RF-1, RF-2, RF-3, RF-4, IP-1, IP-2, BA-1, "6 conditions" and DIP, experimental motor glider LEM-2.

In 1938-1940 he worked as a leading engineer in the design bureau of A.S. Yakovlev. Under his direct supervision, the Ya-19 passenger aircraft was developed.

In 1940-1941 he was the chief designer of the aircraft factory No. 23 (Leningrad, now St. Petersburg). He built the OKA-38 communications aircraft (a copy of the German Fieseler Fi-156 Storch aircraft). In the spring of 1941, he was appointed chief designer of an aviation plant in the city of Kaunas (Lithuania), where he was supposed to start serial production of the OKA-38 aircraft. Work on the introduction of the aircraft into the series was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.

In June-July 1941 - Chief Engineer Glider Directorate of the People's Commissariat of the Aviation Industry of the USSR. From July 1941 - chief designer of a glider aircraft plant (Moscow, from the autumn of 1941 in the evacuation in the city of Tyumen). He designed and built the A-7 landing glider, the A-2 two-seat training glider, the A-40 "Winged Tank" glider (designed to transport a tank by air). During the Great Patriotic War, the A-7 glider was widely used to supply partisans, for which O.K. Antonov was awarded the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st degree.

In January 1943 - May 1946 - Deputy Chief Designer of the OKB A.S. Yakovleva. At the same time, in 1945-1946, he was the director of the OKB Branch at aircraft plant No. 153 (Novosibirsk). Participated in the modernization of the Yak-7, Yak-9 and Yak-3 fighters.

Since May 1946 - Chief Designer of the Experimental Design Bureau for Civil and Transport Aircraft in Novosibirsk. During these years, he designed the An-2, An-6 aircraft, the A-9 soaring glider, and the A-10 two-seat soaring glider. The An-2 multi-purpose aircraft, which made its first flight in 1947, became the best biplane in the world and is still flying.

In the summer of 1952, OKB Antonov was transferred to Kiev and received the name OKB-473 (in 1965-1966 - Pilot Plant No. 473, from April 1966 - Kiev Mechanical Plant, currently - ASTC named after O.K. Antonov). In 1962, O.K.Antonov was appointed General Designer of the Design Bureau. During the years of his leadership in the design bureau, the following were designed and built: transport aircraft An-8, An-12, An-22 "Antey", An-26 and An-32; passenger planes An-10, An-14 "Bee" and An-24; jet transport aircraft An-72 and An-124 "Ruslan"; multi-purpose aircraft An-3 and An-28; gliders A-11, A-13 and A-15.

The An-22 "Antey" aircraft is still the world's most load-lifting turboprop aircraft (lifts up to 100 tons of cargo), and the An-124 "Ruslan" aircraft was for its time the most load-lifting jet aircraft (lifts up to 170 tons of cargo). On aircraft developed under the direct supervision of O.K.Antonov, 244 world aviation records were set. Among the advantages of OKB Antonov's aircraft, professionals recognize the possibility of taking off from small airfields, the ability to transport large-sized heavy equipment, high maneuverability, relative cheapness and efficiency.

Behind great success in the design of new aviation technology and in connection with the 60th anniversary of the birth by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 5, 1966 Antonov Oleg Konstantinovich awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the gold medal "Hammer and Sickle" and the Order of Lenin.

Simultaneously with design work, since 1977 he was the head of the Department of Aircraft Design at the Kharkov Aviation Institute.

Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine since 1960. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 5th-11th convocations (since 1958).

Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR since 1981, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR since 1967 (corresponding member since 1960), Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the Ukrainian SSR (1976), Doctor of Technical Sciences (1960), professor (1978).

Awarded 3 orders of Lenin (07/12/1957; 02/05/1966; 04/03/1975), orders October revolution(04/26/1971), Patriotic War 1st degree (07/2/1945), Red Banner of Labor (11/2/1944), medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st degree (08/31/1944), other medals, Polish orders of the Revival of Poland 3rd degree (197..) and Merit for Poland 3rd degree (03/04/1981).

Winner of the Lenin Prize (1962, for the creation of the An-12 aircraft), the Stalin Prize of the 2nd degree (1952, for the creation of the An-2 aircraft), the State Prize of the Ukrainian SSR (1976, for the creation of the An-24 aircraft). He was awarded the A.N. Tupolev Gold Medal of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1983).

In Kyiv, a memorial plaque was erected on the house where O.K.Antonov lived, and a monument was erected on the territory of the aviation scientific and technical complex that bears his name. Streets in Kyiv and Saratov, as well as the Central Aeroclub of Ukraine and schools in Kyiv and Saratov are named after him.

Compositions:
The simplest models of paper gliders. Saratov, 1924;
Why do we need gliders? Saratov, 1924;
The simplest model of a paper glider. M., 1925;
Why do we need gliders? 2nd edition. Saratov, 1925;
The theory of glider flight. M., 1933;
Technical description of airframes US-3 and PS-1. M., 1933;
Gliding - to the masses. M., 1933;
Technical description of airframes US-3 and PS-1. 2nd edition. M., 1934;
Technical description and operation of airframes US-4 and PS-2. M., 1936 (with A. Shashabrin);
Brief technical description and instructions for assembling and disassembling the US-6 airframe. M., 1938;
On wings made of wood and linen. M., 1962;
For everyone and for yourself. M., 1965;
Ten times first. M., 1969;
Ten times first (in Ukrainian). Kyiv, 1973;
Ten times first. 2nd edition. Kyiv, 1978;
Ten times first. 3rd edition. Kyiv, 1981;
Gliders and airplanes. Kyiv, 1990.