Mankind wanted to fly long before it learned to move quickly on land or water. The birds moved in the air too temptingly, without experiencing any noticeable external resistance. Man, in his movements, was limited by the plane of the earth or the smooth surface of the water, and could speed up the movement only with the help of animals, currents or wind.

The desire to fly at first led only to tragedies. Icarus and Daedalus are mythological characters, but there is evidence of real attempts to fly with the help of wings held together by wax. Such jumps could not be good for the forerunners of today's pilots.

Gradually, attempts to fly acquired a more prudent character. People have learned to take to the air in balloons and build similarities of gliders and hang gliders. But if people, according to some sources, could fly hang-gliders already in the first millennium of our era, then the development of aviation rested in the absence of a mover. As one of the pioneers of aviation, Emmanuel Swedenborg, wrote, the human body has too much weight and produces too little power.

However, centuries of labor of people who aspired to fly were not in vain. Gradually, general ideas about the design of aircraft, how to control them and the aerodynamic properties of materials were developed. It was up to the engine...

In the second half of the 19th century, steam and gasoline engines were made sufficiently compact and powerful to fit on an airplane. The race to create a workable airplane received a new acceleration, and work of varying degrees of success was carried out in several countries at once.

Most often, the creators of the first aircraft in the world are called the American brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. There is a lot of evidence that even before the flight of Orville Wright on December 17, 1903, other pilots were already making successful flights. But the Wright brothers documented and photographed their flights well. In addition, they approached the business of designing aircraft with great care, carefully recording all the results of their work.

Orville was the driving force behind the Wright brothers' duo, although Wilbur was the first to take an interest in aviation. It was he who, in 1899, after the death of the famous aeronaut Otto Lilienthal, began to collect literature on aviation. When Orville joined the case, the brothers began their road to glory.

Creating their plane (they called it "Flyer" without fuss, from the English verb fly - "to fly"), the Wright brothers did a lot of research work along the way. After making calculations, they decided that the power of the existing engine and the strength of the materials for the flight would be enough. But before the brothers, no one really thought about the control of the aircraft in flight, which often led to injuries and deaths. The key was the invention of the brothers of the control system, which allowed the aircraft not only to make small maneuvers, but also to resist the side wind. Only after testing the control system on their own built kites and gliders, they decided on a manned flight.

On December 14, 1903, the Flyer, piloted by Wilbur, who won the toss right, crashed to the ground immediately after taking off from the guide rails due to pilot error. Three days later, Orville was more fortunate, and the flight of 36.5 meters is now considered the first in the history of aviation.

Subsequently, the Wright brothers continued to work on aircraft, while trying to get funding from the governments of the United States and other countries. Having received no money from the authorities, they patented their aircraft control system, attracted a company engaged in military equipment for sales, and their business skyrocketed. Their planes were sold at unprecedented prices of $25 and $30,000. The moment of triumph came in October 1909. In front of millions of people celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the Hudson River, Wilbur Wright flew along the river within the boundaries of New York, and then circled the Statue of Liberty.

The plane of the Russian engineer Alexander Mozhaisky took off more than twenty years earlier than the Flyer. Moreover, Mozhaisky's flying machine was much more like modern aircraft than the fruit of the work of the Wright brothers. On July 20, 1882, the mechanic I. Golubev, who piloted the plane, was able to take off from the ground on it and make a short flight.

However, the superiority of Mozhaisky was not properly recorded for two reasons at once. The engineer himself considered the flight just an ordinary test, not worth fanfare. And later he ran out of funding and could not continue work on the aircraft. However, the scientific community acknowledges that Mozhaisky's aircraft was technically designed to a very high standard.

Interestingly, at the end of the 20th century, scientists conducted aerodynamic tests of the Mozhaisky aircraft model. They showed that for a full-fledged flight, a properly designed apparatus lacked only the power of the available engines.

Alberto Santos-Dumont was born and died in Brazil, but he achieved his main successes in aeronautics and aviation in France. Supporters of the fact that it was Santos-Dumont who was the creator of the first aircraft argue their version by saying that his aircraft did not use a strong headwind (like the Wright brothers’ plane), an accelerating plane (like Mozhaisky’s plane) or a catapult to start. Accordingly, they believe, the year of the invention of the aircraft should be considered 1906, when Santos-Dumont made his first flight.

Santos-Dumont gained immense popularity flying in hot air balloons and airships. He created for himself the image of a lightweight dandy athlete. Having collected a whole collection of cash and other prizes for setting records, the miniature Brazilian began to enter the high society. The rich and those in power met with pleasure and maintained friendship with him.

However, behind the polished appearance of Santos-Dumont, a deep mind was hidden. For his 14-bis aircraft, he created a control system with the predecessors of perfect ailerons. He constantly worked on the manufacturability of aircraft assembly and increasing the power density of engines.

October 23, 1906 he flew 60 meters in the presence of dozens of spectators. The Santos-Dumont plane took off and landed on its own, without dropping the landing gear, which still makes it possible to consider him an aviation pioneer.

Arguments in disputes

Most likely, all three points of view on who invented a car that can move in the ocean of air are justified. In some aspects, the Wright brothers, and Alexander Mozhaisky, and Alberto Santos-Dumont were the first.

For example, supporters of the Wright brothers believe that their plane took off on rails simply because of the sandy soil at the test site. Fans of Santos-Dumont built dozens of copies of the 14bis and flew hundreds of hours on them, while of the many attempts to build copies of the Flyer, only a few were successful, and even then only partially. Well, Mozhaisky's aircraft was two decades ahead of its competitors, and if a Russian engineer had received funding, the first aircraft would most likely have been created in Russia. We should pay tribute to all the pioneers of aviation. Through trial and error, often at the risk of health and life, they built and piloted the first aircraft, and laid the foundation for the huge industry that aviation has become today.

K.S. BUILDERS

Historical documents irrefutably prove that the world's first aircraft was created in Russia. The creator of the world's first aircraft is Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky. He built and tested the first aircraft twenty years earlier than the Americans, the Wright brothers, to whom this invention was completely undeservedly attributed until recently.

Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky was born on March 9, 1825 in the family of a hereditary sailor, admiral of the Russian fleet Fyodor Timofeevich Mozhaisky. A.F. Mozhaisky was educated in the Naval Cadet Corps, from which he brilliantly graduated on January 19, 1841. A year later he was promoted to midshipman.

After seven years of sailing on various ships in the Baltic and White Seas, Mozhaisky in 1849. received the rank of lieutenant.

In 1850-1852. Mozhaisky sailed in the Baltic Sea. In 1853-1855. he participated in the long-distance voyage Kronstadt - Japan on the frigate "Diana".

At the end of 1855, Mozhaisky was assigned to the Antenor brig, which was cruising in the Baltic Sea and guarding the approaches to the Gulf of Finland from sabotage raids by Anglo-French ships.

In 1858, Mozhaisky took part in the Khiva expedition, organizing its movement on the water on ships specially built for this purpose. He compiled the first description of the water basin of the Aral Sea and the Amudarya River. Upon returning from the expedition, Mozhaisky was appointed senior officer of the 84-gun ship Oryol.

September 8, 1859 Mozhaisky received the next rank of lieutenant commander. After launching the clipper "Vsadnik" he was appointed its commander and sailed on it in the Baltic Sea until 1863.

In 1863, Mozhaisky was dismissed due to the forced reduction in the size of the fleet after the Crimean War, but in 1879 he was again enrolled in active military service with the rank of captain of the 1st rank and sent to the Naval Cadet Corps, where he taught a course of naval practice.

Back in 1876, Mozhaisky began working on a project for a heavier-than-air aircraft he had long conceived. While serving in the Naval Corps, Mozhaisky, using the advice of leading Russian scientists, continued to improve his project.

In July 1882, Captain 1st Rank Mozhaisky was promoted to the rank of Major General with dismissal from service "due to domestic circumstances." Subsequently, Mozhaisky was awarded the rank of Rear Admiral.

Having retired from service, A.F. Mozhaisky, without any help from the tsarist government, continued to improve and improve his aircraft, tested in the air in July 1882, and only death, which occurred on March 19, 1890, prevented him from completing the construction of a new aircraft.

All works on the history of aviation, written in the second half of the last and the beginning of this century, concealed or distorted the true meaning and significance of Mozhaisky's works.

Meanwhile, archival documents and statements of Mozhaisky's contemporaries convincingly prove that the path of his scientific research from beginning to end was correct, deeply thought out and ended with the construction of the world's first aircraft and testing it in the air.

The idea of ​​creating an aircraft heavier than air came to Mozhaisky as early as 1855, when he began to conduct careful observations of the flights of birds and kites.

In 1872, after a series of painstaking studies and experiments, Mozhaisky established the relationship between lift and drag at various angles of attack and thoroughly elucidated the issue of bird flight.

The German explorer and glider pilot Lilienthal did similar work 17 years later than Mozhaisky.

Testing his conclusions and observations in practice, Mozhaisky made experiments in two directions: on the one hand, he worked on propellers that were supposed to create thrust in the air for the aircraft, on the other, on models of aircraft.

In 1876, Mozhaisky, according to the testimony of the engineer Bogoslovsky, "twice took to the air and flew comfortably" on a kite. In this way. Mozhaisky was the first in the world to fly kites, ten years ahead of the French tester Mayo (1886), eighteen years of the Englishman Baden-Powell (1894) and twenty years of the Australian Hargrave (1896).

In addition to experiments with kites, A.F. Mozhaisky worked on the creation of flying models of his future aircraft.

Mozhaisky made a large number of various calculations, studies and experiments, as a result of which in September 1876 he built the first flying model of an aircraft.

This model, which he called "fly", consisted of a small fuselage boat, to which one rectangular bearing surface was attached at an angle of 3 °. The thrust of the model was created by three propellers, one of which was located in the bow of the boat, and the other two - in specially made slots in the wing. The screws were driven by a wound clock spring. The steering surfaces (horizontal and vertical) were moved back. For takeoff and landing, the model had four wheels located under the fuselage. The model made steady flights at a speed of over 5 m/s with an additional load of about 1 kg.

Well-known shipbuilding engineer, member of the Marine Technical Committee, Colonel P.A. Bogoslovsky wrote about this: “The inventor very correctly solved the long-standing issue of aeronautics. The device, with the help of its propulsion projectiles, not only flies, runs on the ground, but can also swim. The flight speed of the device is amazing; it is not afraid of any gravity, no wind and is able to fly in any direction ... Experience has shown that the obstacles to swimming in the air that have existed so far have been brilliantly defeated by our gifted compatriot.

After the flight of the model showed that the path that the inventor was following was correct, he began to develop a detailed design of his life-size aircraft.

However, if Mozhaisky could carry out the previous work with his own limited funds, then the construction of an aircraft in its full size required the expenditure of significant sums of money, which he did not have at his disposal.

Therefore, at the beginning of 1877, he decided to "subject his invention to the court of scientific criticism, suggesting that the Ministry of War use his project for military purposes in the upcoming war with Turkey."

At the beginning of 1877, Mozhaisky turned to the chairman of the aeronautical commission of the military ministry, Count Totleben, with a request to obtain the necessary funds "for further research and experiments both on the movement of the designed ... projectile, and to determine the various data necessary for a rational and correct device all the constituent parts of such a projectile.

On January 20, 1877, by order of the Minister of War, Count Milyutin, a special commission was formed to consider the Mozhaisky project. The composition of this commission included the largest representatives of Russian science and technology: D.I. Mendeleev, N.P. Petrov (the author of the world famous hydrodynamic theory of friction), Lieutenant General Zverev, Colonel Bogoslovsky and military engineer Struve.

After two meetings, the commission submitted a detailed report on the Mozhaisky project to the Main Engineering Directorate. The report stated that the inventor "as the basis of his project adopted the provisions now recognized as the most correct and capable of leading to favorable final results."

Thanks to the support of D.I. Mendeleev, it was decided to release the inventor 3,000 rubles for further work and oblige him to submit a program of experiments on the apparatus.

On February 14, 1877, Mozhaisky presented his program of experiments on aircraft models to the Main Engineering Directorate. It included the study of propellers, the determination of the size and shape of the steering and bearing surfaces, the specific load on the wing, the resolution of the issue of controllability and strength of the aircraft.

In one of the points of the program, it was said about testing the actions of "small areas on the back of the wings, on the turns of the apparatus", i.e. it was planned to test the ailerons, or, in other words, the lateral stability and controllability of the aircraft.

The colossal significance of these tests will become clear if we recall that Mozhaisky studied the operation of ailerons 31 years before the Frenchman Farman, who allegedly invented them in 1908, and the Wright brothers, who built their first airplane in 1903, had no idea about them. .

Mozhaisky's experiments on a large propeller driven by a steam engine were the first experiments of this kind in the world.

Having received only a part of the promised amount (2192 rubles), the inventor set about implementing his program. He had to work in very difficult conditions. His financial situation was extremely difficult.

Despite the difficulties and extreme need, Mozhaisky built a new model of an airplane. This model, according to contemporaries, "flyed completely freely and descended very smoothly; the flight also took place when a dagger was placed on the model, which represents a load of a very significant size. The invention of Mr. Mozhaisky was already being tested by several well-known specialists and deserved their approval. .. the invention itself is kept secret."

As a result of the new research conducted, Mozhaisky at the beginning of 1878 came to the conclusion that air resistance could be used to create lift.

On this occasion, he wrote: "... for the possibility of soaring in the air, there is a certain relationship between gravity, speed and the size of the area or plane, and it is undoubtedly that the greater the speed of movement, the greater the weight the same area can carry."

This formulation of one of the most important laws of aerodynamics - about the importance of speed for creating lift - was given by Mozhaisky 11 years before the publication of similar works by Marey and Lilienthal, who came to the same conclusion only in 1889. The mathematical justification for the emergence of lift, as is known, was first given in 1905 by the Russian scientist N.E. Zhukovsky in his work "On Associated Vortices", in which he derived a theorem on the lift force of a wing.

In the spring of 1878 A.F. Mozhaisky decided to move on to building a full-size aircraft. On March 23, 1878, he turned to the Main Engineering Directorate with a memorandum in which he indicated that "the data required to resolve the issue can only be obtained on an apparatus of such dimensions, on which a person could control the power of the machine and the direction of the apparatus" and asked for the release of funds for the construction of an airplane, the cost of which was determined by him at 18,895 rubles.

Mozhaisky's proposal was considered by a special commission, which was presented with detailed drawings of the aircraft, justified by calculations, and an explanatory note containing a description of the device. The description stated that the aircraft consisted of:

1) from a boat that serves to place a car and people; 2) from two fixed wings; 3) from the tail, which can rise and fall and serve to change the direction of flight up and down, equally through the vertical area moving in it to the right and left to receive the direction of the apparatus to the sides; 4) from the large front screw; 5) from two small screws on the back of the apparatus; 6) from a cart on wheels under the boat, which serves to ensure that the apparatus, placed with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bits wings and tail obliquely, about 4 degrees to the horizon, with its front part up, could first run up on the ground against the air and get the speed that is necessary for hovering it; 7) of two masts, which serve to strengthen its wings and connect the entire apparatus along its length and to raise the tail.

As engines, it was planned to install two steam engines with a total power of 30 hp. One of the machines was supposed to work on the nose pulling propeller, and the other - through the transmission on the two rear pushing propellers.

The device, as conceived by the inventor, could also land on water, for which the fuselage was shaped like a boat.

It can be seen from the description presented that Mozhaisky conceived to produce a monoplane type aircraft with a thin wing profile set at an angle of 4 °, modern controls and a landing gear with spring damping.

Now that the history of the development of aviation has been studied quite well, we can appreciate the merit of the Russian sailor-inventor, who in 1878 proposed the design of an aircraft, all the main elements of which are inherent in modern aircraft.

Having first developed a fuselage type of aircraft, Mozhaisky was more than 30 years ahead of Western European and American designers, who only in 1909-1910. began to build similar aircraft.

The idea to use a fuselage-boat for landing on water was first put into practice in 1913 by another Russian designer and inventor D.P. Grigorovich - the creator of the first boat hydroaeroplane.

In addition to developing the project, Mozhaisky described in detail the take-off technique of his aircraft and provided for the installation of air navigation equipment on it: a compass, a speed meter, a barometer-altimeter, two thermometers, three inclinometers and a sight for bombing.

The plane, according to the plan of Mozhaisky, was intended for bombing and reconnaissance purposes.

At the end of his explanatory note to the project, Mozhaisky pointed out that "the construction of the apparatus from the technical side presents neither difficulties nor impossibilities."

The expert commission, which this time included foreigners who had little interest in the development of Russian aviation - General Pauker, General Gerya and Colonel Valberg - believed that if the problem of building an aircraft heavier than air was solved, then it would not be in Russia , and in Western Europe.

At the first meeting, which took place on April 12, 1878, the commission doubted that the device would be able to soar in the air with the help of propellers, and invited the author of the project to provide new additional data and calculations on this issue.

To meet the commission's demand, Mozhaisky, after consulting with Academician Chebyshev, compiled an additional note in which he gave a detailed and thorough analysis of the operation of propellers in the air and supported them with reasonable calculations.

Mozhaisky was sure that the propellers proposed by him "will undoubtedly produce the work expected from them, because their dimensions are determined in relation to the power of the machine by calculations and theories, confirmed by experiments."

Having considered Mozhaisky's explanatory note at the second meeting, the commission issued a decision, striking in its ignorance, which stated that it "does not find any guarantee that the experiments on Mr. Mozhaisky's projectile, even after various possible changes in it, could lead to useful practical results, if he does not arrange a projectile on completely different grounds, with movable wings that can change not only their position relative to the gondola, but also their shape during the flight.

"The amount currently requested by Mr. Mozhaisky is so significant," the experts wrote in their decision, "that the commission does not dare to welcome its appropriations...".

In other words, the commission pushed the inventor on the wrong path and nullified the results of his many years of work and research.

Mozhaisky, protesting against such a decision of the commission, turned to the Minister of War Vannovsky with a request to cancel it. However, Vannovsky, without even getting acquainted with the essence of the case, approved the decision of the commission.

Then Mozhaisky wrote a letter to the head of the Main Engineering Directorate, General Zverev, in which he indicated that "the commission, discussing and conducting the case in a clerical and cell way, took away my opportunity to present to her my final conclusions about the size of the parts of the apparatus, the strength of its machine and other conditions and from the very beginning she did everything to ... kill my confidence in the possibility of implementing my project. General Zverev did not respond to Mozhaisky's letter. Government organizations refused to finance the inventor. Only the advanced Russian intelligentsia and ordinary workers who worked together with Mozhaisky supported him and rendered him all possible assistance. Mozhaisky's closest assistants - Golubev, Yakovlev, Arsentiev and others - continued to work under his leadership.

Prominent Russian scientists also provided great moral support. So, for example, Professor of the Naval Academy I. Alymov wrote: “The apparatus of the city of Mozhaisky ... constitutes, in our opinion, a huge and, perhaps, even the final step towards resolving the great question of swimming a person in the air in the desired direction and with the desired, within certain limits, speed ... A.F. Mozhaisky, in our opinion, belongs to the great merit, if not to completely solve this problem in practice, then at least to come extremely close to this solution, and therefore to the solution of everything question of aeronautics.

And Mozhaisky continued to work on his invention. After two years, when the working drawings were made and a number of additional studies were carried out to refine the calculations, Malaysky, in order to protect himself from numerous "businessmen" from the ministry, seeking to appropriate someone else's achievement or sell it abroad, decided to patent his invention.

On June 4, 1880, he applied to the Department of Trade and Manufactories with a request to issue him a patent for the "aircraft projectile" he had invented and received it on November 3, 1881. This was the world's first patent for an aircraft, and it was issued to a Russian inventor-sailor captain 1st rank A.F. Mozhaisky.

After receiving a patent, Mozhaisky began to manufacture individual parts of the future airplane.

Maritime Minister

Quite confident in the reality of his invention, having decided to complete the work he had begun, Mozhaisky turned to the Minister of Marine S.S. Lesovsky (his former commander on the frigate "Diana") in order to obtain funds for the construction of steam engines, the drawings of which were developed by him.

Lesovsky, knowing the inventor personally, petitioned the Minister of Finance for a leave of 5,000 rubles for Mozhaisky, but was refused.

Then Mozhaisky turned to the military department to Adjutant General Greig and obtained from him a promise of support, provided that the Minister of Marine would also solicit this.

Lesovsky, "in view of the militarily important results that can be expected from a successful solution of the issue of aeronautics," asked for 2,500 rubles (instead of the previously requested 5,000 rubles) to Captain 1st Rank Mozhaisky. This time the request of the Minister of the Sea was granted. With the money received, Mozhaisky gave an order for the manufacture of two steam engines according to a project he had developed. In 1881 the machines were made.

These were two-cylinder vertical compound steam engines of lightweight construction. One of the machines developed a power of 20 hp. at 300 rpm. Her weight was 47.6 kg. Another car had a power of 10 hp. at 450 rpm. Her weight was 28.6 kg. Steam was supplied to the machines from a once-through boiler weighing 64.5 kg. The fuel was kerosene.

The crankshafts and piston rods of the machines were made hollow to reduce weight. Having received the cars, Mozhaisky proceeded to assemble the aircraft.

For the production of some works, the inventor turned to the Baltic Shipyard for help. But the management of the plant, having learned that the inventor had no money, refused him.

Then Mozhaisky turned to the tsarist government with a request to release him 5,000 rubles for the assembly and testing of the aircraft. "Highest command" Mozhaisky's request was rejected.

The inventor had no hope of government support, and it seemed that all the work done would fail at the last stage. But nevertheless, the construction of the aircraft was completed by Mozhaisky.

With the proceeds from the sale of personal belongings and borrowed from relatives and interested parties, Mozhaisky in the spring of 1882 completed the assembly of the aircraft.

According to contemporaries, the finished apparatus of Mozhaisky was a boat with wooden ribs. Rectangular wings were attached to the sides of the boat, slightly curved upwards.

The boat, wings and tail of the aircraft were covered with a thin silk fabric impregnated with varnish. The bindings of the wings were wooden (pine). The device stood on a chassis with wheels. Both of his cars were located at the front of the boat.

The aircraft had three four-bladed propellers and two rudders - horizontal and vertical.

The wingspan of the aircraft was about 24 m with a length of 15 m. The area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bearing surfaces was 371.6 sq.m. With a flight weight of about 950 kg, the payload of the aircraft was 300 kg.

The estimated flight speed did not exceed 40 km / h with a total power of 30 hp machines. from.

In the summer of 1882 the plane was ready for testing. For the takeoff of the aircraft, Mozhaisky built a special runway in the form of an inclined wooden deck. He decided that this sloping track would provide an opportunity to develop additional speed during the takeoff run of the aircraft, thereby increasing its lift.

Tests of the Mozhaisky aircraft were carried out in conditions of great secrecy.

On July 20, 1882, representatives of the military department and the Russian Technical Society gathered on the military field in Krasnoye Selo.

Mozhaisky himself was not allowed to fly, since at that time he was already 57 years old. The test of the aircraft in the air was entrusted to Mozhaisky's assistant - mechanic I.N. Golubev.

The plane, piloted by Golubev, having gained the necessary speed at the end of the run, took off and, after flying some distance in a straight line, sat down. During landing, the wing of the aircraft was damaged.

Despite this, Mozhaisky was pleased with the results of the test, since for the first time the possibility of human flight on an apparatus heavier than air was practically proven. It seemed that universal recognition and support from the government was now ensured.

However, in reality it turned out quite differently. The invention of A.F. Mozhaisky was declared a military secret, and it was strictly forbidden to write anything about the aircraft. As before, no help was provided to the inventor. Tsarist officials and foreigners in the Russian service did everything to ensure that not only the successes of the Russian inventor, but also his name were forgotten.

True to himself and his homeland, an enthusiast of science and a tireless worker, Mozhaisky immediately after the first tests began to improve the aircraft design he had created and designed new, more powerful machines for it.

These machines were ordered by the Baltic Shipyard. At that time, these were the lightest and most powerful steam engines with an air surface cooler for steam. Their total power (i.e. the power of two machines) was 50 hp. with a specific weight of 4.9 kg per 1 hp The Wright brothers only 20 years later managed to assemble a gasoline engine with approximately the same specific gravity per 1 hp.

In our time, even with vast experience and a large stock of theoretical knowledge, the work of an aircraft designer is still separated from the work of an engine designer. Mozhaisky had to be both at the same time. Nevertheless, he managed to build and test the aircraft, creating for it such engines that, in terms of technical indicators of that time, surpassed similar engines of foreign firms that were specially engaged in their design and manufacture.

While the machines were being manufactured, Mozhaisky made adjustments to the calculated data of his aircraft. Calculations showed that the design of the aircraft must be lightened and some of the old parts should be replaced with new ones.

After the calculations were clarified and a new aircraft project was developed, on January 21, 1883, Mozhaisky submitted it to the VII (aeronautical) department of the Russian Technical Society. At a specially convened meetings, chaired by M.A. Rykachev, Mozhaisky made a report about his new aircraft design and about all the work he had done.

For a detailed review of the new work of Rear Admiral retired Mozhaisky, a commission was created, which, in addition to representatives of the aeronautical department, included representatives from the II (mechanical) department of the Russian Technical Society. The commission, having familiarized itself with the results of the inventor's work, recognized it as desirable "that the VII department assist A.F. Mozhaisky - to complete his instrument and to carry out interesting experiments on an aircraft of such large dimensions." But the 7th department could not provide material assistance, and Mozhaisky was forced to turn again to the military ministry.

From the ministry he was answered that "the continuation of the testing of the apparatus invented by him was taken over by the imperial Russian technical society, to which the sum determined for this subject was assigned."

However, neither the inventor nor the Russian Technical Society received this amount.

As it has now become known, appropriations were not issued due to the interference and intrigues of the general staffs of foreign states, before which the tsarist government so zealously fawned.

In 1885, Mozhaisky submitted an application to the Main Engineering Directorate, in which he indicated that he had received new practical conclusions, "which represent an opportunity to make the presentation of the theory clearer and the calculations more definite" and asked not to refuse to issue funds for his work.

The commission, having considered the application of the inventor at its meeting on June 29, 1885, noted that it "does not see any reason to apply for an allowance to Mr. Mozhaisky."

A.F. Mozhaisky, using his insignificant means, continued to work on improving his apparatus until the last days of his life.

After the death of the inventor, his aircraft stood in the open air in Krasnoe Selo for many years and, after the military department refused to buy it, was subsequently dismantled and transported to the Mozhaisky estate near Vologda.

And if in France Ader's Avion III (an airplane with folding wings built in 1897) was preserved as a relic, then Russian officials, under pressure from foreigners, did everything to ensure that there was no trace of Mozhaisky's invention. Even the name of the inventor went unnoticed and unrecognized in Tsarist Russia.

Based on the experiments of A.F. Mozhaisky, Russian design engineers created in 1913 at the Baltic Plant in St. Petersburg a heavy aircraft "Russian Knight". Following him in 1914, a series of aircraft of the Ilya Muromets type of improved design was built. It was the world's first heavy multi-engine bomber with engines located in the wing. Exceptional in its qualities was the giant aircraft "Svyatogor", designed in 1915 by designer V.A. Slesarev.

Our people sacredly keep the memory of A.F. Mozhaisk - the ancestor of aviation. His name is written on the pages of history next to the names of the most talented people in our country who won the priority of national thought in various fields of science and technology.

People have dreamed of conquering the airspace for a long time. In past centuries, various aircraft were created. Subsequently, their designs, as well as some elements, began to be used in the development of more modernized aircraft. A little time passed when the first aircraft in the world was created.

Aviation history

George Cayley in the XVIII century created several scientific works on the topic "Construction of aircraft". In them, he spoke in detail about the capabilities of the prototypes of a modern aircraft.

Note. He observed birds. He measured their flight speed, height, and wingspan.

The American designer imagined the aircraft in the form of a boat with a tail. The movement of the entire structure was provided by oars. They transmitted rotation to the tail in the form of a cross, which was located at the end of the aircraft.

The history of aircraft construction began in 1842. At this time, William Henson received an order to develop an aircraft project. The designer created a propeller-driven aircraft. The propeller lifted the ship and also ensured its movement. It is worth noting that some of Henson's ideas are still used by modern aircraft designers.

The history of Russian-made aircraft began in the 20th century. Inventor N. A. Teleshov for the first time patented the project "Aeronautics Systems". Aircraft had to fly by means of a propeller and a steam engine.

A little later, the same designer proposed to create a jet aircraft. Development was carried out on the basis of his patented project. The aircraft was supposed to transport passengers in a closed aircraft body. Moreover, this device had to be reactive. After that, the rapid development of aviation technology began. Modern aircraft models amaze with their technical and flight characteristics.

The first aircraft in the world and Russia

The first person to invent the airplane in the whole world was Anthony Fokker. This event took place in 1910. He lifted the first de Spin into the sky. Unfortunately, the aircraft did not cover a long distance. He crashed into a tree. Fokker did not stop his experiments on this.

Anthony Fokker

In 1911, he created a company that already in 1915 produced the first fighter aircraft. It was thanks to this air machine that Germany managed to change the course of the First World War.

Aircraft characteristics:

1. The wingspan of the aircraft reached 8.53 m;
2. Fuselage length - 6.76 m, and height - 2.89 m;
3. The aircraft developed a cruising speed of 132 km/h.

Note. The company existed until 1996.

The first person who invented the plane in Russia was Alexander Mozhaisky. It happened in 1876. At that time, he was testing with a small boat on which wings were mounted. The secular press of that time was interested in an unusual building. It has been published in various publications.

Alexander Mozhaisky

This invention was not ignored by Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev. At that time, the scientist was known to the whole world. It was he who convinced the commission of the Main Engineering Directorate to sponsor the experiments.

Note. At that time, there was a skeptical attitude towards inventors of this kind in the country. For this reason, Mozhaisky failed to complete his experiments.

1881-1886 - the beginning of testing the aircraft. All attempts to hold out in the airspace as long as possible were unsuccessful. In 1890, the designer died without finishing his work. Many argue that if he had had more time and finances, modern aircraft would have appeared much earlier.

The first passenger aircraft

The man who laid the foundation for the creation of passenger aircraft was Alberto Santos-Dumont. Initially, he designed balloons and airships. In 1905, he completed work on the design of the first aircraft. Already in 1906, the designer made the first flight on an aircraft of his own production. The air car was named Oiseau de proie or 14-bis. In translation, this name means "Bird of Prey".

Alberto Santos-Dumont and his 14-bis

First flight characteristics:

• height - 2-3 m;
• range - 220 m;
• flight time - 22 seconds.

The aircraft was equipped with removable landing gear.

Looking at the aircraft design experience of the Wright brothers and Santos-Dumont, the Russian government decided to start its own developments in this area. The only nuance was that in Russia at that time there were no designers with experience in creating aircraft. Many of them have never seen these machines.

The first Russian aircraft that could fly several tens of meters without an accident was created by Alexander Kudashev, a professor at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. In 1910, he flew in an aircraft of his own production.

Igor Sikorsky adopted the experience of the designer Kudashev. He created the plane "Ilya Muromets". This is the first passenger aircraft to be equipped with partitions. They divided the salon into different compartments: a sleeping area, an entertainment compartment, a restaurant and a bathroom.

Designed by Igor Sikorsky

In 1913 a significant event took place. The plane took to the skies for the first time. A year later, a presentation flight took place. There were 16 passengers on board.

The first military aircraft

The aircraft, which managed to get off the ground, and also spend a small amount of time in the air, was the development of the Wright brothers. Orville and Wilbur designed it in 1900. The Wright Brothers' first plane was called the Flyer 1. Its first flight took place in 1903.

Wright brothers

The air car spent about 59 seconds in the air. In this short time, she flew 260 m. Already in 1904, the model was finalized. And a year later, the plane flew a distance of 39 km.

Aircraft characteristics:

• wingspan - 12 m;
• weight - 283 kg;
• power plant power - 9 kW;
• weight of the power plant - 77 kg.

The gasoline engine, which accelerated the car to the desired speed, was mounted on a wooden frame. The aircraft did not have a landing gear. Instead, they used a catapult to launch. She was equipped with a flight direction made of wood. The Wright brothers spent about $ 1,000 to create such an aircraft. USA.

jet planes

The idea of ​​creating a jet aircraft belongs to the inventor Teleshov. It was brought to life by the designer A. Coanda in 1910. Attempts to start the aircraft using the engine were unsuccessful.

Already in 1939, a jet aircraft was launched. The tests were carried out by the German company Heinkel. The prototype aircraft could reach high speed in a short time. He flew at an altitude of 60 meters.

Certain errors were made in the design:

• significant fuel consumption;
• wrong choice of power plant;
• constant need for refueling.

Due to the latter reason, the plane could not fly more than 50 km. The model was not released into mass production, as design errors were not corrected.

In 1946, a new jet-powered aircraft was developed. The achievement belongs to the American company Bell Aircraft. The Bell X-1 aircraft could fly at an altitude of 24400 m. It developed a speed of 2720 km / h.

Interesting fact! On this aircraft, 80 flights were made.

In 1949, the aircraft rose to a height of 7600 m and reached speeds of up to 273 km / h in 1 second.

supersonic aircraft

The Bell X-1 aircraft is rightfully considered supersonic. It was it that was equipped with an XLR-11 rocket engine. The aircraft reached supersonic speed in controlled flight.

The F-100 is considered to be the first US production fighter jet. He flew in 1953. The MiG19 became the first Russian-made supersonic fighter. He flew in 1952. Serial production of this model began in 1954.

F-100
MiG19

The first supersonic passenger aircraft was the domestic Tu-144. It was developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 60s. Another supersonic aircraft was the French Concorde. These aircraft have operated effectively for many years. After several unsuccessful flights, as well as the unprofitability of the program for their creation, the devices were withdrawn from the air fleets. Now these models are in storage.

Watch a video about how the plane was created

Russia approached World War I with the largest air fleet. But big things start small. And today we want to talk about the very first Russian aircraft.

Aircraft Mozhaisky

The monoplane of Rear Admiral Alexander Mozhaisky became the first aircraft built in Russia and one of the first in the world. The construction of the aircraft began with a theory and ended with the construction of a working model, after which the project was approved by the War Department. Steam engines designed by Mozhaisky were ordered from the English firm Arbecker-Hamkens, which led to the disclosure of the secret - the drawings were published in the journal Engineering in May 1881. It is known that the airplane had propellers, a fabric-covered fuselage, a wing covered with balloon silk, a stabilizer, elevators, a keel and landing gear. The weight of the aircraft was 820 kilograms.
The tests of the aircraft took place on July 20, 1882 and were unsuccessful. The airplane was dispersed on inclined rails, after which it rose into the air, flew several meters, fell on its side and fell, breaking its wing.
After the accident, the military lost interest in development. Mozhaisky tried to modify the airplane, ordered more powerful engines. However, in 1890 the designer died. The military ordered the plane to be removed from the field, and its further fate is unknown. Steam engines were stored for some time at the Baltic Shipyard, where they burned down in a fire.

Aircraft Kudashev

The first Russian aircraft to be successfully tested was a biplane designed by design engineer Prince Alexander Kudashev. He built the first gasoline-powered aircraft in 1910. On tests, the airplane flew 70 meters and landed safely.
The mass of the aircraft was 420 kilograms. The wingspan covered with rubberized fabric is 9 meters. The Anzani engine installed on the aircraft had a power of 25.7 kW. On this plane, Kudashev managed to fly only 4 times. During the next landing, the airplane crashed into a fence and broke.
After Kudashev designed three more modifications of the aircraft, each time lightening the design and increasing the power of the engine.
"Kudashev-4" was demonstrated at the first Russian International Aeronautical Exhibition in St. Petersburg, where it received a silver medal from the Imperial Russian Technical Society. The aircraft could reach speeds of 80 km / h and had a 50 hp engine. The fate of the airplane was sad - it was smashed at aviators' competitions.

"Russia-A"

The biplane "Russia-A" was released in 1910 by the "First All-Russian Association of Aeronautics".
It was built on the basis of Farman's airplane design. At the III International Automobile Exhibition in St. Petersburg, he received a silver medal of the Military Ministry and was bought by the All-Russian Imperial Aero Club for 9 thousand rubles. A curious detail: up to this point, he had not even risen into the air.
From the French aircraft "Russia-A" was distinguished by a high-quality finish. Wings and plumage were covered with double-sided, the Gnome engine had 50 hp. and accelerated the plane to 70 km / h.
Flight tests were carried out on August 15, 1910 at the Gatchina airfield. And the plane flew over two kilometers. A total of 5 copies of "Russia" were built.

"Russian Knight"

Biplane "Russian Knight" became the world's first four-engine aircraft designed for strategic reconnaissance. The history of heavy aviation began with him.
The designer of the Vityaz was Igor Sikorsky.
The aircraft was built at the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works in 1913. The first model was called "Grand" and had two motors. Later, Sikorsky placed four 100 hp motors on the wings. every. In front of the cockpit was a platform with a machine gun and a searchlight. The aircraft could lift 3 crew members and 4 passengers into the air.
On August 2, 1913, the Vityaz set a world flight duration record - 1 hour 54 minutes.
"Vityaz" crashed at the competition of military aircraft. The engine fell out of the flying Meller II and damaged the plane of the biplane. They did not restore it. On the basis of the Vityaz, Sikorsky designed a new aircraft, the Ilya Muromets, which became the national pride of Russia.

"Sikorsky S-16"

The aircraft was developed in 1914 by order of the Military Department and was a biplane with an 80 hp Ron engine, which accelerated the C-16 to 135 km / h.
The operation revealed the positive qualities of the aircraft, mass production was started. At first, the S-16 served to train pilots for the Ilya Muromets, in World War I it was equipped with a Vickers machine gun with a Lavrov synchronizer and used for reconnaissance and escorting bombers.
The first air combat of the S-16 took place on April 20, 1916. On that day, ensign Yuri Gilsher shot down an Austrian aircraft from a machine gun.
C-16 quickly fell into disrepair. If at the beginning of 1917 there were 115 aircraft in the “Squadron of Airships”, then by the autumn there were 6 of them left. The remaining aircraft came to the Germans, who handed them over to Hetman Skoropadsky, and then went to the Red Army, but some of the pilots flew to the Whites. One C-16 was included in the aviation school in Sevastopol.

The history of St. Petersburg inside out. Notes on the margins of urban chronicles Sherikh Dmitry Yurievich

Did Mozhaisky's plane fly over Russian soil?

Above the land of Russia

Did Mozhaisky's plane fly?

Many Petersburgers are convinced that the world's first manned aircraft was built and put into flight by Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky. What is the vaunted American Wright brothers, who launched their controlled airplane into the sky in 1903, if our fellow countryman managed to do the same two decades earlier? Particularly well-read citizens will surely remember the details of Mozhaisky's triumph: they will say that the first flight of the aircraft took place on the military field in Krasnoye Selo. Someone will add that the plane was piloted by mechanic Ivan Nikiforovich Golubev: they say that Mozhaisky himself was already 57 years old, which is why the flight was entrusted to his younger assistant.

Some may even quote the once popular poem by Mikhail Matusovsky:

Thunderstorms are available to us,

Mountain air of icy heights

Since that time, as over the land of Russia

The world's first plane took off.

And here is what was reported in 2003 on the pages of the Polytechnic newspaper of our Polytechnic University: “The plane flew over 100 fathoms (200 m) at an altitude of 1.5–2 fathoms (3–4 m). There were several flights. In one of them, the plane lost stability and caught the wing on the ground. The tests have been stopped." So there was nothing to be surprised when, at the end of 2009, a deputy of the city Legislative Assembly, an outstanding skier Lyubov Yegorova, advocating for awarding the city of Lomonosov the status of “City of Military Glory”, included the following argument: “near Oranienbaum, the world’s first plane took off , designed by A.F. Mozhaisky.

However, here's the problem: Mozhaisky's plane did not actually fly.

It was built, but failed to rise into the air.

And this is a fact.

Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky was a great enthusiast of aircraft heavier than air. A hereditary military sailor, the son of an admiral, he also gave the first half century of his life to the sea. He was educated in the Naval Cadet Corps, sailed on the Baltic and White Seas, visited the Far East, participated in patrolling the approaches to the Gulf of Finland during the Crimean War. For some time he was dismissed, but then he returned to the fleet again: he began to teach a course of naval practice in his native cadet corps. He eventually rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.

Mozhaisky began to think about flights while still in the service. He constantly watched birds, as did the Wright brothers many years later. “The ability to soar is not the same for all birds,” wrote Alexander Fedorovich. “It is easy to see that birds with a large wing area with a light body soar better than relatively heavier birds with small wings.”

After retiring, he was able to devote all his time to his beloved work. At first, he built kites and even flew them into the air. Academician Aleksei Nikolaevich Krylov wrote in his memoirs: “Alexander Fedorovich decided to work on the issue of flying on vehicles heavier than air. He began by flying a kite. He was probably one of the pioneers of this business. He built a kite, harnessed a troika to it, ordered it to be driven, as they say, with three whips, and he himself rose into the air on this kite. Successful or not, I can’t say, but in any case, when I knew him, he limped and walked, leaning on a hefty club, so that no one dared to ask him if this was the result of his flying on a kite.

Ironic, however, was Alexei Nikolaevich!

Then Mozhaisky built a model aircraft with the affectionate name "Letunya" - successfully flying at speeds up to 15 kilometers per hour and even lifting a small load with it. After that, it was the turn of a full-size aircraft. In November 1881, Mozhaisky received a patent (“privilege”) for an “aeronautical projectile” of his own design, and then proceeded to build it. Surprisingly, the constructed apparatus had all the main structural elements of a modern aircraft - the fuselage and engines, bearing surfaces and tail, landing gear. Whatever happened with the flight, this alone guarantees Mozhaisk a place among the outstanding designers.

Alas, this was the end of Mozhaisky's successes. The steam engines of his apparatus were too weak, the materials used were not always suitable. Preparation for the tests was delayed; at least in 1883 they were spoken of in the future tense. The exact date of testing the Mozhaisky airplane is unknown, but most likely it was July 1885. The plane accelerated up the wooden rails, jumped into the air, but immediately rolled over and fell, breaking the wing. It was the end of a bold plan. What happened could still be called the first takeoff of an airplane with a person on board, but the first controlled flight - alas, no.

A.F. Mozhaisky

How did the story that Mozhaisky's plane managed to fly? For the first time, vague statements on this score flashed in the periodical press of the early 20th century, when the success of aviation drew attention to this kind of human activity. And at the time of the Stalinist struggle against cosmopolitanism, the image of the Russian inventor was raised to the shield. Then, in all areas of knowledge, domestic priorities were pressed against, even if they did not actually exist.

What happened next was a matter of propaganda technique. As if by magic, there were eyewitnesses who saw the flight of the plane with their own eyes. An old-timer of Krasnoye Selo, Pyotr Vasilyevich Naumov, shared colorful childhood memories in 1949: “A wonderful car with large wings, like a bird, stood on a wooden deck. Around her bustled people in marine clothes. Everyone was waiting for something extraordinary to happen. An outlandish bird with huge wings suddenly made a great noise, some crosses spun in front of it, and it moved, ran along the wooden flooring, and then took off from the ground and rose into the air. There was no end to the surprise. Everyone was shouting enthusiastically, but most of all the boys.

Mozhaisky plane drawing

To consolidate the effect, the following words were added to Naumov’s memoirs: “I heard that the Americans claim that they were the first to build an airplane in the world. Sheer lies! American inventors became known at least twenty years later, when Mozhaisky's plane was built. It is evident that this is not the first time for gentlemen from America to assign the championship of Russian inventors.

In the same 1949, a simple Russian assistant, Ivan Nikiforovich Golubev, was promptly and politically competent to join the nobleman Mozhaisky. How can it be without the people in such an important matter? And now, at the end of the year, the most popular magazine in the USSR, Ogonyok, published an essay under the proud title "Ivan Golubev - the first pilot in the world," which told about a young peasant in the Kaluga province, who had an "inquisitive mind and dexterity," who worked "a lot and selflessly" and often made "design improvements" to aircraft under construction. The legendary day itself was described in Ognikov's article: “The weather favored the flight. It was quiet and sunny. It seemed that nature itself blessed brave people for a feat.

At noon, representatives of the Ministry of War, famous aeronauts and scientists gathered on the field of Krasnoye Selo. Mozhaisky and Golubev examined the car for the last time. The inventor, making sure that everything was in order, firmly shook Ivan Nikiforovich's hand.

Golubev took the pilot's seat. The engines rumbled, the propellers spun, and the plane rolled along the sloping wooden deck, made for easy takeoff. The speed of movement gradually increased, and finally the plane smoothly took off from the ground.

Those present shouted "Hurrah" to the creator of the aircraft and the world's first pilot.

The plane flew several hundred meters and descended. One of the first to run up to the car was Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky. He hugged Golubev tightly and kissed him three times, according to the Russian custom.

Ivan Nikiforovich got up from the pilot's seat and said loudly:

The Russians will fly!

However, Mozhaisky ran fast, according to Ogonyok! Even too fast for a lame man leaning on a "hefty club." However, the propagandists did not care about the little things. The main thing for them was to create an impressive image of the Russian inventor. The famous writer and front-line pilot Anatoly Markusha recalled another trifle: “Suddenly, overnight, a portrait of a stern bearded man appeared in all aviation institutions, educational institutions, office rooms,” and then it turned out that even though it was Mozhaisky, it was not an admiral and not a designer, but a merchant. The portraits were hastily replaced with true ones - those where Alexander Fedorovich was depicted without a beard, although with luxurious sideburns. "Shaved!" then the wits joked.

The canonical version of the flight, which supposedly happened in the summer of 1882, was formulated by Semyon Arkadyevich Vishenkov, the author of three books about Mozhaisk published in 1950-1952. Here is a picture of a historical triumph according to one of his books: “The even and light breeze that had been blowing since morning changed its direction, became gusty.

After waiting for the wind to subside somewhat, Mozhaisky gave the command.

Golubev moved the control sticks. The screws turned faster. The apparatus started off and, accelerating its run, rushed along the wooden flooring. Here is the apparatus at the edge of the runway, and suddenly a loud “Hurrah” is heard. The wheels have come off the floor. The car is in the air.

Mozhaisky, forgetting his age, ran after the plane. His assistants and friends rushed after Alexander Fedorovich.

Golubev flies over the field. Already near the shore of the lake. The mechanic slows down. Wheels touch the ground. Suddenly a sharp gust of wind lifts the right wing, the left touches the ground. Mozhaisky freezes in place, his legs give way ... But the plane immediately levels off, bouncing over bumps, and runs on. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

At the same moment, Mozhaisky falls into someone's arms. They hug him, shake hands with each other, congratulate him on his victory. Everyone greets Golubev just as warmly.

- This is a great victory! thunders Professor Alymov. “This is a brilliant proof of the correctness of your principle!

- This is amazing! - congratulates Bogoslovsky. “I am happy that I have lived to see the day that mankind has always dreamed of. With all my heart, on behalf of the patriots of Russian aeronautics, I congratulate you on your great success.

Tears of joy rolled down the face of Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky. Golubev was excited no less than his teacher and friend.

So the "truth" about the flight of Mozhaisky became the property of the general Soviet public. Scientists also pulled themselves up: specialists from the Moscow Aviation Institute named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze quickly proved that “Mozhaisky’s aircraft was calculated correctly and could take off independently even from a horizontal surface, even in the worst conditions - with complete calm” (I quote from Viktor Yakovlevich Krylov’s book “Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky ”, published in 1951 in the popular ZhZL series).

There was nowhere for these specialists to go.

But in the late 1970s, on the centenary of the Mozhaisky airplane, scientists from the N.E. Zhukovsky and the Central Research Aerodynamic Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky conducted a really thorough study of his model - both by calculations and in wind tunnels. And the conclusion was unanimous and unequivocal: horizontal flight was impossible due to insufficient thrust.

This conclusion is fully consistent with the words of Academician Krylov that it was “impossible” to fly on an airplane built by Mozhaisky.

And with historical facts too.

There was no flight, and that's it.

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