Semyon Lavochkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Semyon Alekseyevich Lavochkin
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| Born | 11 September 1900 |
| Died | 9 June 1960 (aged 59) Karagandy Province, Kazakh SSR, USSR
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| Nationality | Soviet Union (Russian) |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Aeronautical Engineering |
| Employer(s) | Lavochkin design bureau |
Semyon Alekseyevich Lavochkin (Russian: Семён Алексе́евич Ла́вочкин; born September 11, 1900 – died June 9, 1960) was a brilliant Soviet engineer who designed airplanes. He started his own company, the Lavochkin design bureau. During World War II, many of the fighter planes he designed were built and used by the Soviet military.
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A Life in Aviation
Semyon Lavochkin was born in Smolensk, a city in Russia. His parents were both teachers. After finishing school in 1918, he joined the Red Army. He served as a soldier during the Russian Civil War.
Becoming an Engineer
In 1920, Semyon began studying at the Moscow State Technical University. He graduated in 1927. After university, he worked for two years at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute. There, he helped design the Tupolev TB-3 heavy bomber. He worked with famous designers like Andrei Tupolev and Mikhail Gurevich.
In the early 1930s, Lavochkin moved to a different design office. He worked on planes that could fly very high. But he became more interested in designing fighter aircraft. He then joined Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich's team. He helped develop the Grigorovich I-Z fighter plane.
Designing Fighter Planes for World War II
By 1938, it was clear that Soviet fighter planes needed to be better. This was learned from battles like the Spanish Civil War. So, Lavochkin started his own design bureau in 1939.
Lavochkin's Famous Fighters
His first major design was the LaGG-1. From this start, he created thousands of fighter planes. These planes became very important for the Soviet Air Force during World War II.
Lavochkin is especially known for the La-5 and La-7. These were some of the best Soviet fighter planes of the war. A top Allied pilot, Ivan Kozhedub, shot down over 60 German planes while flying Lavochkin's fighters. Between 1941 and 1945, more than 22,000 Lavochkin fighters were built.
After the War: Jets and Rockets
After World War II, things changed for Lavochkin. His La-9 and La-11 were the last Soviet fighters to use piston engines. Jet engines were the future.
Pioneering Jet Technology
Lavochkin continued to work on new designs. His La-176 was the first Soviet aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound. However, his jet designs often came in second place. Another designer, Artem Mikoyan, often won the design competitions.
Moving to Rockets
By the end of World War II, the Soviet Union was also focusing on rockets. Lavochkin decided to start developing rocket systems. This led to projects like the SA-2 Guideline missile and the Burya cruise missile. The Burya was special because it was one of the first to use Titanium metal in its design.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1944, Lavochkin was given the special rank of Major-General. From 1950 to 1958, he also served as a deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This was a high political position. In 1958, he became a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Semyon Lavochkin passed away in 1960. He had a heart attack during a test of an air defense system. He was 59 years old. He was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
After his death, his design office focused on surface to air missiles, like the SA-2 Guideline. They also worked on space projects.
Awards and Honors
- Hero of Socialist Labour, twice (1943, 1956)
- Stalin Prizes;
- 1st class (1941, 1946, 1948)
- 2nd class (1943)
- Order of Lenin, three times
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of Suvorov 1st and 2nd classes
- Medal for Combat Service
