Kalinin, Konstantin Alekseyevich.
(1887-1938)
WWI and Russian Civil War aviator and USSR aircraft designer.
70 years ago, 22 Oct 1938 shot in the back of the head in the corridor of NKVD prison in Voronezh.
His de-facto death warrant "rasstrelny spisok" (list for execution) preceding the warrant de-jure, was signed by Stalin, Molotov, Zhdanov.
He was No.18 in the list of 52 persons. There were many lists like that one.
This Novaya Gazeta article can be translated pretty well by Google Translate and I add some interesting points below.
Как стране ломали крылья
Born in Warsaw.
Started military career in 1907. First flights (as observer) in Russia's Far East - Russkiy Island near Vladivostok.
1914-1915 artillery officer.
1916 - student of Flight School in Gatchina. May 1916 - first flights as a pilot. Farman MF.7, Farman HF.20, some other French models.
Oct 1916 - back to the front lines, now as the aviator at Romanian Front. Commander of aviaotryad (wing). Successful bombing of the bridge on Bystritsa river. Implemented radio for artillery coordination operations.
Awarded by the Order of Saint Anna and the Order of Saint Stanislaus.
1918-1919 - commanding positions in UNA (Ukrainian People's Army).
1920-1922 in the Red Army. Civil career in USSR since 1923.
1925 - first aircraft designed K-1.
1928-1929 - K-4 and K-5. K-5 remained workhorse of Aeroflot domestic lines until 1940s.
1931 - start of K-7 project. Not completed and terminated in 1935.
Extensive article (in Russian): Калинин К-7
In English: Wayback Machine
Other less known aircraft:
K-3 for medical evacuation.
K-6 postal, with potential of conversion to a bomber.
K-9 for agriculture (with detachable wings). Remained experimental.
K-10, K-11. Not produced.
K-12 bomber with bezkhvostka tailless design. Production terminated after Kalinin's arrest. All a/c scrapped.
K-13 bomber. Prototype built. Lost competition to Ilyishin's DB-3, not accepted by VVS. One can speculate that with other engines available the K-13 could be better then Ilyishin's bomber... another "what if".
K-14 passenger modification of K-13. Not built.
Designs only, no prototypes, 1936-1938:
K-15 jet (rocket?) fighter:
Калинин К-15
Google Image Result for https://kpi.ua/files/images/826-5_3.jpg
Kalinin K-15
https://bit.ly/2q2tFMo
K-16 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
K-17 long range bomber (tailless design, probably similar to K-12 but larger and with 4 engines).
Allegedly, Konstantin Kalinin has been invited to USA by Igor Sikorsky at least twice. When Sikorsky died in 1972, academician Ivan Artobolevsky said: "There were two great aircraft designers, Igor Sikorsky and Konstantin Kalinin. The former was recognised as national hero in America, the latter remained unknown among us.".
More articles.
In Russian:
Прерванный полет: Константин Калинин, его жизнь и самолеты
ОКТЯБРЬСКОЕ ПОБОИЩЕ 1938 ГОДА
Самолеты Константина Калинина: опережая время
In Ukrainian:
Перерваний політ: Костянтин Калінін, його життя і літаки
There were articles in Mar and Apr 1989 issues of Air Pictorial about Kalinin and K-12, written by Lennart Andersson. I have no subscription so not able to read them.
Probably the only monument (Polytechnic University campus, Kyiv, Ukraine):
https://bit.ly/2CWPoOn
https://bit.ly/2EATFJ0
https://bit.ly/2yPBUzq
(1887-1938)
WWI and Russian Civil War aviator and USSR aircraft designer.
70 years ago, 22 Oct 1938 shot in the back of the head in the corridor of NKVD prison in Voronezh.
His de-facto death warrant "rasstrelny spisok" (list for execution) preceding the warrant de-jure, was signed by Stalin, Molotov, Zhdanov.
He was No.18 in the list of 52 persons. There were many lists like that one.
This Novaya Gazeta article can be translated pretty well by Google Translate and I add some interesting points below.
Как стране ломали крылья
Born in Warsaw.
Started military career in 1907. First flights (as observer) in Russia's Far East - Russkiy Island near Vladivostok.
1914-1915 artillery officer.
1916 - student of Flight School in Gatchina. May 1916 - first flights as a pilot. Farman MF.7, Farman HF.20, some other French models.
Oct 1916 - back to the front lines, now as the aviator at Romanian Front. Commander of aviaotryad (wing). Successful bombing of the bridge on Bystritsa river. Implemented radio for artillery coordination operations.
Awarded by the Order of Saint Anna and the Order of Saint Stanislaus.
1918-1919 - commanding positions in UNA (Ukrainian People's Army).
1920-1922 in the Red Army. Civil career in USSR since 1923.
1925 - first aircraft designed K-1.
1928-1929 - K-4 and K-5. K-5 remained workhorse of Aeroflot domestic lines until 1940s.
1931 - start of K-7 project. Not completed and terminated in 1935.
Extensive article (in Russian): Калинин К-7
In English: Wayback Machine
Other less known aircraft:
K-3 for medical evacuation.
K-6 postal, with potential of conversion to a bomber.
K-9 for agriculture (with detachable wings). Remained experimental.
K-10, K-11. Not produced.
K-12 bomber with bezkhvostka tailless design. Production terminated after Kalinin's arrest. All a/c scrapped.
K-13 bomber. Prototype built. Lost competition to Ilyishin's DB-3, not accepted by VVS. One can speculate that with other engines available the K-13 could be better then Ilyishin's bomber... another "what if".
K-14 passenger modification of K-13. Not built.
Designs only, no prototypes, 1936-1938:
K-15 jet (rocket?) fighter:
Калинин К-15
Google Image Result for https://kpi.ua/files/images/826-5_3.jpg
Kalinin K-15
https://bit.ly/2q2tFMo
K-16 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
K-17 long range bomber (tailless design, probably similar to K-12 but larger and with 4 engines).
Allegedly, Konstantin Kalinin has been invited to USA by Igor Sikorsky at least twice. When Sikorsky died in 1972, academician Ivan Artobolevsky said: "There were two great aircraft designers, Igor Sikorsky and Konstantin Kalinin. The former was recognised as national hero in America, the latter remained unknown among us.".
More articles.
In Russian:
Прерванный полет: Константин Калинин, его жизнь и самолеты
ОКТЯБРЬСКОЕ ПОБОИЩЕ 1938 ГОДА
Самолеты Константина Калинина: опережая время
In Ukrainian:
Перерваний політ: Костянтин Калінін, його життя і літаки
There were articles in Mar and Apr 1989 issues of Air Pictorial about Kalinin and K-12, written by Lennart Andersson. I have no subscription so not able to read them.
Probably the only monument (Polytechnic University campus, Kyiv, Ukraine):
https://bit.ly/2CWPoOn
https://bit.ly/2EATFJ0
https://bit.ly/2yPBUzq
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