Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov (July 8, 1892 - July 30, 1944) was a Soviet
aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer, known as "King of Fighters". He designed the I-15
series of fighters, and the I-16
Ishak ( phonetically close to its designation) "Little Donkey" fighter.
Polikarpov was born in the village of Giorgievsk in Oryol Oblast
. He was the son of a village priest in the Russian Orthodox Church
. He initially also trained for the priesthood and studied at the Oryol Seminary before moving to Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University
in 1911, where he became fascinated with the fledgling aviation work being carried out under the shipbuilding department, Polikarpov graduated in 1916 and went to work for Igor Sikorski, the head of production at the Russian Baltic Carriage Factory
. While working for Sikorski, Polikarpov helped design the massive Ilya Muromets
four-engine bomber for the Imperial Russian Air Force
.
Polikarpov stayed in Russia after the Russian Revolution and rose to become head of the technical department Dux Aircraft factory in 1923. Polikarpov was responsible for some of the first indigenous aircraft designs in the Soviet Union during the 1920s including the I-1
fighter (1923), R-1 reconnaissance plane (1927), U-2 utility biplane (1927–1928), I-3
fighter (1928), R-5
reconnaissance bomber (1928). Notably, U-2 Kukuruznik still remains the second most produced aircraft of the world, better known under modern designation Po-2.
In 1928, under provisions of the Five Year Plan for experimental aircraft design, Polikarpov was assigned to develop the primarily wooden I-6
fighter for delivery by mid-1930. The plan was unrealistic and failed. As such, in October 1929, Polikarpov and around other 450 aircraft designers and engineers were arrested on trumped up charges of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activities. Polikarpov was sentenced to death
. In December, after two months of waiting for execution he was transferred to a Special Design Bureau of OGPU
set at Butyrka prison
and had the sentence changed to 10 years of forced labor. Polikarpov and the others were moved to Central Design Bureau 39 (TsKB-39) to complete the I-5
project. After a successful demonstration of the new design, the sentence was changed to a conditional one, and in July 1931 he was granted amnesty together with a group of other convicts. It was not until de-Stalinization
of 1956, when these charges were formally dropped – 12 years after Polikarpov's death.
After the release Polikarpov initially worked with Pavel Sukhoi
since 1931, developing the I-16
in 1933 and I-15
in 1934. Then he worked under Ilyushin
in 1937. In 1938, he established an independent design bureau. In 1939, he completed work on the I-153
. In 1939, he was ordered to make a trip to Germany
. In his absence, his plant director and chief engineer, along with design engineer Mikhail Gurevich
put forth a proposal for a new fighter, the I-200
, and received approval to create a new Design Bureau under the leadership of Artem Mikoyan, whose brother Anastas Mikoyan
was a senior politician under Joseph Stalin
. On his return, Polikarpov found that his Bureau no longer existed, with his engineers at the new MiG
bureau and his plant given over to the Sukhoi
bureau.
Polikarpov was subsequently appointed professor at the Moscow Aviation Institute
in 1943. He died on July 30, 1944 from stomach cancer
. He is buried in Novodevichy Cemetery
in Moscow.
Polikarpov was a recipient of numerous awards, including the State Stalin Prize
(1941, 1943) and Hero of Socialist Labor
(1940). Polikarpov Peak in the Pamir Mountains
was named after him.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer, known as "King of Fighters". He designed the I-15
Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
series of fighters, and the I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
Ishak ( phonetically close to its designation) "Little Donkey" fighter.
Polikarpov was born in the village of Giorgievsk in Oryol Oblast
Oryol Oblast
Oryol Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Oryol. Population: -Geography:It is located in the southwestern part of the Central Federal District, in the Mid-Russian Highlands. Kaluga and Tula Oblasts border it in the north, Bryansk Oblast is located to...
. He was the son of a village priest in the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
. He initially also trained for the priesthood and studied at the Oryol Seminary before moving to Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University
Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University
Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University is a major Russian technical university situated in Saint Petersburg. Previously it was known as the Peter the Great Polytechnical Institute and Kalinin Polytechnical Institute .-Imperial Russia:...
in 1911, where he became fascinated with the fledgling aviation work being carried out under the shipbuilding department, Polikarpov graduated in 1916 and went to work for Igor Sikorski, the head of production at the Russian Baltic Carriage Factory
Russo-Balt
Russo-Balt was one of the first Russian companies that produced cars between 1909 and 1923.- Russo-Baltic Wagon Corp. :...
. While working for Sikorski, Polikarpov helped design the massive Ilya Muromets
Sikorsky Ilya Muromets
The Ilya Muromets refers to a class of Russian pre-World War I large four-engine commercial airliners and heavy military bombing aircraft used during World War I by the Russian Empire. The aircraft series was named after Ilya Muromets, a hero from Russian mythology...
four-engine bomber for the Imperial Russian Air Force
Imperial Russian Air Force
The Imperial Russian Air Force existed in the Russian Empire between 1910 and 1917....
.
Polikarpov stayed in Russia after the Russian Revolution and rose to become head of the technical department Dux Aircraft factory in 1923. Polikarpov was responsible for some of the first indigenous aircraft designs in the Soviet Union during the 1920s including the I-1
Polikarpov I-1
|-See also:...
fighter (1923), R-1 reconnaissance plane (1927), U-2 utility biplane (1927–1928), I-3
Polikarpov I-3
-Bibliography:...
fighter (1928), R-5
Polikarpov R-5
The Polikarpov R-5 was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian light transport, in the order of 7,000 being built in...
reconnaissance bomber (1928). Notably, U-2 Kukuruznik still remains the second most produced aircraft of the world, better known under modern designation Po-2.
In 1928, under provisions of the Five Year Plan for experimental aircraft design, Polikarpov was assigned to develop the primarily wooden I-6
Polikarpov I-6
|-See also:-Bibliography:...
fighter for delivery by mid-1930. The plan was unrealistic and failed. As such, in October 1929, Polikarpov and around other 450 aircraft designers and engineers were arrested on trumped up charges of sabotage and counter-revolutionary activities. Polikarpov was sentenced to death
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
. In December, after two months of waiting for execution he was transferred to a Special Design Bureau of OGPU
Sharashka
Sharashka was an informal name for secret research and development laboratories in the Soviet Gulag labor camp system...
set at Butyrka prison
Butyrka prison
Butyrka prison was the central transit prison in pre-Revolutionary Russia, located in Moscow.The first references to Butyrka prison may be traced back to the 17th century. The present prison building was erected in 1879 near the Butyrsk gate on the site of a prison-fortress which had been built...
and had the sentence changed to 10 years of forced labor. Polikarpov and the others were moved to Central Design Bureau 39 (TsKB-39) to complete the I-5
Polikarpov I-5
The Polikarpov I-5 was a single-seat biplane which became the primary Soviet fighter between its introduction in 1931 through 1936, after which it became the standard advanced trainer...
project. After a successful demonstration of the new design, the sentence was changed to a conditional one, and in July 1931 he was granted amnesty together with a group of other convicts. It was not until de-Stalinization
De-Stalinization
De-Stalinization refers to the process of eliminating the cult of personality, Stalinist political system and the Gulag labour-camp system created by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953...
of 1956, when these charges were formally dropped – 12 years after Polikarpov's death.
After the release Polikarpov initially worked with Pavel Sukhoi
Pavel Sukhoi
Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi was a Soviet aerospace engineer. He designed the Sukhoi military aircraft and founded the Sukhoi Design Bureau. -Biography:...
since 1931, developing the I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
in 1933 and I-15
Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
in 1934. Then he worked under Ilyushin
Ilyushin
Open Joint Stock Company «Ilyushin Aviation Complex» , operating as Ilyushin or Ilyushin Design Bureau, is a Russian design bureau and aircraft manufacturer, founded by Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin. Ilyushin was established under the Soviet Union. Its operations began on January 13, 1933, by...
in 1937. In 1938, he established an independent design bureau. In 1939, he completed work on the I-153
Polikarpov I-153
The Russian Polikarpov I-153 Chaika was a late 1930s Soviet biplane fighter. Developed as an advanced version of the I-15 with a retractable undercarriage, the I-153 fought in the Soviet-Japanese combats in Mongolia and was one of the Soviet's major fighter types in the early years of the Second...
. In 1939, he was ordered to make a trip to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In his absence, his plant director and chief engineer, along with design engineer Mikhail Gurevich
Mikhail Gurevich
Mikhail Iosifovich Gurevich was a Soviet aircraft designer, a partner of the famous MiG military aviation bureau. He was of Ukrainian Jewish Heritage....
put forth a proposal for a new fighter, the I-200
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II that was designed to meet a requirement for a high-altitude fighter issued in 1939. To minimize demand on strategic materials such as aluminum, the aircraft was mostly constructed from steel tubing and wood...
, and received approval to create a new Design Bureau under the leadership of Artem Mikoyan, whose brother Anastas Mikoyan
Anastas Mikoyan
Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan was an Armenian Old Bolshevik and Soviet statesman during the rules of Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, and Leonid Brezhnev....
was a senior politician under Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. On his return, Polikarpov found that his Bureau no longer existed, with his engineers at the new MiG
Mig
-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
bureau and his plant given over to the Sukhoi
Sukhoi
Sukhoi Company is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, famous for its fighters...
bureau.
Polikarpov was subsequently appointed professor at the Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute
Moscow Aviation Institute is one of several major engineering higher education establishments in Moscow .Although the school is currently offering a wide range of majors and research...
in 1943. He died on July 30, 1944 from stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
. He is buried in Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in Moscow, Russia. It is next to the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site. It should not be confused with the Novodevichy Cemetery in Saint Petersburg....
in Moscow.
Polikarpov was a recipient of numerous awards, including the State Stalin Prize
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
(1941, 1943) and Hero of Socialist Labor
Hero of Socialist Labor
Hero of Socialist Labour was an honorary title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries. It was the highest degree of distinction for exceptional achievements in national economy and culture...
(1940). Polikarpov Peak in the Pamir Mountains
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
was named after him.