Fedorov, Vladimir Pavlovich

Born into a peasant family on June 15, 1915 in the village of Kotovka ^[1] . Since 1923 he lived in the village of Velzhichi (now Mglinsky district of the Bryansk region ). Since 1930 he lived in Moscow , where he initially worked as an apprentice fitter at an orthopedic factory . In 1932 he graduated from the school of FZU , after which he continued to work at the same factory as a fitter.

In 1933 he graduated from the Central Flight School of Osoaviahim in Tushino and the Higher Flight-Glider School in Koktebel .

In 1933-1937 - instructor pilot and flight commander of the Moscow glider station, tested the AL-2 glider ( 1936 ), took part in the trials of the glider towing system designed by A. Ya. Shcherbakov ( 1937 ). June 30, 1937 on the glider G-9 with the help of a towing aircraft reached a record height of 12 105 meters.

In 1937-1939 he was a test pilot at the Moscow Aircraft Plant No. 1 ( Moscow ); tested production aircraft PZ , DI-6 , I-15 bis , I-153 .

In 1939-1941 , he was a test pilot in the Podlipki Aircraft Plant near Moscow , where he tested high-altitude gliders and airplanes , as well as various equipment for high-altitude flight cabins.

By the beginning of 1940, the Jet Research Institute (RNII) had completed ground tests of the RP-318 ^[2] rocket glider designed by S. P. Korolyov and was looking for a flight test base and an experienced pilot for flight tests - this was the first Soviet manned missile glider with liquid rocket engine (LRE) .

Aircraft designer A. Ya. Shcherbakov turned for help, he responded to the request and suggested that one of the best pilots of his enterprise, V. Fedorov, conduct flight tests of the rocket plane. The testers were warned that flying might be unsafe. However, Fedorov, aware of the degree of risk, without hesitation agreed to conduct the tests.

Ground tests of the rocket engine propulsion system, which was assigned the RP-318-1 index, were carried out during February-October 1939 . Due to the limitations of manufacturing the SK-9 airframe (Sergey Korolyov-9), it was subjected to a thorough inspection and submitted to the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) for examination. It was decided to conduct flight tests at the KB-29 airfield near Moscow near the Podlipki station . At the end of November 1939, a rocket launcher was installed on the outskirts of the airfield . Test lead A.V. Pallo with mechanics L.A. Ikonnikov and A.I. Volkov equipped a marching workshop not far away in an empty container from under the plane . After a cycle of ground testing, in the presence of a specially created commission of the People ’s Commissariat for Industry and the People’s Commissariat for Ammunition , in January 1940 they conducted control fire tests of the propulsion system. Having examined all the materials, the commission gave permission for flight tests with the inclusion of a liquid rocket engine (LRE) , which was framed by a special act.

The first flight was scheduled for February 28, 1940 . P-5 towing aircraft was piloted by pilot N. D. Fixon. In addition to him, A. Ya. Shcherbakov were on the plane — to work on the winch of the tow rope, and A. V. Pallo — as an observer for the flight of the rocket plane. Take - off RP-318 for the P-5 aircraft took place at 17 hours 28 minutes. Having risen to a height of 2,600 meters, the pilot unhooked the tow rope and launched the rocket engine . The rocket plane increased speed and began to gain altitude. Soon, he safely landed at the airport .

From June 1941 - V. Fedorov at flight test work at the Flight Research Institute named after M.M. Gromov (LII) . In July-August 1941 he took part in the hostilities of the Great Patriotic War - he was a pilot of the 2nd separate fighter air squadron of the Moscow air defense .

After that he returned to the test service. He completed the first flight and tested gliders of the BJP ( September 16, 1941 ), KG ( January 28, 1942 ) and the Shche-2 aircraft (February 1943 ). He took part in the tests of the Su-1 and Su-3, gliders A-7 and G-11 , as well as in the tests of the Yak-7 with a pressurized cabin ( 1943 ).

He died on May 28, 1943 during the control tests of serial IL-4 in the area of ​​the city of Bronnitsy near Moscow. He was buried in Moscow , at the Novodevichy cemetery .

The flights made by him on the Korolev rocket plane entered the history of Soviet aviation. These were the first manned flights in the USSR with a jet engine — still within the atmosphere. These first flights of the rocket plane became the harbingers of the development of a new type of equipment in our country - jet aircraft ^[3]

He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner .

• Vasin V.P. , Simonov A.A. Testers LII . - Zhukovsky: Aviation Printing Yard, 2001. - 192 p. - ISBN 5-93705-008-8 .

• Rocket glider
• Jet Propulsion Study Group
• Gas dynamic laboratory