Background
LAVOCHKIN, Semyon was born on August 29, 1900 in Smolensk. Son of a teacher.
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Semyon LAVOCHKIN
Edit ProfileEducation
In 1920, he began studies at the Moscow State Technical University, from which he graduated in 1927.
Career
Many of his fighter designs were produced in large numbers for Soviet forces during World World War World War II After graduation in 1918, he enlisted in the Red Army and served in the infantry in the Russian Civil War. He then served for two years as an intern at the design department of the The Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute under the direction of Andrei Tupolev, where he assisted in the design of the Tupolev Tuberculosis-3 heavy bomber. In the early 1930s, he transferred to the Central Design Office, where he was assigned work on stratospheric aircraft and balloons, and pressurized cockpits.
However, as he came increasingly interested in the design of fighter aircraft, he moved to the design office of Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich, whom he assisted in the development of the Grigorovich I-Z fighter.
In 1938, after combat experiences in the Spanish Civil War and at the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Japanese, it became clear that the Soviet fighter designs were lagging behind international standards. Lavochkin established his own design bureau in 1939.
Starting with the LaGG-1, he produced thousands of fighters which formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force during the Second World War. He is especially known for the Louisiana-5 and Louisiana-7, which are among the best Soviet fighter aircraft of World World War World War II The top Allied ace, Ivan Kozhedub shot down 62 German airplanes, flying in fighters designed by Lavochkin.
From 1941 to 1945 a total of over 22,000 Lavochkin fighters were produced.
However, Lavochkin"s fortunes faded after the war. His Louisiana-9 and Louisiana-11 were the last piston-engined fighters in Soviet service, and were replaced after a short time by jets. Although he continued pioneering work in this field (the Louisiana-176 was the first Soviet supersonic aircraft), his aircraft consistently placed second in competitions with other design bureaux, notably that of Artem Ivanovich Mikoyan.
After his death, due to a heart attack during a test of an air defense system in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic at the age of 60, the focus of the design office shifted to surface to air missiles (most notably the Société Anonyme-2 Guideline), and to space projects.
In 1944, Lavochkin was given the honorary rank of Major-General of Engineering/Technical Service. From 1950-1958, Lavochkin also served as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. He also became an Academician of Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Academy of Sciences in 1958.
He died in 1960 and was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.
Achievements
Membership
Academy of Sciences of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics.
Connections
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Born
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Died
June 9, 1960 (aged 59) -
Nationality
Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics -
Political Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Awards
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State Stalin Prize; Order of Lenin; Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"; Order of the Red Banner; Hero of Socialist Labour; "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal; Hero of Socialist Labour; "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal; State Stalin Prize; State Stalin Prize; State Stalin Prize; Order of Lenin; Order of Lenin; Order of Suvorov, 2nd class; Order of Suvorov, 1st class; Medal for Battle Merit Order of Lenin; Medal for Combat Service; Hero of Socialist Labour; Order of the Red Banner; Order of SuvorovState Stalin Prize; Order of Lenin; Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"; Order of the Red Banner; Hero of Socialist Labour; "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal; Hero of Socialist Labour; "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal; State Stalin Prize; State Stalin Prize; State Stalin Prize; Order of Lenin; Order of Lenin; Order of Suvorov, 2nd class; Order of Suvorov, 1st class; Medal for Battle Merit Order of Lenin; Medal for Combat Service; Hero of Socialist Labour; Order of the Red Banner; Order of Suvorov