Mikhail Vatter ( August 3, 1899 , Riga , Russian Empire - 1976 , USA ) - American aircraft designer of Russian origin, a student of N. Ye. Zhukovsky . He worked in a number of leading US aircraft manufacturing companies, developed the Martin PBM Mariner seaplane and the first large transport plane made of stainless steel RB-1 Conestoga. He participated in the creation of an intercontinental ballistic missile "Titan - 2" , the US missile defense system and the Space Shuttle reusable spacecraft.
Mikhail Vatter | |
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Date of Birth | August 3, 1899 |
Place of Birth | Riga , Russian Empire |
Date of death | 1976 |
Place of death | USA |
Citizenship | USA |
Occupation | aircraft designer |
Content
Biography
Youth in Russia
Mikhail Vatter was born in Riga, and lived there until 1915, when during the First World War , German troops approached the city [1] . After that, Mikhail moves to Moscow and enters the Riga Polytechnic Institute, which is being evacuated there, and then - to the Moscow Technical Technical University, where N. Ye. Zhukovsky is under scientific supervision. Being a part of the Moscow aviation school, Vatter takes part in its work until 1919, repeatedly makes flights on airplanes. In 1919 - moved to Kiev, while studying there at the Polytechnic Institute.
Emigration to Italy and the United States
In 1920, Mikhail Vatter left Soviet Russia and emigrated to Italy , where he became a student at the Turin Polytechnic Institute. Already in 1921 he graduated from it with a diploma in aviation design. In the same year, thanks to his new promising specialty, Vatter received an American visa and moved to the USA, where at that time engineers of the Russian aviation school were highly valued.
The first place of work in America, Aircraft was the aircraft manufacturing firm Curtiss-Wright , where Michael worked until 1923, after which he received a job as the lead designer of the company Chance Vought . After successful work on the O2U-1 Corsair, Vatter heads the company's design office.
In 1927, Michael Vatter received American citizenship.
In 1931, Vatter tried to establish his own aviation firm, the Warrior Engineering Corporation, but it was soon ruined during the Great Depression . Watter has been working for some time in Mexico , where he was invited by the government to build a record MWT-1 aircraft planned for flight across the Atlantic Ocean (the project did not take place due to a change of government and cancellation of funding).
In 1934, Watters are invited to become the chief designer of Uppercu - Burnelli, where he participates in the development of the UB-14B transport aircraft.
The next place of work for Watters is the company Glenn L. Martin Company. Since 1936, the designer has been involved in designing bomber and flying boats. Martin Mars and Martin PBM Mariner aircraft are created under his leadership.
1939 - Vatter goes to work at the Budd Company, a company engaged in the production of railcars, but planning to open an aircraft building department. Here, Vatter creates the innovative RB-1 Conestoga aircraft — the first major stainless steel transport aircraft, with a lowered rear ramp and a cargo compartment of constant cross section.
After the Second World War, the Budd Company stops building airplanes, but Vatter decides to stay at his former place of work and not look for a new one. He received the post of director of research, and worked there until 1961, when he retired and became a senior research fellow at the US Institute for Defense Studies (he was later elected to the scientific council of this institution). A new theme of work was rocket science.
Michael Vatter died in the United States in November 1976.
Design Activity
O2U-1 Corsair
Near sea and land reconnaissance aircraft direct support of troops. In the 30s he was the main naval intelligence officer in the US Navy. [2] Some modifications had a float chassis. The plane was popular in Latin America, participated in the fighting in China against the Japanese troops.
PBM Mariner and Martin JRM Mars
Flying boats from Glenn Martin - Mars were the largest serial seaplane in history, the last of the cars in 2012 continued to serve as a fire fighting machine. Mariner - the main long-range hydroplane of the US Navy, produced in an amount of 1,366 pieces and replacing the PBY Catalina.
RB-1 Konestoga
The innovative transport aircraft, which became the first to use the concept of a let-out cargo ramp and a hull of constant cross section, which allowed cars to enter and leave the transport worker under its own power. Initially, the US Navy and the Air Force ordered 200 and 600 aircraft, respectively, but the order was subsequently canceled due to the elimination of the aluminum deficit, due to which the aircraft was planned to be made of stainless steel. [3]
Hood Watter (Watters)
The aircraft hood of the tunnel type, in which the cooling of each cylinder took place through an independent opening in the frontal part. Then the incoming air and exhaust gases left the engine through special buckets with drop-shaped cuts on the cylindrical surface of the bonnet. such a hood, in particular, stood on individual modifications of the I-16 fighter. [four]
Work in space and rocket space
Already being a pensioner and working in the last years of his life at the US Institute for Defense Studies, Mikhail Vatter develops launch rocket boosters for medium and long range missiles, as well as the Titan 2 rocket carrier. He chaired the Typhoon-class missile and mobile rocket commission. In the mid-1960s, Vatter worked in missile defense programs, military space stations, fighter satellites, and manned space shuttle (Space Shuttle). [five]
In total, Michael Vatter owns a patent for 121 inventions [6] .
Throughout his design activities, Mikhail Vatter accompanied scientific articles (about 40), speeches at universities and at scientific conferences. In the 1930s, he was the technical editor of Aero Digest magazine.
Literature
Mikheev V. R. Ivan Davidovich Akerman and Mikhail Vatter are forgotten students of NE Zhukovsky. - Science RAS, 2003.
Notes
- ↑ Aviakonstruktor Mikhail Vatter . old.ihst.ru. The appeal date is March 30, 2019.
- Ought Vought O2U / O3U Corsair . www.airwar.ru. The appeal date is March 30, 2019.
- ↑ Budd C-93 Conestoga . www.airwar.ru. The appeal date is March 30, 2019.
- ↑ Mikhail Maslov. Fighter I-16. Favorite aircraft leader . - Liters, 2018-08-26. - 194 s. - ISBN 9785041285869 .
- ↑ Glory expelled from Russia . Novaya Gazeta - Novayagazeta.ru (June 20, 2012). The appeal date is March 30, 2019.
- ↑ WATTER MICHAEL / 03 . old.ihst.ru. The appeal date is March 30, 2019.