Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov (7 February 1906 – 4 April 1984) was a Soviet

aeroplane An airplane (American English), or aeroplane (Commonwealth English), informally plane, is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a vari ...

designer. He founded the Research and Design Bureau No. 153 (OKB-153) in

Novosibirsk Novosibirsk is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and the Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 1,633,595, making it the most populous city in Siber ...

, which was moved to Ukraine in 1952 and is now called Antonov in his honor. Antonov designed a number of Soviet

s (such as the

Antonov An-2 The Antonov An-2 (USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet Union, Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau beginning in 1947. I ...

, Antonov An-12) and numerous gliders for both civilian and military use.

Early life

Antonov was born on 7 February 1906 in Troitsy, Moscow Governorate,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(now Podolsky District of the

Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...

to a family of Russian ethnicity. In 1912, the Antonovs moved to

Saratov Saratov ( , ; , ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the List of cities and tow ...

, where he attended the non-classical secondary school (now gymnasium №1) and secondary school (now school №23). From an early age, Antonov was fascinated with aviation and spent much of his spare time at the local airfield.

Early engineering career

At the age of 17, Antonov founded the "Amateur Aviation Club" and later joined the "Organization of Friends of the Air Force". Later he designed the OKA-1 "Pigeon", a glider that was entered in a competition in Moscow where he won the first prize, a flight on a Junkers 12 aircraft. In 1930, Antonov graduated from the Kalinin Polytechnical Institute in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. He continued to design gliders and in 1931 Antonov became the chief designer at the Moscow Glider Factory. During the next eight years, he designed 30 different gliders including the Standard-1, Standard-2, OKA-6 and the large "City of Lenin" glider. Due to a requirement that all pilots in the Soviet Union had to begin their flight training in gliders, Antonov was able to produce up to 8,000 gliders per year. In 1938, after an incident when an instructor defected to the West using a glider, the Soviet government reversed its decision regarding glider training, banned the sport of gliding and shut down the Moscow Glider Factory.

Professional designer career and World War II

Following the closure of the glider factory in 1938, he unsuccessfully applied to enter Zhukovsky Air Academy the same year. He then in 1940 joined Yakovlev's Sportsplane Factory and there, after receiving two aircraft from Germany in June 1940, he was assigned to prepare the German Fi 156 Storch for production in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

. He was also tasked with designing an ambulance version of the aircraft. Antonov was appointed chief designer for the Yakovlev Design Bureau. In 1940 a new aircraft design bureau under his own management was established in Leningrad. The German invasion resulted in the closure of the plant and he was reassigned to work on the A-7 glider. The factory was later reorganised to produce A-7s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the A-7 was used for airbridge supply of the

Soviet partisans Soviet partisans were members of Resistance during World War II, resistance movements that fought a Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war against Axis powers, Axis forces during World War II in the Soviet Union, the previously Territories of Poland an ...

behind the front lines. Antonov also worked on the Antonov A-40 biplane glider that was designed to airlift tanks, but this project proved unsuccessful. In total during the war around 450 A-7s were produced. In 1943, Antonov returned to the Yakovlev design bureau to fill a vacancy as Yakovlev's first deputy designer. He was put in charge of Yak-3 and also of production at

. Much of his time and energy was devoted to the improvement of the Yak series, one of the most mass-produced

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...

types of World War II."Biography of Oleg K. Antonov."
''People’s Museum Press Service of Antonov ASTC'', Council of Antonov ASTC, © 2005. Retrieved: 25 May 2009.

Postwar career and establishment of the Antonov Design Bureau

After the war, Antonov requested that Yakovlev let him work independently, heading Yakovlev's subsidiary design office at the aircraft manufacturing factory at Novosibirsk. On 31 May 1946, Antonov was appointed head of the newly redesignated facility (subsequently known as the Antonov Research and Design Bureau), which was later moved to

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

. In September 1946, Antonov, in addition to his management of the design bureau, became the director of the Siberian R&D Institute for Aeronautics. The first of the Antonov Bureau's designs was the SKh-1 (Sel′sko Khozyaystvennyi- pervoy - agricultural-first one) agricultural aircraft, later redesignated An-2, designed to meet a 1947 Soviet requirement for a replacement for the

Polikarpov Po-2 The Polikarpov Po-2 (also U-2 before 1944, for its initial Glossary of Russian and USSR aviation acronyms: Aircraft designations, ''uchebnyy'', 'training', role as a flight instruction aircraft) was an all-weather multirole Soviet Union, Soviet b ...

which was used in large numbers as both an agricultural aircraft and a utility aircraft. Antonov designed a large single-bay

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

of all-metal construction, with an enclosed cockpit and a cabin accommodating 12 passengers. A series of significant transports followed under Oleg Antonov's direction. Antonov aircraft (design office prefix An-) range from a rugged An-2 (which itself is comparatively large for a biplane) through the An-28 reconnaissance aircraft to the massive An-124 Ruslan strategic airlifter. The quad-turboprop

An-12 The Antonov An-12 (Russian language, Russian: Антонов Ан-12; NATO reporting name: Cub) is a four-engined turboprop Cargo aircraft, transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10 and has ...

and its derivatives became the primary Soviet military transport from 1959 onward. While less well known, the An-24, An-26, An-30 and An-32 family of twin-

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

, high winged, passenger/cargo/troops aircraft predominate in domestic/short-haul air services in the former Soviet Union and parts of the world formerly under Soviet influence. Antonov also oversaw development of the mid-range An-72/An-74 jet airplanes family. The world's largest production aircraft, the An-124 Ruslan, flew for the first time in 1982, and its specialised shuttle-carrying/extra-heavy cargo derivative, the An-225 Mriya entered development, still under Antonov's guidance, but did not make its maiden flight until 1989 after his death. In November 2004, FAI placed the An-225 in the Guinness Book of Records for its 240 records. Some of Antonov's designs are also built abroad, such as the Shaanxi Y-8. In 1965 Antonov signed a petition in defense of Soviet dissident Ivan Dziuba.

Family

Antonov was married three times (to Elena Kochetkova, Yelyzaveta Shahatuni, and Elvira Antonova) and was the father of four children (Rolan, Anna, Elena, and Andrei).

Death

Oleg Antonov died 4 April 1984 in

, and was buried in Baikove Cemetery.

Honorary titles, awards and legacy

During his lifetime, Antonov was recognized as a

Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

, Academician of the Academy of Science of the Ukrainian SSR (1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966), and elected member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 5th, 6th and 7th

convocation A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a specia ...

s. Among numerous awards, Antonov received the State Award of the USSR in 1952 and Lenin Award in 1962. Antonov was decorated with three Orders of Lenin, the

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st class. A street in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

's Solomyanka neighborhood is named after Oleg Antonov. In 1999, Antonov was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the

San Diego Air & Space Museum The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California. It is located in Balboa Park (San Diego), Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building (San Diego), Ford Building, which is li ...

.Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. ''These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame''. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. . A coin was minted of copper nickel alloy in 2006 by the National Bank of Ukraine honoring Antonov. In addition, a silver proof coin was issued by the Bank of Russia to commemorate 100 years since Antonov's birth.

Notes

References

;Bibliography * Anisenko, Viktor G. ''O.K. Antonov: Versatility of Talent''. Aero Hobby PC. * Gordon, Yefim. ''Antonov An-2: Annushka, Maid of All Work-Red Star Volume 15''. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland, 2004. .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Antonov, Oleg Konstantinovich 1906 births 1984 deaths People from Saratov People from Podolsky Uyezd Nobility from the Russian Empire Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (Soviet Union) members Fifth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Sixth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Seventh convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Eighth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Ninth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Tenth convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Russian aerospace engineers Soviet aerospace engineers Soviet inventors Aircraft designers 20th-century Russian engineers Antonov Yakovlev Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University alumni Full Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Heroes of Socialist Labour Recipients of the Stalin Prize Recipients of the Lenin Prize Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Russian inventors