Ilyushin, Sergei Vladimirovich

SUBJECT AREA: Aerospace

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b. 30 March 1894 Dilyalevo, Vologda, Russia

d. 9 February 1977 Moscow, Russia

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Russian aircraft designer.

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In 1914 he joined the Russian army, later transferring to the air service and gaining his pilot's licence in 1917. After fighting in the Red Army during the Civil War, he entered the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy in Moscow in 1922, graduating four years later. He joined the Engineering Technical Corps of the Red Air Force as a designer and eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General. His first design success was the 1936 DB-3 two-engined bomber, which broke several world air records. In April 1938 he was injured in a forced landing that resulted in a permanently scarred forehead. His most significant design contribution during 1939ö45 was undoubtedly the Il-2 Stormovik ground-attack aircraft. This entered service in 1941 and was distinguished by the high degree of armoured protection afforded to the crew, enabling them to operate at very low levels above ground. It was also increasingly well armed and was known by the Germans as der schwarze Tod (Black Death). After the war Ilyushin concentrated primarily on four-engined airliners, producing the Il-12 (1946), Il-14 (1954) and Il-18 (1957), but also designed the Soviet Union's first jet bomber, the Il-28. In 1948 he became Professor at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy.

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Principal Honours and Distinctions

Deputy to the Supreme Soviet 1937. Hero of Socialist Labour 1941, and two further awards of this. Order of Lenin. Winner of seven Stalin Prizes.

CM