Soviet MiG fighters are known all over the world. Why are they called that and who is the aircraft designer who invented these aircraft? Artem Mikoyan (1905-1970) - Soviet aircraft designer, brother of the famous political figure of the USSR Anastas Mikoyan - and aircraft design engineer Mikhail Gurevich are the creators of these fighters. And their name came from the merger of the first letters of the names of the authors with the union "I". In the article we will talk about the life and work of the first of them. Readers will be interested to know how Artem Ivanovich Mikoyan became an aircraft designer.
Life Story: Childhood
In 1905, in the distant mountain village of Sanahin, which was located in the Borchalin district of the Tiflis province, part of the Russian Empire (today Sanahin is a district of the city of Alaverdi, Armenia), a boy was born, who was named Anushavan. His family had many children: he was the youngest child of the carpenter Hovhannes Nersesovich Mikoyan, who worked at the local copper smelter, and Talida Otarovna -housewives. Older children also participated in the upbringing of the baby, especially brother Anastas - in the future a well-known political, party and statesman of the USSR. So, Mikoyan Artem Ivanovich - an aircraft designer - spent his childhood in the mountains, where he liked to watch the flight of eagles soaring high in the sky. From the age of 5, he helped the elders graze goats and accompanied the herd to the mountains.
Education
Artem Mikoyan received his primary education at the rural school of Sanahin, which was located in the ancient Christian monastery of the same name, the center of Armenian culture in the region. After the sudden death of the father of the family, Talida Otarovna decided to send her youngest son to the parish Armenian school in the city of Tiflis. He graduated in 1918. After that, he returned to his native village and, like his older brother, became interested in revolutionary activities, joined the Komsomol and was even appointed head of the local Komsomol cell. A few years later, Anastas Mikoyan received the post of secretary of the South-Eastern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Immediately after the appointment, he calls his younger brother to his place in Rostov.
Work activity
Having moved to Russia, Artem Mikoyan entered the factory school "Red Aksai", where he began to study as a turner, and then got a job at a local factory. Then he got into the railway workshops. For a while he honed his skills, but he realized that this could not be his calling.
In a word, Artem Mikoyan, whose biography is presented inthis article, thirsted for knowledge and, in order to get it, decided to go to Moscow. Here he got a job at the Dynamo plant, the very first electrical engineering enterprise in the USSR. It was here that he changed his name Anushavan to Artem, and his patronymic Ovanesovich to Ivanovich.
He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even find time to enter any university. But at the plant, he received a different, vital education and gained valuable experience in all respects. In Moscow, Artyom rented a corner from the janitor and literally slept under the washbasin.
At that time, his elder brother Anastas already held a high position in the government of the country, but the younger did not allow himself to turn to him with a request to provide him with housing. This was not accepted in their family: everyone strove for independence and did not annoy the other with requests. Artyom just wrote to Anastas that he was in Moscow, got a job and everything was fine with him.
Serving in the army
At the end of 1928, A. Mikoyan was drafted into the Red Army and was sent to the city of Livny, and then, to his own pleasure, was sent to the Ivanovo-Voznesensk Military School in the city of Orel. After completing his military service, he was offered to stay at the school and receive a military education, but he refused this and returned to his previous studies. But this time already at the Kompressor plant.
Vocation
From this plant, he was already able to enter the Air Force Academy, named after N. Zhukovsky. Finally he came close to his dreamof his childhood. During the First World War, a French plane made an emergency landing in his native village. The village boys, among whom was Anushavan, ran to look at the giant bird-car. Little Anush (as his relatives called him for short) watched in fascination as the French mechanic dug into the flying machine, and even ventured to get closer. And he, seeing the burning eyes of the boy, called him closer and allowed him to look at the "insides" of the miracle bird.
Until he got to the Air Force Academy, the dream of airplanes did not leave him. And now he is already a student of the only educational institution in the country where you can learn the profession of aviation engineers. Being a third-year student of the academy, Artem Mikoyan once again confirmed his desire: an aircraft designer is the speci alty that he wants to do all his life. In 1935 he had an industrial practice at the University of Kharkov. Here, for the first time, he was included in the design bureau, and he was able to take part in the process of designing an aircraft, moreover, an experimental model of KhAI-1.
Independent work: debut as a constructor
Upon his return from Kharkov, Artem Mikoyan had a burning desire to start his own project - the manufacture of a new aircraft using an old aircraft engine, which was given to him by engineer Shitikov. Together with his friends Pavlov and Samarin, Artem designed a model of a sports aircraft. However, beyond this theyWe were able to go because there was no money or equipment. But they submitted the drawings of this aircraft to the all-Union competition held by Osoaviahim. To the delight of the guys, their project was recognized as the best, and in this regard, the jury decided to give young designers the opportunity to build demonstration copies of this flying machine.
Private life
The end of the 30s was successful for Mikoyan not only in terms of career, but also on the personal front. He met the beautiful girl Zoya Lisitsina at the birthday party of his friend Gevorg Avetisyan. Between them, sympathy began, which later grew into love. After his family approved his choice, Artem Oganesovich married Zoya Ivanovna, and then the young family was allocated a room in a communal apartment on Kirov Street. There Talida Otarovna moved to live with them. Later, in his memoirs, Anastas Mikoyan wrote about his daughter-in-law that she fit perfectly into their Armenian family, was very kind and accommodating, and respected Armenian traditions. By the way, she was a TASS employee.
Further activities
A. Mikoyan, after graduating from the university, was sent as a researcher to the design bureau. The well-known aircraft designer Nikolai Polikarpov became its leader. He was already familiar with the aircraft modeled by Mikoyan, which had already been built by that time, was called "Oktyabrenok" and was used for training purposes in Osoaviakhim. He viewed Artyom as a promising aircraft designer and includedhim to the group working on the I-15 fighter.
Polikarpov soon realized that Mikoyan could be entrusted not only with the process of improving existing models, but also with the development of new ones. It was in this group that Artem Ivanovich met Gurevich, who would later become a co-author of the world-famous MiGs. However, work on them began only after A. Mikoyan was appointed head of the design bureau of plant No. 1 of Osoaviakhim. It was here that he was able to fully work on the implementation of his plans.
Artem Mikoyan: MiG is the best of the best
What he managed to create was a real breakthrough in the history of Soviet aviation. The MiG-1 was the first aircraft ever to be tested full-scale in a wind tunnel. And this meant that the time of flight tests could be significantly reduced, and the dynamics of the aircraft could be significantly improved. And all this was stated during the first flight. All testers came to the general opinion that this aircraft surpasses all previously existing ones in terms of its performance. However, Artem Mikoyan - an aircraft designer (you can see his photo in the article) - did not limit himself to what had already been created and soon developed a more advanced model, which was called the MiG-3. It was he who became the most massive aircraft in Soviet aviation.
The Great Patriotic War
Nevertheless, during the war it turned out that our MiGs were inferior to German aircraft in some respects. And then Mikoyan set about improving the invented by himaircraft. In 1942, he already offers a more powerful aircraft model with an AM-29 engine. Despite the fact that she was recognized as the best, Mikoyan himself realized that piston aircraft had no future and something completely new had to be invented. And then he came to the conclusion that Soviet aviation needed aircraft with jet engines. However, he managed to realize this plan only after the end of the war, although their developments were made in difficult war days. In 1946, the MiG-9 he built became the first mass-produced jet fighter of the USSR.
In peacetime
In 1947, Mikoyan created another model - the MiG-15. Its tests were carried out in Korea during the fighting in 1950-1953. He was recognized as the best fighter of the 40s. And it was not only in the improved engine, but also in the swept shape of the wings. A clear advantage of this aircraft was also the pilot's ejection seat. For a long time, the MiG-15 remained the main aircraft of the USSR Air Force. It became known as the "soldier plane".
As a conclusion
Following years A. Mikoyan developed new and more advanced aircraft models. His name became known all over the world. The last model he developed was the MiG-21, although the MiG-25, based on his designs, set a world record in 1975 that has not yet been broken. Artem Mikoyan retired with the rank of Colonel General. Twice he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. The outstanding aircraft designer died in December 1970. On thea memorial plaque was installed on the wall of the house where he lived.
