Vladimir Kokkinaki

Vladimir Konstantinovich Kokkinaki (Russian: Владимир Константинович Коккинаки, Greek Βλαδίμηρος Κοκκινάκης; * 12.jul / June 25 1904greg in Novorossiysk, .. † 7 January 1985) was a Soviet test pilot. He tested a variety of planes 40, including the type DB - 3, IL- 2 and IL- 28th

Life

Kokkinaki comes from a Pontic- Greek family. He joined in 1925 the Red Army and graduated in 1928 from the Leningrad flight school. He left to continue their education at the flight school Borisoglebsk and completed it 1930. 1931 he went into active service troops at the 11th fighter squadron. In 1932 he was selected in 1935 commander of a flyer department and as a test pilot. His first task was to fly in the at that time new attack aircraft Kotscherigin lish -3.

In the 1930s he was a member of the equipped with I-16 five-member aerobatic team " Krasnye djawoly " (Russian Красные дьяволы, Red Devil ). International attention to themselves for the first time made ​​Kokkinaki on 21 November 1935, when he with 14,575 m a new absolute altitude record for aircraft aufstellte in a Polikarpov I-15, the first record of the USSR, which was recognized by the FAI. Kokkinaki completed another record flights, even over long distances. International attention in 1939 the flight of Kokkinaki and his navigator M. Ch Gordijenko with DB -3 " Moskva ". On April 28, they launched in Moscow with destination New York. After 8,000 kilometers, with the stations Trondheim, Reykjavik and Cape Farewell, they were forced to because of a hurricane over Labrador to rise to 9,000 meters. After consumption of all fuel and oxygen is depleted Kokkinaki ended on April 29 with gear retracted by the lighthouse on the island Miscou in New Brunswick in Canada. The DB-3 was 22 hours and 56 minutes in the air, which corresponds to an average speed of 348 km / h. Overall Kokkinaki presented on 22 world records. In 1938 he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

During World War II Kokkinaki remained a test pilot, in 1943 promoted to Major General of the flyer and main inspector of the aircraft industry. Until his retirement from active service, he worked as a test pilot. His last world record he achieved in 1960, when he Il -18 and 10 tons of payload flew 5018 km wide with an Ilyushin and thereby achieved an average speed of 693 km / h.

In 1961 he became vice-president and 1966 president of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

For his achievements Kokkinaki was twice (1938 and 1959 ) as a Hero of the Soviet Union, the title " Merited Test Pilot " and awarded the Lenin Prize.

Kokkinakis brother Constantine was also a test pilot.