Genrikh Novozhilov facts for kids
Genrikh Vasilevich Novozhilov (Russian: Ге́нрих Васи́льевич Новожи́лов; 27 October 1925 – 28 April 2019) was a famous Soviet and Russian aircraft designer. He was a very important designer for many Ilyushin passenger planes. These included the Il-18, Il-62, Il-76, and Il-96.
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Early Life and Dreams
Genrikh Novozhilov was born in Moscow, Soviet Union, on 27 October 1925. His father was a military engineer, and his mother was a servicewoman. They lived near Clean Ponds, and one of their neighbors worked with airplanes.
When Genrikh was young, he dreamed of becoming a pilot. But in September 1939, he had a serious leg injury. He needed many operations, and this meant he could no longer become a pilot. He later said that his leg was "plowed up from the knee to the foot."
Even though he couldn't fly, Genrikh had other interests. He loved photography, and some of his pictures were shown in an exhibition in 1939.
In 1941, during World War II, Genrikh and his mother moved away from Moscow for a while. They came back in August 1942. Genrikh then started working at the physics department of the Moscow Aviation Institute. A year later, he became a student there, studying how to build airplanes. This is where he first met Sergey Ilyushin, who was a very famous aircraft designer.
Becoming an Aircraft Designer
After finishing his studies, Novozhilov started an internship at OKB-240. This was the main design office led by Sergey Ilyushin. On 1 July 1948, he officially became a design engineer.
He helped design the Il-14 passenger plane. He also worked on military aircraft like the Il-40 attack plane and the Il-46 and Il-54 bombers. In his early years, Novozhilov focused on designing the main body of the planes, called the fuselage.
The Ilyushin design team often competed with another famous design team, Tupolev. Sometimes, Tupolev's designs were chosen over Ilyushin's. For example, the Tu-14 bomber was chosen instead of the Il-46. Novozhilov then became the lead engineer for the Il-54. However, the Il-54 project was also stopped by the government in the mid-1950s.
By the late 1950s, the Soviet Union was very focused on the Space Race. This meant that the Ilyushin design office almost closed down. In 1958, Novozhilov returned to engineering. He was made the deputy chief designer for the Il-18 passenger plane. He had to travel a lot and investigate plane accidents. This experience was very important for him and helped him become a better designer.
Leading Ilyushin's Success
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In 1964, Novozhilov became the first deputy general designer. His job was to lead the development and production of the Il-62 aircraft. He did such a good job that he received the Lenin Prize in 1970.
On 26 April 1971, Novozhilov received the title of Hero of Socialist Labour. This was a very high honor for his work during the country's five-year plan.
In mid-1970, Sergey Ilyushin, who was 77 years old, decided to retire. On 28 July, Genrikh Novozhilov was chosen to take his place as the general designer of the Ilyushin design bureau.
A major achievement under Novozhilov's leadership was the Il-76. This military transport aircraft began its test flights on 25 March 1971. Sergey Ilyushin was there to see it. The Il-76 became the most popular transport plane in the Soviet Union.
Since 1969, the design bureau had been working on the Il-86. This was the first wide-body passenger plane from Russia. There was a big need for planes that could fly long distances and carry many passengers. The government wanted it to fly at least 2,400 kilometers.
One day, Novozhilov was flying with the Aviation Industry Minister. He mentioned that his team was looking into making the Il-86 fly twice as far. The ministers immediately made him promise to design the new plane to fly 5,000 kilometers!
Novozhilov and his team created a completely new design for the Il-86. It could carry 350 passengers and fly the long distance required. The first test flight of the new Il-86 happened on 22 December 1976. After its success, Novozhilov quickly ordered more test flights.
Novozhilov also helped start the MAKS Air Show. He led the work on other important planes like the long-haul IL-96-300 and the Il-114 turboprop. After 2006, Novozhilov continued to work for Ilyushin as their Chief Science Adviser.
Achievements and Legacy
Novozhilov was a very respected scientist. He became a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1979 and a full member in 1984. His scientific work focused on how planes fly, how reliable complex structures are, and new ways to build machines.
He held about 150 patents for his different design ideas. On 23 June 1981, he received his second Hero of Socialist Labour award.
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Novozhilov also served in the government. He was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 1974 to 1989. He was also a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union starting in 1986.
Besides his two Hero of Socialist Labour awards, Novozhilov received many other state honors. He was given the Order of Lenin three times. He also received the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, the Order of the Badge of Honour, and the Order of Friendship of Peoples. Later, he received the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow and the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" in all three classes.
Genrikh Novozhilov married Lyudmila Ivanovna Lisina in 1966. They had a son, Sergey Genrikhovich, who also became an aircraft engineer. In his later years, Novozhilov enjoyed playing tennis and photography.
Genrikh Novozhilov passed away on 28 April 2019, at the age of 93. He was buried on 7 May at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery.
Images for kids
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The Il-62, one of the projects Novozhilov helped develop
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The Il-76, a major success for Ilyushin, overseen by Novozhilov
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The Il-86, the Soviet Union's first wide-body passenger aircraft, developed under Novozhilov
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Novozhilov with Vladimir Putin on 10 March 2016, receiving the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" First Class
