Briefly about the most famous weapon designers. Illustrated magazine by Vladimir Dergachev “Landscapes of life Battleship-Popovka class “Novgorod”

The creation of weapons has always been relevant for humanity. And in this area of technical creativity, there have been both successes, when the new product was very effective when used against the enemy, and failures, when the new weapon turned out to be much more dangerous for the people using it than for the enemy.

It is these potentially dangerous models that will be discussed in our review.

1. Panzer 68

In Switzerland, the PZ 68 tank was built in the 1960s, the purpose of which was to equip the country's army with modern tanks capable of withstanding the latest Soviet armored vehicles. Almost 400 tanks were built, which were eventually used until 2003. In theory, the PZ 68 was a formidable fighting machine with an innovative computerized fire control system that allowed for improved accuracy.

The tank was also distinguished by good maneuverability. However, this was all in theory, but in practice a number of problems emerged. In 1979, a Swiss magazine published an "exposure" in which it was substantiated that the tank actually had more than 50 defects. Some of them were not critical. For example, the system of protection against radiation, biological and chemical threats did not work properly.

But other problems were more serious. For example, a tank could not move in reverse unless it had previously moved forward. In addition, the tank's turret jerked from side to side when the radio inside the vehicle was turned on: the radio frequencies used interfered with the operation of the tank's electrical control system. And what’s more, the tank’s gun could spontaneously fire when the heating inside the combat vehicle was turned on.

2. M22 Locust

This was a brilliant idea: light tank, which can be delivered to the battlefield on a glider and thereby provide paratroopers with greater firepower. As a result, the M22 Locust was born - a tank that weighed only 8 tons (it was also only 4 meters long and 2.2 meters wide). The US produced over 100 of these tanks, which were armed with 37mm cannons. However, America never used them.

Many were handed over to the British, and some even took part in Allied battles during the crossing of the Rhine in Germany. Tanks turned out to be “terrible” weapons on the battlefield. One of them fell along with the glider, and the other turned over after landing. Even those tanks that landed successfully turned out to be so vulnerable on the battlefield that even a rifle bullet could penetrate them. At the same time, 37 mm guns turned out to be useless against tanks.

3. Sticky Grenade

In the late 1930s, the British Army, together with two Cambridge professors, developed an anti-tank grenade launcher, in which the grenade, once hit, stuck to the armor of the tank, providing greater effectiveness in the explosion. Initial testing was extremely disappointing, with grenades bouncing off the armor. Then World War II began and the British were desperate to create anti-tank weapons that could stop German tanks.

As a result, we remembered sticky grenades again. Their new design consisted of a flexible outer casing, which was made of wool with an adhesive substance. Inside was a glass capsule. But the new sticky grenade stuck not only to the tank, but to everything, including the hands of the soldiers who tried to throw it.

4. Project X-Ray

The X-Ray project intended to use bats to burn Japanese cities. This concept was invented by a dentist who was on vacation in Mexico, where he saw tens of thousands of these animals. Bats, strapped with incendiary devices, were to be dropped from aircraft over Japanese cities. It was understood that they were supposed to fly to flammable wooden houses, where after some time the explosive devices detonated.

In March 1943, the US government authorized further development this strange weapons. Testing proved that the concept worked. But one of the bats accidentally broke free while trying to photograph its movement. Fifteen minutes later, the booby-trapped animal exploded, after which almost the entire Air Force base where the tests were conducted burned down.

5. Submarine K-19

K-19 was the first nuclear submarine armed with ballistic missiles. However, the ship turned out to be literally “cursed” from the very beginning. Several workers were injured during construction. An electrician was crushed by a falling part, and an engineer fell to his death after falling into the barrel of a missile silo on a submarine. During the first mission on the submarine, an emergency occurred - one of the nuclear reactors went haywire and was on the verge of destruction.

If the reactor had melted, it would have killed everyone on board. The captain and 22 volunteers (out of a crew of 136) entered the reactor room to manually activate the emergency device new system cooling. All 22 volunteers died from terrible radiation poisoning. The submarine was decommissioned after 10 years when a fire on board killed 28 sailors in 1972.

6. Mogami-class cruiser

The Mogami class cruisers were designed by the Japanese to adhere to the letter (but not the spirit) of the Washington Treaty (regarding the displacement of warships). These cruisers were supposed to be qualitatively superior to the light cruisers of any other country. The displacement of the new cruiser was 10,000 tons, as specified in the contract.

But at the same time, the Japanese tried to squeeze the maximum possible firepower into such a limited space, which made the ships very unstable. When were they carried out? sea trials, even more problems arose. When the ships fired a salvo from their guns, the welds on the hull came apart. After testing, the gun turrets also jammed and required major repairs.

7. Battleship-Popovka class "Novgorod"

In the 1870s, Russia built several Novgorod-class coastal monitor battleships for use in the Black Sea and the Dnieper. The creation of unusual ships was influenced by the calculations of a British shipbuilder, who argued that perfect shape ship - round. In theory, these coastal round ships could accommodate heavier cannon armament for a given tonnage, were better protected from enemy fire, and were more maneuverable.

However, the reality was very different from the drawings. After the construction of two ships (Novgorod and Kiev), a number of problems were discovered that led to the fact that such ships were practically useless. They moved too slowly against the current of the Dnieper and were very difficult to maneuver. When firing guns, the ship completely went out of control and became very unstable. After three decades of service and a decade of inactivity, the Novgorod-class popovkas were scrapped just before the First World War.

8. Ross rifle

The Ross Rifle, created by Sir Charles Ross, was a very accurate hunting rifle. The Canadian authorities, whose border troops have always been distinguished by enviable accuracy, adopted this rifle for service. However, it turned out to be completely useless in the conditions of trench warfare (during the First World War). The Ross rifle was much longer than the British service firearm and simply proved too cumbersome in the trenches.

But these were not all the problems. When fired, the bayonet fell off, and the internal mechanisms of the rifle became clogged with dirt in the trenches and failed. Canadians who were sent into battle with these rifles tended to abandon them at the first opportunity and pick up the weapons of dead enemies.

9. Flying Bomb Aphrodite

Project Aphrodite was simple. Literally everything was removed from the decommissioned B-17 bombers, leaving only the fuselage and engines. Instead, they were “stuffed” with 5,400 kilograms of explosives, thereby turning the planes into giant flying bombs. However, automated systems at that time did not know how to take off on their own. Thus, the pilot and navigator had to take off and then transfer control automated system radio control and jump out with a parachute. The drone would then fly radio-controlled to the target and destroy it. This great idea turned out to be much more difficult in practice.

In 1944, the first mission involving four aircraft ended in complete failure. One plane crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff in the UK. Two others also crashed, killing the pilots. The fourth aircraft successfully reached its target, but it crashed before it could strike. great damage. The second mission involved three aircraft. One of them crashed and the other was shot down on the way to its target. The third plane missed its target and fell into the ocean. After a dozen failed attempts, the project was closed.

10. Tegetthoff class battleships

Ships Tegetthoff class became the world's first battleships with three-gun turrets. They were designed and built in Austria-Hungary shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. The Tegetthoffs were distinguished by their enormous armor (280 mm armor belt) and 12 305 mm guns. In practice, they turned out to be useless due to the fact that they gave a dangerous roll when turning sharply. As a result, ships largely remained in port during World War II. During one of the voyages in 1918, two of these battleships were attacked by Italian destroyers. One escaped back to port, the other sank.

Every year on September 19, Russia celebrates the holiday of all workers of enterprises of the military-industrial complex, creators domestic weapons.

Gunsmith's Day was established by decree of the President of the Russian Federation on December 3, 2011. The holiday appeared thanks to the creator of the legendary AK-47 assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, during a conversation with Vladimir Putin during a tour of defense enterprises in Izhevsk in 2010.

September 19 was chosen as the date of the holiday - the day when the Orthodox Church honors the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of the heavenly army.

TASS has collected the top 10 outstanding Russian and Soviet small arms designers.

Sergey Mosin

M.S. Tula/TASS Photo Chronicle

In 1889, Sergei Mosin proposed for the competition of the War Ministry of the Russian Empire new rifle caliber 7.62 mm (in old length measures there are three Russian lines, hence the name “three-ruler”). Another participant in the competition was Belgian Leon Nagant. The commission chose Mosin's "three-line" design, deciding to supplement it with details from the Nagant project, which sold its patents and drawings to the Russian side. In 1891, the modified “three-line” was adopted by the Russian army. After World War I, production continued in the USSR, with Finland, Poland and others producing their modernized versions. Over the years, Mosin rifles were in service in about 30 countries, and in Belarus the “three-line” was officially withdrawn from service only in 2005.

Fedor Tokarev

Valentin Cheredintsev, Naum Granovsky/TASS

Born June 14 (June 2, Old Style), 1871, died June 7, 1968. Hero of Socialist Labor (1940).

While still at the officer rifle school in 1907, based on the Mosin rifle of the 1891 model, he developed an automatic rifle, which he then improved at the Sestroretsk plant from 1908 to 1914. He repeatedly won open competitions for the development of small arms.

In just a few years design work Fedor Tokarev created about 150 models of small arms, mass-produced in the USSR and other countries of the world in millions of copies. Among the weapons he designed are the MT light machine gun ("Maxima-Tokarev", 1925, based on the Maxim heavy machine gun), the first Soviet submachine gun (Tokarev submachine gun, 1927), the TT self-loading pistol ("Tula, Tokarev", 1930), self-loading rifle SVT-38 (1938), its modification SVT-40 (1940), etc.

Vasily Degtyarev

TASS

Born January 2, 1880 (December 21, 1879, old style), died January 16, 1949. Hero of Socialist Labor (1940), laureate of the Stalin Prize (1941, 1942, 1944, 1949 - posthumously).

In 1916 he invented an automatic carbine, in 1918 he headed the experimental workshop of the arms factory in Kovrov, which later became the design bureau of automatic small arms, where, under the leadership of Degtyarev, the DP ("Degtyarev, infantry") light machine gun of 7 caliber was created, 62 mm, aviation machine guns DA and DA-2, tank machine gun DT, submachine gun PPD-34, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun DK (after modification by Georgy Shpagin - DShK), heavy machine gun DS-39, anti-tank rifle PTRD, light machine gun sample 1944 (RPD), etc.

Georgy Shpagin

B. Fabisovich/TASS

Born on April 29 (April 17, Old Style), 1897, died on February 6, 1952. Hero of Socialist Labor (1945), laureate of the Stalin Prize (1941).

Due to injury, he did not participate in the First World War; he served in weapons workshops. After the revolution, he served in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army as a gunsmith. In 1924, he simplified the Ivanov system tank machine gun. He improved Vasily Degtyarev's heavy machine gun, which had previously been discontinued due to identified shortcomings, by developing a belt feed module for it (DShK, in service since 1939).

Created the most massive automatic weapon of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War- submachine gun model 1941 (PPSh, was in service with the Soviet army until 1951).

Nikolay Makarov

"KBP named after Academician A.G. Shipunov"

Born on May 22 (May 9, Old Style), 1914, died on May 13, 1988. Laureate of the Stalin Prize (1952), State Prize of the USSR (1967), Hero of Socialist Labor (1974).

During the Great Patriotic War, he worked in Zagorsk at a factory that manufactured Shpagin submachine guns, later graduated from the Tula Mechanical Institute and began designing weapons himself. Developer of a 9 mm caliber pistol ("Makarov Pistol", adopted for service in 1951), aircraft gun AM-23 (together with Nikolai Afanasyev), participated in the creation of anti-tank missile systems "Fagot", "Konkurs", etc. Among the designer's civilian inventions are machines mass-produced in the USSR for manually sealing lids for canning.

Evgeny Dragunov

Press service of the Kalashnikov concern

Born on February 20, 1920, died on August 4, 1991. Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1964), State Prize of the Russian Federation (1998, posthumously).

He graduated from an industrial technical school in Izhevsk, during the Great Patriotic War he served as a senior gunsmith in the Far East. In 1949 he developed the S-49 sporting rifle, in 1957–63. - a self-loading sniper rifle of 7.62 mm caliber (SVD), which is still in use in a modernized form. In total, with the participation of Dragunov, at least 27 designs of shooting systems were created at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (now part of the Kalashnikov concern), including the S-49 sports rifle, MS-74 and TSV-1 sniper rifles, Zenit rifles, "Zenit-2", "Strela", "Strela-3", "Taiga", submachine gun "Kedr", etc.

Igor Stechkin

Yaroslav Igorevich Stechkin/wikipedia.org

Born on November 15, 1922, died on November 28, 2001. Honored Designer of the Russian Federation (1992), holder of the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1971) and Honor (1997), laureate of the Stalin Prize (1952).

Author of more than 60 developments and over 50 inventions. As part of the defense of his institute diploma, he developed an original design for an army automatic pistol of 9 mm caliber (APS, adopted for service in the USSR in 1951); dealt with the issue of silent shooting and the creation of weapon systems disguised as household items; in the 1960s participated in the creation of the Fagot and Konkurs anti-tank missile systems, developed the Abakan and TKB-0116 assault rifles, the Cobalt and Gnome revolvers, the Dartik, Berdysh, Pernach pistols, etc.

Mikhail Kalashnikov

Fedor Savintsev/TASS

Born November 10, 1919, died December 23, 2013. Hero of the Russian Federation (2009), twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1958, 1976).

Developer of the legendary AK assault rifle ("Kalashnikov Avtomat") of 7.62 mm caliber, which entered the Soviet army in 1949. The assault rifle was adopted for service in 55 countries, and was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most common weapon in the world.

Based on the AK, the designer created over a hundred standardized models of automatic small arms (modernized AKM and AKMS assault rifle with a folding stock, AK-74, AK-74 with a grenade launcher, shortened AKS-74U, Kalashnikov PK, PKM / PKMS light machine guns, etc.). Kalashnikov was also involved in the creation of hunting weapons: self-loading Saiga carbines based on AKs gained popularity in Russia and abroad.

Arkady Shipunov

Yuri Mashkov/TASS

Born November 7, 1927, died April 25, 2013. Hero of Socialist Labor (1979), academician Russian Academy Sciences (1991), laureate of Lenin (1982) and three State Prizes of the USSR (1968, 1975, 1981).

A graduate of the mechanical engineering department of the Tula Mechanical Institute, in 1950 he began working at NII-61 (now JSC TsNIITOCHMASH, Klimovsk, Moscow region), in 1962 he headed TsKB-14 (now JSC Instrument Design Bureau, Tula). Together with Vasily Gryazev, he developed the GSh family of aviation cannon weapons - the GSh-23, GSh-30-1 and GSh-6-23 cannons, which are installed on most modern Russian combat aircraft and helicopters. In addition, the design duo of Gryazev and Shipunov created the 9 mm caliber "Rook" pistol.

Vladimir Yarygin

Rockets for a variety of purposes are by definition modular in design. Photo from KTRV website

The creation of weapons based on the use of standardized units, consisting of an interchangeable set of parts (modules) that perform independent functions, has become firmly established in the practice of engineering development in our country and abroad. It is enough to mention the construction of promising corvettes of projects 20380 and 20385 for the Russian Navy, in which various modifications of ships differing in the type and number of weapons are created on a single base platform. On export versions of the ship, at the request of the customer, it is planned to install not only Russian, but also foreign weapon systems.

Abroad, the German company Blom und Voss even patented a design and construction method called MEKO (Mehrzweck-Kombination - multi-purpose combined ship). The method is based on dividing the ship into approximately equal rectangular parallelepipeds (modules), saturated various systems, electronics and weapons. From these modules, as in the famous LEGO set, frigates, corvettes and high seas patrol ships are “assembled”. At the shipyards of the company and other shipbuilding companies, 63 MEKO ships have already been built for the navies of 10 countries.

The modular method of creating military equipment is not limited to the field of weapons design. The concept of a universal container body is already being developed and implemented, on the basis of which universal modular platforms for logistics, communications and control, medical and radio technical services are offered. Their introduction into the troops allows us to solve a number of key issues logistics and logistics, to make a real revolution in these areas, since it makes it possible to significantly reduce costs and time for creating elements of rear infrastructure and increase its mobility.

The idea of a modular method of designing and developing weapons is not innovative. It is believed that she was born abroad, which, in particular, is mentioned in many sources. But if in some of them its foreign origin is caught between the lines, then such an author as Oleg Kozarenko, in his monograph on modular structures, directly states: “Thirty years ago, when developing ships of new generations in the United States, they came to the creation of a transport and launch container (TPC) . After the vertical launch system (VLP) for the TPK was developed, their cruisers and destroyers received a universal missile platform.”

Let us turn, however, to the history of the creation of domestic weapons. In the 30s of the last century, the aggravation of the international situation required a sharp reduction in the time to develop new types of weapons, so designers artillery systems rarely went for a radical revision of the design of guns. In order to achieve maximum range with a minimum gun weight and the heaviest possible projectile, the so-called “overlay method” was used, when designers, as a rule, combined a new barrel with a ready-made carriage, or a new carriage was created to fit an existing barrel. Alexey Shalkovsky, a researcher of the history of the creation of domestic artillery weapons, drew attention to another feature in the activities of Soviet designers: when creating new artillery systems, they often used the LEGO method - creating a new type of weapon from existing parts and using ready-made solutions. When developing the 107-mm gun of the 1940 model M-60, for example, a group of designers led by F.F. Petrov's bolt was taken from a 122-mm howitzer of the 1910–1930 model; the knurl, the upper and lower machines, the rotating mechanism and the wheel brake were created with some changes similar to those used in the design of the 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30; brake and balancing mechanism with minor changes made according to the type of the 152-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-10 and the 152-mm howitzer-gun of the 1937 model ML-20.

So the modular method of creating weapons grew and was successfully used on domestic soil much earlier than in the United States: more than 70 years ago. Its use provided a colossal gain in time. Characteristic in this regard is the history of the creation of the 152-mm howitzer of the 1943 model D-1. During its development, the design team led by F.F. Petrova combined the double-frame carriage, shield cover, sighting and recoil devices of the 122-mm M-30 howitzer with the barrel of the 152-mm M-10 howitzer, providing it with a powerful muzzle brake. The piston bolt was borrowed from the 152-mm howitzer gun of the 1937 model ML-20. It took only 18 days to design, manufacture five prototypes of the gun and test it with group fire. Neither foreign nor domestic practice has seen such a pace of development of a new weapon.

The implementation of the modular method also seriously reduced the time it took to master the production of new tools. Thanks to their widespread unification with artillery systems in serial production, the development of production of the new howitzer took place in shortest time. Thus, it took Plant No. 9 only 1.5 months to switch to mass production.

The use of standardized parts, assemblies and mechanisms, in addition to reducing the time for designing, developing and mastering the production of new tools, significantly reduced financial costs on them, and the appearance of new guns, in which well-known units predominated, significantly accelerated their development by troops.

Unfortunately, the experience of broad unification of parts, components and mechanisms of weapons during the period of survival of the domestic defense-industrial complex (DIC) was largely lost, and the small-scale production of weapons did not contribute to its unification. Meanwhile, the troops have a significant number of weapons of the same type, differing only slightly in their weight and size characteristics. Their share is especially large in missile weapons, although the design of the latter significantly facilitates the introduction of the modular principle in design and production, since the missile is structurally composed of modules: a warhead, a control unit, and a rocket engine. In addition to these advantages, the modular principle will simplify the modernization of missile weapons and their interspecific unification, and the possibility of replacing the warhead in field conditions will significantly expand the range of combat missions to be solved. So the use of domestic experience in the modular method of creating weapons, which is a powerful mechanism for interspecific and intraspecific unification of weapons, promises many advantages, and the task of the design corps is to put it at the service of the domestic defense industry.

Sylvester Crnka

The inventor of the rifle that changed the 19th century had a surname that was strange to our ears - Krnka. Czech Sylvester Krnka invented a single-shot rifle in 1849, and in 1850 his weapon was tested, praised, but not accepted for service. At that time it was believed that such weapons were unsuitable for military use.

But since the 1860s the situation has changed. Tactics changed - the soldiers had to become more independent, show dexterity and have the ability to make quick decisions.

Krnka rifle

The scattered chain of independent shooters, naturally, could no longer be satisfied with old guns with a smooth barrel, which must be loaded from the front after each shot. Soldiers, above all, needed reliable guns that could be loaded from the breech and in any position.

And already in 1869, the Russian Tsar decided to include the Krnka gun in the equipment of the Russian army. Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that some still consider Krnka to be Russian. Despite the fact that immediately after Russia, other countries drew attention to Krnka’s invention.

From seeder to machine gun

Richard Gatling

American Richard Gatling became the inventor of the most powerful machine gun, whose ancestors still appear in Hollywood films. The US Army uses Gatling's "grandson" - the six-barreled Minigun.

Gatling, who received numerous patents during his life and whose very first invention was the seeder, became famous for creating one of the first true examples of a machine gun, which fired more than 700 rounds per minute. But Gatling himself called his invention a grapeshot, and the machine gun was driven by muscular force - the fighter rotated the handle, accelerating the barrels to the required speeds.

Gatling gun

In addition, the machine gun was equipped with a gravitational system for feeding ammunition from the magazine, which ensures automatic loading and firing of each barrel when the block is rotated. After its first brief appearance in the American Civil War, the Gatling gun proved far more effective in the Spanish-American War, and the British used its deadly force in the colonial wars against the Zulus in South Africa and the Mahdists in Sudan.

"Peacemaker" Colt

Samuel Colt with a revolver

Samuel Colt was not the inventor of the revolver, but it was he who first replaced their piece production by skilled gunsmiths with an assembly line one. It was the Colt company that introduced into mass production weapons such as the single-action revolver, better known as the Peacemaker or Colt 45. The Peacemaker was originally designed for the American cavalry, but it was most widely used during the Wild West. According to one version, the Colt six-shooter used .44-40 Winchester cartridges, so cowboys could use the same cartridges for both their rifles and pistols.

Winchester

Oliver Winchester

A rifle with a tubular under-barrel magazine, a longitudinally sliding bolt and reloading from a lever located under the neck of the butt, developed and released in the late 1850s. American inventor Henry based on the Volcanic pistol from Smith and Wesson. But the weapon brought world fame to businessman Oliver Winchester, who in 1864 bought Henry’s enterprise and began producing a rifle under his own name.

In 1866, the rifle underwent some changes in the magazine - now it began to be filled through the side window, and not from the muzzle, as in the original model. True, the magazine capacity decreased from 15 rounds to 12, but at the same time loading was accelerated. Over time, Winchester founded the Winchester Arms Company, which produced weapons.

Maxim machine gun

Hiram Maxim with his brainchild

Sir Hiram Maxim was an American inventor who emigrated to Europe. Among his inventions are a fire extinguishing system and the development of an aircraft with a steam engine, but the greatest success was achieved by another of his creations - completely automatic machine gun"Maxim." This weapon operated on the principle of recoil of the barrel - it did not need to be reloaded manually, like a Gatling gun. In contrast, the recoil force in the Maxim machine gun ejected the empty cartridge and loaded a new one. Due to its obvious advantages, the Maxim turned out to be much more effective and reliable than its competitor weapons, so in the First World War both warring parties They used this particular type of weapon, which remained in use until the 1960s.

Inventor of pistols and machine guns

John Browning

In 1904, designer John Browning invents new look.45 caliber cartridge with improved lethal force. Based on this development, the designer creates a pistol - the M1911, which was put into service in 1911. Over the decades of its service, the M1911 not only gained special respect, but also inspired great fear. Only after going through 2 world wars in Korea and Vietnam, the M1911 was replaced by the 9-mm Beretta M9. The M1911 has earned respect for its accuracy and reliability, and despite the Beretta's twice the magazine capacity and lower chance of an accidental discharge, the M1911 is still preferred by many.

Another significant contribution of John Browning to the development of military technology was the invention of the most impressive machine gun ever created by man. Designed during the final stages of the First World War, the M2 was originally equipped with a water cooling system, which was later replaced by an air cooling system, which required replacing the barrel with a heavier one. The “fifty dollar” is a rather bulky weapon (about 40 kilograms), but the .50 caliber projectile fires with energy 4 times greater than the energy of a conventional bullet. Such a projectile penetrates an inch of steel armor and is fatal when hit from a distance of two kilometers. M2 is still relevant, in addition, the model itself has not undergone any fundamental changes.

John Browning and the Browning Machine Gun

In total, over the 71 years of his life, John Moses Browning created 37 models of rifled weapons and 18 models of smooth-bore weapons.

Brotherly revolver

Emil and Leon Nagan

The famous revolver was developed by brothers Emil and Leon Nagan from Belgium. The first revolver of the original design was presented by the elder brother Emil for testing to the Belgian military department, and it was adopted as an officer and non-commissioned officer weapon under the name “revolver model 1878”. Several modifications of the revolver were produced in different calibers and barrel lengths. Soon, Emil Nagan almost completely lost his sight as a result of illness, and the main work on improving the design was undertaken by Leon Nagan.

Your word, Comrade Mauser

Peter Paul and Wilhelm Mauser

Another development from the brothers, but this time from Germany. Brothers Peter Paul and Wilhelm Mauser owned a company that produced small arms (mainly rifles).

In 1871, the brothers created a single-shot rifle chambered for the 11 mm cartridge, demonstrated at the Prussian Royal Rifle School in Spandau, and it was adopted as the Gewehr 1871.

Regarding legendary pistol, sung by Mayakovsky, before its creation the brothers managed to create the Zig-Zag revolver, and in 1896 they developed a self-loading pistol of the Mauser C96 model, which, thanks to cinema and literature, became an integral part of the image of a security officer or commissar during the Civil War era in Russia.

In total, 15 models of rifles, eight models of pistols, three machine guns and six machine guns were created.

Berdanka

Hiram Berdan

Berdan Rifle No. 1 was designed by American Colonel, hero Civil War in the USA by Hiram Berdan and improved by the Russians Colonel Gorlov and Lieutenant Gunius. It had a folding bolt with a direct trigger.

Berdanka

It was adopted by the Russian army in 1868 as a “rifle rifle”, since, taking into account its excellent ballistics at the end of the 1860s - beginning of the 1870s, it was primarily armed with rifle units (organizationally separate from the line infantry, light infantry, mostly operating in loose formation with firearms and avoiding close combat).

Mosin rifle

Sergey Mosin

Artilleryman Mosin was sent to the Tula Arms Factory in 1875, where he developed his first repeating rifles. So, he improved the Berdan rifle by attaching an eight-round magazine to it. On April 16, 1891, a model of a rifle was approved, the basis of which was developed by Mosin. Its original name was “Russian three-line rifle model 1891.”

Mosin rifle

The rifle served until the end of the Great Patriotic War, although it was modernized several times.

Armament and military equipment known since ancient times. During the existence of mankind, hundreds of thousands of samples have been developed - from a stone ax to an intercontinental missile. Huge role in the creation of weapons belongs to domestic designers.

At first in Rus' firearms(both manual and artillery) were called the same - pishchal. A significant difference in the design of hand and artillery arquebuses arose with the advent of matchlocks at the end of the 15th century. Since the 16th century, hand-held arquebuses with a wheel-flint fuse have been known, which were in service with Russian troops until the 18th century.

In 1856 in Russia rifled weapon received the official name - rifle. In the same year, the first Russian six-line (15.24 mm) rifle was adopted. But practice has shown the advantages of small-caliber rifles. Therefore, in 1868, a small-caliber rifle was adopted by the Russian army. It was developed by Russian military engineers A.P. Gorlov and K.I. Ginius with the assistance of the American Colonel X. Berdan. In America, the Berdanka was rightly called the “Russian rifle.”

The patriarchs of the domestic shooting business were S.I. Mosin, N.M. Filatov, V.G. Fedorov. It was they who trained such famous gunsmith designers as P.M. Goryunov, V.A. Degtyarev, M.T. Kalashnikov, Ya.U. Roshchepey, S.G. Simonov, F.V. Tokarev, G.S. Shpagin et al.

Sergei Ivanovich Mosin

The author of the famous three-line rifle of the 1891 model was Sergei Ivanovich Mosin. For the creation of a rifle, distinguished by excellent tactical and technical characteristics, Mosin was awarded the Great Mikhailovsky Prize - the most prestigious award for inventions in the field of artillery and weapons. For Russian inventors, the Mosin three-line rifle became the foundation for research in the field of automatic small arms.

One of the talented creators of domestic weapons, Ya.U. Roshchepey made the first sample of a rifle “from which you can shoot automatically.”

The modernized Mosin rifle was put into service in 1930. On its basis, the designers developed a sniper version and a carbine, which had the same design principles as the 1891/1930 model rifle. It was only in 1944 that production of the Mosin rifle was discontinued. Thus, more than 50 years passed from the first sample manufactured at the Tula Arms Factory on April 16, 1891 to the last. No small arms system in the world has known such longevity.

But the life of the three-ruler did not end there either. After the Great Patriotic War, designers sporting weapons, using the excellent tactical and technical capabilities of the three-line, they created a small-caliber rifle MTs-12 and an arbitrary rifle with a caliber of 7.62 mm MTs-13. These models have become one of the world's best models and allowed our athletes to win the highest awards at Olympic Games, world championships and other major competitions.

Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov

An outstanding developer of domestic automatic weapons was V.G. Fedorov. In the spring of 1911, Fedorov's automatic rifle passed the first test, and in the summer of 1912 it passed field tests. At the same time, the F.V. rifle, which performed well, was tested. Tokarev. Along with domestic systems, eight foreign samples were also tested, but none of them were assessed positively. This was a great victory for the Russian school of machine gunsmiths. But with the outbreak of the First World War, by government decision, work on improving automatic rifles was stopped. Only in 1916 was it possible to equip a special unit with machine guns and send it to the front. This was the first submachine gunner unit in the wars. At that time, no army in the world had them. At the end of the war, aviation began to be armed with Fedorov’s automatic systems.

One of Fedorov’s students and associates was V.A. Degtyarev. In 1927, a machine gun was adopted into service by the Red Army, which bore the DP mark - “Degtyarev, infantry”. After this, Degtyarev began working on the creation of a domestic machine gun for aviation. In March 1928, the Degtyarev aviation machine gun was accepted for mass production and replaced in Soviet aviation English Lewis machine guns.
Degtyarev worked closely with other talented designers - G.S. Shpagin and P.M. Goryunov. The result of their cooperation was a whole series of machine guns. In 1939, a 12.7-mm heavy machine gun of the 1938 model DShK (Degtyarev - Shpagin, large-caliber) entered service. At first it was intended for infantry, but then found application in other branches of the military. Penetrating armor up to 15 mm, the DShK was an effective weapon in the fight against enemy aircraft.

Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev

When the Great Patriotic War began, Degtyarev was in his seventies. But the designer sought to help front-line soldiers by creating new types of weapons. Since the enemy was strong in tanks, effective means of combating them were urgently needed.

In a very short time, two prototypes of anti-tank rifles were prepared - Degtyarev and Simonov. The Simonov gun had an advantage in rate of fire, while the Degtyarev gun had an advantage in weight and ease of action. Both guns had good fighting qualities and were put into service.

The cooperation between V.A. developed in a special way. Degtyareva with P.M. Goryunov. The young designer created a machine gun that was superior to the machine gun of the Degtyarev system and was recommended by a special commission for adoption. For Vasily Alekseevich this was a surprise and a serious moral test, but when asked which machine gun to adopt, Degtyarev did not hesitate to answer that the heavy machine gun of the Goryunov system should be adopted. Famous designer in in this case showed true nobility and a truly state approach.

In May 1943, a new heavy machine gun was put into service under the name "7.62-mm heavy machine gun of the Goryunov system, model 1943 (SG-43)." Front-line soldiers immediately appreciated the high maneuverability of the weapon, simplicity of design, reliability and reliability, relatively light weight, and simplified preparation for firing compared to the Maxim.

The experience of combat use of the heavy machine gun of the Goryunov system, its remarkable combat qualities attracted the attention of designers tank weapons. Soon the decision was made to use the machine gun on medium tanks and armored personnel carriers.

Premature death did not allow the talented designer to realize many of his plans. State Prize P.M. Goryunov was awarded posthumously.

Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev

F.V. was also a talented and original designer. Tokarev. The “Patriarch of Russian Weapons” successfully competed with foreign designers - Browning, Mauser, Colt, Nagant and others. Tokarev created about 150 different types of weapons. He is one of those who stood at the origins of domestic automatic weapons. Tokarev first became acquainted with automatic weapons in 1907. A year later he was firing automatically from a rifle of his own design. In 1913, the Tokarev rifle passed the next tests, ahead of the best foreign models of Browning and Sjögren.

IN Soviet era Tokarev improved the Maxim 1910 model and designed several types of aircraft machine guns. The designer’s great merit is the creation of the TT pistol in the pre-war years.

But the main achievement in creative life Tokarev is an automatic rifle. In May 1938, Tokarev presented what he considered to be the best of the 17 rifle models he created. As a result of testing, his rifle showed high quality and was adopted for service under the name “7.62-mm self-loading rifle of the Tokarev system, model 1938 (SVT-38).” The designer worked on its creation for 30 years. On the basis of this rifle, in the same year Tokarev developed sniper rifle with an optical sight.

Creation of G.S. Shpagin's famous submachine gun (PPSh-41) was preceded by long work on many automatic weapon systems together with V.G. Fedorov and V.A. Degtyarev. This was an important stage in the development of the future designer. The PPSh had undeniable advantages over existing models. The first batch of machine guns was tested at the front, directly in battle. The results exceeded all expectations. The commanders asked to quickly establish mass production of Shpagin assault rifles.

The simplicity of the design and manufacturing technology of machine guns made it possible already in 1941, when some military factories were dismantled and transferred to the east, to launch their production in small enterprises and even in workshops. The PPSh deprived the enemy of the advantage over our army in automatic small arms.

A.I. made a significant contribution to the improvement of domestic small arms. Sudaev. World famous M.T. Kalashnikov considers the Sudaev submachine gun (PPS) “the best submachine gun of the Second World War.” Not a single sample could compare with it in terms of simplicity of design, reliability, trouble-free operation, and ease of use. Sudaev's weapons were very loved by paratroopers, tank crews, scouts, and skiers. To manufacture PPS, it required half the metal and three times less time than for PPS.

In the forefront of gunsmith designers A.I. Sudaev appeared unexpectedly and quickly. Already at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he developed a project for a simplified anti-aircraft gun, and then began working on the creation of a submachine gun. The officer ensured that he was sent to besieged Leningrad and took part directly there in organizing the production of weapons.

The machine gun of Doctor of Technical Sciences, Lieutenant General Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov (1919) is known throughout the world. It is lightweight, compact, reliable, and elegant.

Senior Sergeant M.T. made his first sample. Kalashnikov was made in the locomotive depot where he worked before the war, and at that time was on leave after being seriously wounded and shell-shocked. At the beginning of the war, Mikhail Timofeevich was a tank driver and saw that the tank driver, having jumped out of the damaged vehicle, no longer participated in the battle. The need to arm tank crews with compact, convenient automatic weapons was obvious.

In the spring of 1942, the prototype was ready. However, the homemade machine gun was rejected “for lack of advantages over existing models.” But the commission noted the extraordinary abilities of the senior sergeant, who set a goal for himself: the machine gun must certainly be much better than all existing models.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov

The next tests of the new machines took place in traditionally harsh conditions. One after another, the competitors “left the race”, unable to withstand the most difficult tests. The Kalashnikov assault rifle withstood everything, was recognized as the best and was put into service under the name “7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle, model 1947.” Kalashnikov is also responsible for the design of a 7.62 mm single machine gun chambered for a rifle cartridge (1961). Subsequently, a team of designers under the leadership of Kalashnikov created a number of modifications of automatic small arms. The 7.62 mm modernized assault rifle (AKM), 7.62 mm light machine gun (RPK) and their varieties were adopted for service. In 1974, AK-74 and AKS-74 assault rifles, RPK-74 and RPKS-74 light machine guns chambered for a 5.45 mm cartridge were created. For the first time in world practice, a series of unified models of small arms appeared, identical in operating principle and unified automation scheme. The weapon created by Kalashnikov is distinguished by its simplicity of design, high reliability and efficiency; it is used in the armies of more than 50 countries.

Russian artillery also has a remarkable history., the appearance of which is associated with the name of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy (1350-1389). It was under him that the cannon foundry business was born.

Russian artillery developed quickly and independently. This is confirmed by its numbers. By the end of the 14th century, there were up to 4 thousand artillery pieces in Rus'.

In the middle of the 15th century, under Ivan III, “cannon huts” appeared, and in 1488 - 1489 the Cannon Yard was built in Moscow. In the workshops of the Cannon Yard, Andrei Chokhov in 1586 cast the largest caliber cannon in the world, its weight is 40 tons, caliber is 890 mm. Currently it is located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. The cannon yard was rich in the talents of other foundry masters. Entire “cannon” dynasties and schools appeared. On the squeak of 1491 it was cast that it was made by “Yakovlev’s disciples Vanya and Vasyuk.” The gunners Ignatius, Stepan Petrov, Bogdan Pyatoy and others are known for their successes.

At the beginning of the 17th century, Russian craftsmen made a three-inch bronze arquebus with rifling in the bore. It was the world's first rifled weapon, more than 200 years ahead of the development of artillery technology in other countries. Other evidence has reached our time that advanced technical ideas existed in Russian artillery of that period. Foreigners knew about this and sought to obtain samples of Russian weapons.

After Northern War Chief of Russian Artillery Ya.V. Bruce wrote to Peter I: “The British fell in love with Siberian cannons... and are asking for one cannon as a sample.”

Andrey Konstantinovich Nartov

The developed industrial base and the talent of domestic designers allowed Peter I to create artillery, which throughout the 18th century remained the most numerous and technically advanced artillery in the world. Great contribution to development domestic artillery contributed by the famous Russian mechanic A.K. Nartov, who in the second quarter of the 18th century created special machines and tools for the production of artillery pieces, was the first in the world to propose an optical sight. However, the most famous invention of A.K. Nartov had a 44-barreled circular rapid-fire battery. 44 bronze mortars were placed on a wheel-shaped machine, divided into 8 sectors of 5-6 barrels each. The design made it possible to fire from all mortars in the sector simultaneously. Then the machine was turned, fired from another sector, and at this time reloading could be done from the opposite side.

A major contribution to the development of Russian artillery was made by Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov (1710-1762). Under his leadership, Russian artillery officers M. Danilov, M. Zhukov, M. Martynov, I. Meller, M. Rozhnov in 1757-1759. developed several samples of smooth-bore howitzers for firing with flat and mounted fire. These weapons, depicting a mythical beast with a horn in its forehead, were called “unicorns”. Light and maneuverable guns fired buckshot, cannonballs, explosive grenades, and incendiary shells at a range of up to 4 km. After Russia, unicorns were adopted first by France, then by others European countries and remained in service for over 100 years. Russian artillery already in those days accompanied the infantry in battle and fired over their battle formations.

Mikhail Vasilyevich Danilov (1722 - 1790) made a great contribution to the improvement of artillery and pyrotechnics. He invented a 3-pound gun with two barrels, called “twins.” He prepared and published the first Russian artillery course, as well as a manual for the preparation of fireworks and illuminations, in which he gave brief information on the history of pyrotechnics in Russia.

Vladimir Stepanovich Baranovsky

In 1872-1877 artillery engineer V.S. Baranovsky created the first rapid-fire artillery gun and used cartridge loading on it. Unfortunately, the talented designer died tragically during artillery tests. None of the foreign guns could surpass the domestic three-inch gun of the 1902 model, created according to Baranovsky’s ideas by professor of the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy N.A. Zabudsky.

Russian engineers showed great skill in creating powerful projectiles. Thus, the high-explosive grenade V.I. Rdultovsky appeared in artillery in 1908 and, under the name of the “old high-explosive grenade,” survived until the Great Patriotic War.

Artillery was called the “God of War” during the Great Patriotic War. Soviet designers artillery systems before the war created quite powerful and sophisticated guns and mortars. 76-mm cannon designed by V.G. Hitler's artillery consultant, Professor Wolf, considered Grabin "the best 76-mm gun of the Second World War" and one of "the most ingenious designs in the history of cannon artillery." Under the leadership of Grabin, a 57-mm anti-tank gun, which knew no equal, was created before the war, as well as a powerful 100-mm anti-tank gun. The 152-mm howitzer designed by F.F. was very effective during the war. Petrova.

Vasily Gavrilovich Grabin

In 1943, about half of all artillery weapons of the Red Army were mortars. Many of them were developed under the leadership of B.I. Shavyrina. These are 50-mm company, 82-mm battalion, 120-mm regimental mortars. In October 1944, a 240 mm mortar appeared. In the creation of such powerful mortars, Germany lagged behind the USSR. Only in 1942, using drawings captured from one of the factories in Ukraine, German engineers began production of 122-mm mortars, which were an exact copy Soviet

From the second half XVII century, rockets began to be used in Rus'. At the end of the 17th century, the young Tsar Peter was also involved in the production of rockets. He founded a special “rocket establishment”, where Peter himself manufactured and launched rockets, and came up with the compositions of “fire projectiles” Petrovskaya flare existed in the army for almost a century and a half. In subsequent years, missile technology in Russia is constantly being improved: new missile shells and launchers are being created, and the basics of missile firing are being developed. The initiator of these cases was Alexander Dmitrievich Zasyadko. Zasyadko’s work was successfully continued by Konstantin Ivanovich Konstantinov. Rockets of his design were used in the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853-1856.

Subsequently, domestic jet systems were continued in the famous "Katyusha" and other jet systems volley fire. The developers of new design ideas were domestic scientists N.I. Tikhomirov and V.A. Artemyev. Back in 1912 N.I. Tikhomirov proposed using a missile for military ships. Based on the Tikhomirov–Artemyev group and the Moscow study group jet propulsion(GIRD) in 1933 the Jet Research Institute was founded. Already in 1939 rocket weapon was first used in the form of aircraft missiles. In 1938, the institute began to develop a installation designed for 24 projectiles of 132 mm caliber.

On June 21, 1941, literally one day before the start of the Great Patriotic War, ground-based rocket launchers were demonstrated Government Commission. After the demonstration, a decision was made on the immediate serial production of installations and missiles. Less than a month later, on July 14, 1941, the baptism of fire of a new weapon - the famous Katyusha - took place near Orsha. The formidable weapon was used by the battery of captain I.A. Flerov.

After the war, our scientists I.V. Kurchatov, M.B. Keldysh, A.D. Sakharov, Yu.B. Khariton and others created atomic weapons, and long-range bomber divisions were formed to deliver them. Thus ended the US monopoly on this type of weapon.

Born in 1959 Rocket Forces strategic purpose(Strategic Missile Forces). The creators of intercontinental ballistic missiles, liquid jet engines, control devices and complex ground equipment for them were academicians S.P. Korolev, V.P. Glushko, V.N. Chelomey, N.A. Pilyugin, V.P. Makeev, M.F. Reshetnev, V.P. Barmin, A.M. Isaev, M.K. Yangel and others.

Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel

Thanks to their talent and dedication to their work, launch complexes for medium- and short-range ballistic missiles, the Proton rocket and the Energia-Buran universal space system were created and installed on combat duty intercontinental missiles(R-16, R-7 and R-9) and medium-range missiles (R-12, R-14).

New stage in technical equipment The Strategic Missile Forces is associated with the creation and placing on combat duty of the RS-16, RS-18, RS-20 missile systems. In these missile systems, our designers used fundamentally new technical solutions that made it possible to increase the effectiveness of the combat use of missiles and enhance their protection from enemy strikes.

The situation and level of development of military affairs also determined the creation of military space forces. Our scientists and designers have developed a unique military space system that has made it possible to greatly increase the efficiency of various types of troops and types of weapons. Our military satellites are constantly in space, with the help of which reconnaissance, communications and command and control of troops are carried out, the location of ships, aircraft, mobile missile launchers is determined, weapons are aimed at targets, and other tasks are solved.

The history of creation and improvement is very interesting and dynamic. tanks, which began in our country. In May 1915, a tracked vehicle by the Russian designer A. Porokhovshchikov, armed with two machine guns placed in a rotating turret, was tested at the training ground. This is how a fundamentally new type of weapon appeared - the tank. Since then, intense competition in the world has not stopped for the creation of the best armored combat vehicle, increasing its combat properties - firepower, mobility, security.

Mikhail Ilyich Koshkin

Soviet designers M.I. Koshkin, N.A. Kucherenko and A.A. Morozov created the T-34 medium tank, which became the most popular armored vehicle in the world - more than 52 thousand were produced. This is the only car that spent the entire Second world war passed without significant design changes - it was so brilliantly conceived and executed.

American military historian M. Caidin wrote: “The T-34 tank was created by people who were able to see the battlefield of the mid-20th century better than anyone else in the West could.” Since December 1943, an 85-mm cannon was installed on the T-34, and its armor-piercing projectile penetrated 100 mm thick armor from a distance of 1000 meters, and a sub-caliber projectile, from a distance of 500 meters, penetrated 138 mm armor, which made it possible to successfully fight the German "tigers" " and "panthers".

Together with the T-34, our heavy KV and IS tanks, created under the leadership of Zh.Ya., successfully operated against the enemy. Kotin and N.L. Dukhova.
Currently, measures are being taken to replace the currently operating T-72 and T-80 tanks with a unified and more perfect model T-90. The new vehicle has an optical-electronic suppression system, a complex that allows firing a guided missile on the move at a range of 5 kilometers, and a backup fire control system for the crew commander.

The achievements of domestic scientists and designers in the field of shipbuilding. In the middle of the 19th century, the transition from the construction of wooden sailing ships to steam ships began all over the world, and ships made of metal appeared. The Russian Navy is becoming armored.

History has left us with the names of the most famous shipbuilders who were ahead of their time. Particularly interesting is the fate of Pyotr Akindinovich Titov, who became the chief engineer of the largest shipbuilding company and did not even have a certificate of completion of a rural school. The famous Soviet shipbuilder Academician A.N. Krylov considered himself a student of Titov.

In 1834, when the fleet did not have a single metal ship, a submarine made of metal was built at the Alexander Foundry. Its armament consisted of a pole with a harpoon, a powder mine and four launchers for launching missiles.

In 1904, according to the project of I.G. Bubnov - the famous builder battleships- The construction of submarines began. The Akula and Bars boats created by our craftsmen turned out to be more advanced than the submarines of all the countries that fought in the First World War.

Sergey Nikitich Kovalev

An important role in improving the domestic submarine fleet was played by the Soviet ship designer and inventor, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Sergei Nikitich Kovalev (1919). Since 1955, he worked as the chief designer of the Leningrad Central Design Bureau "Rubin". Kovalev is the author of over 100 scientific works and many inventions. Under his leadership, nuclear missile-carrying submarines were created, known abroad under the codes "Yankee", "Delta" and "Typhoon".

The Russian fleet was far ahead of foreign fleets in the development of mine weapons. Effective mines were developed by our compatriots I.I. Fitztum, P.L. Schilling, B.S. Yakobson, N.N. Azarov. The anti-submarine depth charge was created by our scientist B.Yu. Averkiev.

In 1913, Russian designer D.P. Grigorovich built the world's first seaplane. Since then, work has been carried out in the Russian Navy to equip ships as carriers of naval aviation. Air transports created on the Black Sea, which could accommodate up to seven seaplanes, took part in combat operations during the First World War.

A prominent representative of domestic ship designers is Boris Izrailevich Kupensky (1916-1982). He was the chief designer of the Ermine-class patrol ships (1954-1958), the first anti-submarine ships in the Soviet Navy anti-aircraft missile systems and a gas turbine all-mode power plant (1962-1967), the first surface combat ship with a nuclear power plant in the USSR Navy and the lead in the series of nuclear-powered missile cruisers "Kirov" (1968-1982) with powerful strike and anti-aircraft weapons, an almost unlimited cruising range.

In no other area of Russian design thought are there so many renowned minds as in aircraft industry. OK. Antonov, A.A. Arkhangelsky, R.L. Bartini, R.A. Belyakov, V.F. Bolkhovitinov, D.P. Grigorovich, M.I. Gurevich, S.V. Ilyushin, N.I. Kamov, S.A Lavochkin, A.I. Mikoyan, M.L. Mil, V.M. Myasishchev, V.M. Petlyakov, I.I. Sikorsky, P.S. Sukhoi, A.A. Tupolev, A.S. Yakovlev and others created models of airplanes and helicopters that were in mass production for many years, and many of the technical solutions they found are still used in the design of modern aircraft.

Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky

The designer A.F. became a true innovator. Mozhaisky, 10-15 years ahead of foreign competitors. Mozhaisky created a working model of the aircraft, which in 1877 was presented to the aeronautics commission. The Russian inventor not only showed in detail the design of the future device, but also demonstrated all the elements of flight: takeoff run, takeoff, flight and landing. Subsequently, Captain Mozhaisky created aircraft life-size, but the commission gave a negative opinion on Mozhaisky’s airplane and recommended that he abandon the creation of an aircraft with a fixed wing and build it “on the model of birds with flapping wings,” with which the designer did not agree. The first unsuccessful flight tests did not stop the officer, and he persistently improved the airplane until his death (spring 1890).

One of the first Russian aviation designers who glorified domestic science and technology was Ya.M. Gakkel (1874-1945). Between 1908 and 1912, he designed 15 aircraft of various types and purposes. At the same time, he continuously improved the quality of the machines and their flight performance.

A landmark event in the history of aviation took place on May 13, 1913 near St. Petersburg. Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky (1880-1992) took into the air an unprecedented aircraft of his own design. Its weight was four times that of the largest airplane at that time. By load capacity new car could only be compared with the largest airships of that time. This truly revolutionary aircraft was the Russian Knight.

For a long time, people abroad could not believe that the Russian aircraft designer had succeeded in what was considered impossible in the West. In 1912-1914, under the leadership of Sikorsky, the Grand and Ilya Muromets aircraft were also created, which were distinguished by their long flight range and laid the foundation for multi-engine aviation.

Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev

Of great importance in the history of aviation was the creation, under the leadership of Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev (1888-1972), of the world's largest passenger plane ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky" (1934), as well as medium and heavy bombers, torpedo bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Together with N.E. Zhukovsky, he took an active part in the organization of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI). Under his leadership, more than 100 different types of aircraft were designed and built, 70 of which were put into mass production. Aircraft TB-1, TB-3, SB, TB-7, MTB-2, Tu-2 and torpedo boats G-4, G-5 were used during the Great Patriotic War. In the post-war years, under the leadership of Tupolev, a number of aircraft were created for Soviet Army and the Navy, civil aviation, including the first Soviet jet bombers Tu-12 (1947), Tu-16; the first jet passenger aircraft Tu-104 (1954); the first turboprop intercontinental passenger airliner Tu-114 (1957) and the subsequent Tu-124, Tu-134, Tu-154, as well as a number of supersonic aircraft, including the passenger Tu-144.

Tupolev trained many aviation designers, around whom independent design bureaus subsequently developed: V.M. Petlyakova, P.O. Sukhoi, V.M. Myasishcheva, A.A. Arkhangelsky and others.

An outstanding contribution to the development of domestic aviation was made by designers A.S. Yakovlev, S.A. Lavochkin, A.I. Mikoyan, S.V. Ilyushin and G.M. Beriev. Led by them design bureaus for very short terms new fighters, bombers, attack aircraft were designed, tested and put into mass production, flying boats and ship-borne aircraft were created.

Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi

A talented aircraft designer was Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi (1895-1975). Under his leadership, more than 50 aircraft designs were created, many of which were distinguished by high flight performance and combat characteristics. A multi-purpose aircraft of his design (Su-2) was successfully used during the Great Patriotic War. In 1942-1943, he created the Su-6 armored attack aircraft. Sukhoi is also one of the founders of Soviet jet and supersonic aviation. In the post-war years, the design bureau, under his leadership, developed jet aircraft Su-9, Su-10, Su-15, etc., and in 1955-1956 - supersonic jet aircraft with swept and delta wings (Su-7b, etc.). Aircraft designed by Sukhoi set 2 world altitude records (1959 and 1962) and 2 world speed records on a closed route (1960 and 1962).

In the coming years, the Su-24M front-line bomber will be replaced by the Su-34 multifunctional bomber, which has no analogues in the world. Its main purpose is to hit highly protected point targets at any time of the day and in any weather conditions.
The talent and dedication of our scientists and designers make it possible to have such types of weapons that no other army in the world has. So, only Russia has ekranoplanes. The general designer of the first ekranoplanes is R.E. Alekseev. At the end of the 40s, he created a hydrofoil torpedo boat with a speed unprecedented at that time - 140 km/h and high seaworthiness. The subsequent “Rockets” and “Meteors” were the brainchild of a military scientist.

In the West, ekranoplanes were also designed, but after a number of failures they stopped working. In our country, ekranoplanes were created in various versions: attack, anti-submarine, rescue. The ekranoplan with a displacement of more than 500 tons and a speed of 400-500 km/h was tested by the general designer himself. The unique equipment is capable of not only landing for military purposes, but also carrying out peaceful passenger and cargo transportation, and conducting rescue and research work.

The Ka-50 anti-tank helicopter, called the “Black Shark,” also has no analogues. Since 1982, this combat vehicle has won various competitions more than once and amazed specialists at various exhibitions.

The helicopter has powerful weapons. It is equipped with NURS units, Vikhr ATGM launchers with laser beam guidance, and a 30 mm cannon with 500 rounds of ammunition. Missiles are launched from 8-10 kilometers, that is, outside the range of enemy air defense. The pilot's ejection seat and preliminary shooting of the helicopter blades ensure the pilot's rescue over the entire range of speeds and altitudes, including zero.

The Russian land has always been rich in talents; we showed the world Mendeleev and Korolev, Popov and Kalashnikov. The list of outstanding domestic military designers can be continued for a very long time. The sword of the Russian army was forged by the labor and intellect of many hundreds and thousands of our compatriots.

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