SERGEY VLADIMIROVICH  ILYUSHIN

• Сергей Владимирович Илюшин; March 30, 1894 – February 9, 1977 was a Russian aircraft designer who founded the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau.

• The Design Bureau history commenced with designing of a long-range bomber. Its production version TsKB-26 was later modified into TsKB-30 and launched (as DB-3) into series production in 1936. The Il-4 (a new name of the latest modification, given in 1942) came to be the essential long-range bomber used in the Great Patriotic War. Creation of the bomber like DB-3 and SB was a transition from bulk (30 tons and more) and huge (wing area more than 400 square meters) with low flight speed (180-210 km/h) to speedy maneuvering bombers (take-off weight of 6-9 tons, wing area 52-68 square meters, flight speed more than 400 km/h). Post-war designs included the Il-22, an experimental jet bomber with four turbojet engines, the Il-28, a combat jet bomber with two turbojet engines, and the Il-46- a jet bomber with two turbojet engines, different from the Il-28 in design and arrangement.

• The second branch of the design activity was development of the assault airplanes. The Il-2 is an armoured assault airplane, flying at low altitude to support on-ground troops. Ilyushin stood for powerful defense and armoured protection of all combat airplanes. The military application of the Il-2 during the first days of the war proved the correctness of his concept of an airplane thorough protection. The IL-10 being more maneuvering and speedy also participated in combat actions. Within the given class of airplanes the DB also designed such heavy assault airplanes as the Il-8, Il-20 and the speedy maneuvering assault Il-16. In 1952 the DB started creation of the assault airplane Il-40; in 1982 an experimental jet assault fighter Il-102.

• ALEXEI ANDREYEVICH TUPOLEV 

• Andrey N. Tupolev - one of the greatest aircraft designers of the XX-th century was born on the 10-th of November, 1888 near city of Kimry. He finished school in city of Tver, graduated from Moscow Higher Technical School, became a student and .companion of N. Zhukovskiy - a “father of Russian aviation”.

• Together wth N.Zhukovskiy A.N.Tupolev founded Central Aerohydraulic Institute. Following. Zhukovskiy’s precepts A.Tupolev developed aviation science and experimental and research facilities, in era of wooden airplane structures he became an inspirer and founder of Russian metal aircraft directing world aircraft production towards all-metal concept. In the 1920s A.Tupolev and his colleagues created heavy bomber which layout and design approaches defined for many years ahead trends of heavy aircraft development of both civil and military purpose. Soviet pilots landed Tupolev’s aircraft on Northern Pole, on board of Tupolev’s aircraft Chkalov and Gromov performed record flights from Moscow to the USA. By Tupolev’s initiative the first native jet passenger aircraft TU-104 was created which started mass operation of jet passenger aircraft in the world. Due to his activities our country obtained powerful strategic aircraft which made it possible in post-war period to restore balance in “cold war” and to prevent world nuclear war. Under his leadership excellent military and passenger aircraft of different purposes were built which mostly defined tendencies in world aviation of the XX-th century.

• A.N.Tupolev was elected as an actual member of Academy of Science of the USSR, honorary member of UK Royal Aeronautic Society and US Institute of Aeronautics and space, he was awarded with premium and golden medal named after Zhukovskiy, with six governmental premiums, the highest prize of International Aviation Sport Federation. He was thrice awarded with name of hero of Socialist Labor and with the highest medals of the Soviet Union. He did so much that his name entered for ever the golden fund of technical progress

Igor Sikorsky

Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky (Russian: Игорь Иванович Сикорский, romanized: Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky,  25 May 1889 – 26 October 1972)[4] was a Russian–American[1][2][3] aviation pioneer in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. His first success came with the Sikorsky S-2, the second aircraft of his design and construction. His fifth airplane, the S-5, won him national recognition and F.A.I. pilot's license number 64.[5] His S-6-A received the highest award at the 1912 Moscow Aviation Exhibition, and in the fall of that year the aircraft won first prize for its young designer, builder and pilot in the military competition at Saint Petersburg.[6] In 1913, the Sikorsky-designed Russky Viyaz (S-21) became the first successful four-engine aircraft to take flight. He also designed and built the Ilya Muromets (S-22 – S-27) family of four-engine aircraft, an airliner which he redesigned to be the world's first four-engine bomber when World War I broke out.

After immigrating to the United States in 1919 because of the Russian Revolution, Sikorsky founded the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in 1923,[7] and developed the first of Pan American Airways' ocean-crossing flying boats in the 1930s, including the Sikorsky S-42 "Flying Clipper".

In 1939, Sikorsky designed and flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300,[8] the first viable American helicopter, which pioneered the rotor configuration used by most helicopters today.[9] Sikorsky modified the design into the Sikorsky R-4, which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter in 1942.

William E. Boeing

• 1881-1956

• Boeing, 1916-1934 Company Founder and Owner, President, Chairman of the Bo

• William E. Boeing left Yale University in 1903 to take advantage of opportunities in the risky and cyclical, but financially rewarding, Northwest timber industry. That experience would serve him well in aviation.

• Under his guidance, a tiny airplane manufacturing company grew into a huge corporation of related industries. When post-Depression legislation in 1934 mandated the dispersion of the corporation, Boeing sold his interests in the Boeing Airplane Co., but continued to work on other business ventures.

• He became one of America's most successful breeders of thoroughbred horses. He never lost his interest in aviation, and during World War II he volunteered as a consultant to the company. He lived until 1956, long enough to see the company he started enter the jet age

Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.

• April 6, 1892 – February 1, 1981

• he Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. in July 1921, following dissolution of the Davis-Douglas Company.

• It is most famous for the "DC" series of commercial aircraft, including what is often regarded as the most significant transport aircraft ever made: the DC-3, which was also produced as a military transport known as the C-47 Skytrain. Douglas created a wide variety of aircraft for the United States armed forces, the Navy in particular.

• The company initially built torpedo bombers for the U.S. Navy, but developed a number of variants on these aircraft including observer aircraft and a commercial airmail variant. Within five years the company was turning out over 100 aircraft annually. Among the early employees at Douglas were Edward Heinemann, James Kindelberger, and John Northrop. The company retained its military market and expanded into amphibians in the late 1920s, also moving its facilities to Santa Monica. The complex in Santa Monica was so large that the mail girls used roller skates to deliver the intra-company mail. By the end of World War II, Douglas had facilities at Santa Monica, CA; El Segundo, CA; Long Beach, CA; Torrance, CA; Tulsa, OK; Midwest City, OK; and Chicago, IL.

• In 1934 Douglas produced a commercial two-engined transport, the DC-2, following it with the famous DC-3 in 1936. The wide range of aircraft produced by Douglas included airliners, light and medium bombers, fighters, transports, observation aircraft, and experimental aircraft. In addition to its own designs, Douglas also produced Boeing B-17 and B-47 bombers under license. Douglas was a pioneer in related fields, such as ejection seats, air-to-air, surface-to-air, and air-to-surface missiles, launch vehicles, bombs and bomb racks.
   

• In 1967, the company was struggling to expand production to meet demand for DC-8 and DC-9 airliners and the A-4 Skyhawk attack plane. Quality and cash flow problems, combined with shortages due to the Vietnam War, led Douglas to agree to a merger with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to form McDonnell Douglas. McDonnell Douglas was acquired by the Boeing Company in 1997, ending more than seventy-five years of Douglas aircraft production.

AIRBUS Aerospatiale

• Airbus was officially formed in 1970 as a consortium of France’s Aerospatiale and Deutsche Airbus

• Airbus Industrie is a consortium formed by EADS and BAE Systems. EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, was formed by a merger of
  Aerospatiale-Matra of France, Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace of Germany and CASA of Spain (former members of Airbus).
  Airbus' modern and comprehensive product line comprises four highly successful families of aircraft : the single-aisle A320 Family (A318/A319/A320/A321), the widebody
  A300/A310 Family, the long-range A330/A340 Family which will soon be joined by the new A350, and the ultra long-range, high capacity A380 Family. Airbus' unique family concept ensures that Airbus aircraft share the highest possible degree
  of commonality in airframes, on-board systems, cockpits and handlingcharacteristics, which reduces significantly operating costs for airlines.