Kotelnikov Gleb Evgenievich - inventor of the parachute: biography, history of the invention. G

GLEB EVGENIEVICH KOTELNIKOV – INVENTOR OF THE FIRST KACK PARACHUTE On November 9, 1911, the world’s first was successfully tested backpack parachute RK-1, developed by Gleb Kotelnikov. Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov was born on January 30, 1872 in St. Petersburg in the family of a professor of mechanics and higher mathematics. The parents were fond of theater, and this hobby was instilled in their son. Since childhood, he sang, played the violin, and also liked to make various toys and models. In 1894, Gleb Kotelnikov graduated from Kiev military school, and after serving for three years compulsory service, went into reserve. He served as an excise official in the provinces, helped organize drama clubs, sometimes acted in plays, and continued to design. In 1910, Gleb returned to St. Petersburg and became an actor in the troupe of the People's House on the St. Petersburg Side (pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov). At the same time, impressed by the death of the pilot L.M. Matsievich, Kotelnikov began developing a parachute. Before Kotelnikov, pilots escaped with the help of long folded “umbrellas” attached to the plane. Their design was very unreliable, and they greatly increased the weight of the aircraft. Therefore, they were used extremely rarely. After spending successful tests of his invention in November 1911, in December of the same year Kotelnikov tried to register his invention - a free-action backpack parachute in Russia, but for unknown reasons he did not receive a patent. The parachute had a round shape and was placed in a metal backpack located on the pilot using suspension system. At the bottom of the backpack under the dome there were springs that threw the dome into the stream after the jumper pulled out the exhaust ring. Subsequently, the hard backpack was replaced by a soft one, and honeycombs appeared at its bottom for laying slings in them. This rescue parachute design is still used today. He made a second attempt to register his invention in France and on March 20, 1912 received patent No. 438,612. First, on June 2, 1912, Kotelnikov conducted demonstration tests of a parachute using a car. The car was accelerated, and Kotelnikov pulled the trigger strap. The parachute, tied to the tow hooks, instantly opened, and its braking force was transferred to the car, causing the engine to stall. On June 6 of the same year, parachute tests took place at the Gatchina Aeronautical School camp near the village of Salizi. On different heights ah, a mannequin weighing about 80 kg with a parachute was dropped from the balloon. All the throws were successful, but the Main Engineering Directorate of the Russian Army did not accept it into production because of the fears of the head of the Russian air force, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, that at the slightest malfunction the aviators would abandon the airplane. In the winter of 1912-1913, the RK-1 parachute designed by G.E. Kotelnikov was presented by the commercial firm Lomach and Co. to a competition in Paris and Rouen. On January 5, 1913, Ossovsky, a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, first jumped with the RK-1 parachute in Rouen from the 60-meter mark of the bridge spanning the Seine. The parachute worked brilliantly. The Russian invention has received recognition abroad. But the tsarist government remembered him only during the First World War. At the beginning of the war, reserve lieutenant G.E. Kotelnikov was drafted into the army and sent to automobile units. However, soon the pilot G.V. Alekhnovich convinced the command to supply the crews of multi-engine aircraft with RK-1 parachutes. Soon Kotelnikov was summoned to the Main Military Engineering Directorate and offered to take part in the manufacture of backpack parachutes for aviators. In 1923, Gleb Evgenievich created a new model of the RK-2 backpack parachute. Later, a model of the RK-3 parachute with a soft backpack appeared, for which a patent No. 1607 was received on July 4, 1924. In the same 1924, Kotelnikov made a cargo parachute RK-4 with a dome with a diameter of 12 m. This parachute could lower a load weighing up to 300 kg. In 1926, G.E. Kotelnikov transferred all his inventions to the Soviet government. In September 1949, the village of Salizi, where Kotelnikov’s parachute was first tested, was renamed Kotelnikovo. A modest monument depicting a parachute was erected not far from the training ground.

Forgotten pages of the Great War

Kotelnikov's parachute

Kotelnikov with a parachute

own invention

The word "parachute" consists of two words and translated from French literally means "against falling." In the summer of 1917, parachutes appeared in the active army.

It would seem that since the word is French, therefore the subject itself was invented in France. Although this rule does not always work. For example, the famous Olivier salad has a clearly French name, but was created in Russia. That's what happened with the parachute. The inventor of the first modern parachute was the self-taught Russian designer Gleb Kotelnikov. He patented his brainchild in 1912. Moreover, not only in Russia, but also in several European countries, in particular France. So there is no doubt about who owns the palm.

The first jump was also made by a Russian, a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Vladimir Ossovsky. He successfully parachuted into the French city of Rouen from a height of 60 meters in January 1913. Gleb Kotelnikov, a career officer in the Russian army who graduated from the Kiev Military School and retired after three years of service, did not invent the parachute for fun. In October 1910, during the All-Russian Aeronautics Festival, pilot Lev Matsievich died at the Kolomyazhsky airfield near St. Petersburg. He opened a sacrificial list in Russian aviation. The death of Matsievich in front of a crowd of thousands made a colossal impression, including on the actor of the troupe of the People's House on the Petrograd Side, Gleb Kotelnikov. The retired lieutenant suddenly realized that it was necessary to create a means of escape for pilots and other aeronauts. And he got down to business.

Gleb Kotelnikov with test dummy Ivan Ivanovich

The backpack parachute he created a year later was initially tested on dummies weighing 80 kg. And always successfully. However, official structures were in no hurry to accept and put the invention into production. They started from the statement of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, who oversaw the nascent aviation, the meaning of which was that the presence of life-saving equipment on board at the slightest malfunction would provoke the pilot to leave the plane. And airplanes purchased abroad are expensive... Typical in this sense is the reply from the head of the Electrical Engineering Department of the Main Engineering Directorate (GIU), Lieutenant General Alexander Pavlov (in many materials on this topic he is mistakenly called A.P. Pavlov, although in fact his name is - the patronymic of the general - Alexander Alexandrovich) wrote: “Returning the drawing and description of the automatically operating parachute of your invention, the State Administration notifies that the “ejector backpack” you invented does not in any way ensure the reliability of opening the parachute after throwing it out of the backpack, and therefore cannot be accepted as a rescue device... The experiments you carried out with the model cannot be considered convincing... In view of the above, the State Institution rejects your proposal.” It is curious that after about a month, General Pavlov retired. However, the general’s retrograde could have been a consequence of the instructions of the already mentioned Grand Duke. And it doesn’t matter that all the numerous tests carried out from a stationary and flying balloon and airplane showed the reliability of the design. If there was anything that caused criticism from experts, in particular, the first Russian aviator, later military pilot Mikhail Efimov, it was the weight of the backpack. With 15 kilograms on your back, movement in the cramped space of airplanes of that time was very difficult. The balloon baskets were also no different in terms of comfort.

Military pilot

Gleb Alekhnovich

World War I began, and Lieutenant Kotelnikov was drafted into the army and was sent to the Southwestern Front in the automobile troops. However, he was soon recalled to the rear. They remembered “above” about his parachute. And they finally decided to begin introducing the invention into the practice of aeronautical forces and aviation. They decided to start by providing parachutes for the crews of the Ilya Muromets heavy bombers. This decision was “pushed through” by military pilot Gleb Alekhnovich, commander of the Muromets-V crew. Kotelnikov was ordered 70 copies. The order was completed, but for two years the parachutes lay as dead weight. Military pilots did not use them. There was no order. Yes, and experience too.

Meanwhile, by mid-1916, the intensive use of tethered balloons began as observation points and artillery fire adjustments. From above, as they say, you can see better. This method of reconnaissance turned out to be effective, but also extremely dangerous. German fighters They hunted for balloons on both the Western and Eastern Fronts with particular passion. After the use of parachutes from the French company “Jucmes” near Verdun, which saved the lives of several observers, there was no longer any need to prove the relevance of using slings and silk. But the State Technical University (formerly the State University until 1913) acted according to the “good” Russian tradition: instead of using their own invention, which also proved its reliability, they preferred to purchase parachutes in France. For gold, of course. We purchased 200 pieces. Parachutes were also ordered for Kotelnikov, but their number was miniscule.

Inventor

aeronautical

parachute Georges Juquemes

Separately, regarding the Zhukmes parachutes. There is a version that this is the original invention of the famous European aeronaut Georges Jucmes. There is another one. After Kotelnikov’s backpack parachute was demonstrated in 1912 at an exhibition in France, representatives of the Zhukmes company became interested in it. Fortunately, the invention could be borrowed, since it was represented by the private Russian company Lomach and K, and not at all by official Russian structures. In any case, in terms of technical characteristics, the Zhukmes was inferior to the RK-1. In an attempt to simplify the design, the French brought the lines into one bundle behind the parachutist’s shoulders, which deprived him of any ability to maneuver and increased the risk of the fastening breaking. In Kotelnikov’s apparatus, the slings were divided into two bundles and placed on the shoulders, which made it possible to control movement in the air.

In May 1917, training of flight personnel to parachute jumps began. We studied both on the “jukmes” and on the Russian RK-1. So, for example, a report was placed on the desk of the commander of the Officer Aeronautical School, Lieutenant General Alexander Kovanko: “On May 12th (Old Art. – author’s note), experiments were carried out with Kotelnikov’s parachute. A scarecrow weighing 5 pounds was dropped twice from a height of 200 and 300 meters. Both times the parachute opened and the scarecrow smoothly sank to the ground. Then... Second Lieutenant Ostratov rose in the basket, who, putting on a parachute belt, jumped out of the basket from a height of 500 meters. The parachute did not open for about three seconds, and then it opened, and Ostratov landed quite safely on the ground. According to Second Lieutenant Ostratov, he did not feel any painful phenomena during the descent. I consider it necessary to bring to your attention such positive results of the parachute test. A safe parachute descent should give balloonists more confidence in parachutes.”

At the same time, there were jumps with a less advanced French apparatus behind them. For example, Lieutenant Anoshchenko of one of the aeronautical detachments took a risk, after which he summarized: “Now we firmly believe in parachutes, we believe that in a dangerous moment they will save us.” A day earlier, a similar attempt was made by Staff Captain Sokolov. He jumped from a height of 700 meters from the side of a balloon basket and landed without damage. Not all training jumps with “jukmes” ended successfully. In a short period, several balloonists died. Oddly enough, jumping statistics from that time have been preserved. 56 jumps were made with the jukmes. 41 were successful. In eight cases, the parachutists died, in seven they received various injuries. There were only five experienced jumps with RK-1 under my belt. And everything ended well. By the way, what does the abbreviation RK-1 mean? It’s very simple: “Russian Kotelnikov is the first.” It looked like this: a backpack in the form of a metal container with a hinged lid at the top, which was secured with a special belt. Inside the container there is a spiral spring and a plate, which, like a piston, pushed the laid dome with slings out of the container.

Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov died in 1944, having survived the Leningrad blockade. He was responsible for many inventions in the field of parachute construction. That’s why he rests at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow. In St. Petersburg, on the 14th line of Vasilievsky Island, there is a memorial plaque on the house in which the inventor lived in 1912-1941. And the village of Salizi near Gatchina, where the first tests of the RK-1 were carried out, was renamed in 1949 to Kotelnikovo.

Mikhail BYKOV,

especially for Polevaya Post

When an invention is brought almost to perfection, when it is accessible to almost any person, it seems to us that this object has existed, if not always, then for a long time. And if, say, this is not true in relation to a radio or a car, then in relation to a parachute it is almost so. Although what is called by this word today has a very specific date of birth and a very specific parent.

The world's first backpack parachute with a silk canopy - that is, the kind that is used to this day - was invented by the self-taught Russian designer Gleb Kotelnikov. On November 9, 1911, the inventor received a “certificate of protection” (confirmation of acceptance of a patent application) for his “rescue pack for aviators with an automatically ejectable parachute.” And on June 6, 1912, the first test of a parachute of his design took place.

From the Renaissance to the First World War

“Parachute” is a tracing paper from the French parachute, and the word itself is formed from two roots: the Greek para, that is, “against,” and the French chute, that is, “to fall.” The idea of ​​such a device for saving those jumping from great heights is quite ancient: the first person to express the idea of ​​such a device was the genius of the Renaissance - the famous Leonardo da Vinci. In his treatise “On the Flight and Movement of Bodies in the Air,” which dates back to 1495, there is the following passage: “If a person has a tent made of starched linen, each side of which has 12 cubits (about 6.5 m. - RP.) in width and the same height, he can throw himself from any height without exposing himself to any danger.” It is curious that da Vinci, who never brought the idea of ​​a “tent made of starched linen” to fruition, accurately calculated its dimensions. For example, the diameter of the canopy of the most common training parachute D-1-5u is about 5 m, the famous parachute D-6 is 5.8 m!

Leonardo's ideas were appreciated and taken up by his followers. By the time the Frenchman Louis-Sébastien Lenormand coined the word “parachute” in 1783, the possibilities of controlled descent from great heights already included several jumps among researchers: the Croatian Faust Vrancic, who put Da Vinci’s idea into practice in 1617, and the French Laven and Doumier. But the first real parachute jump can be considered a risky adventure by Andre-Jacques Garnerin. It was he who jumped not from the dome or cornice of a building (that is, he did not engage in base jumping, as it is called today), but from an aircraft. On October 22, 1797, Garnerin left the balloon's basket at an altitude of 2,230 feet (about 680 m) and landed safely.

The development of aeronautics also entailed the improvement of the parachute. The rigid frame was replaced by a semi-rigid one (1785, Jacques Blanchard, a parachute between the basket and the dome of the balloon), a pole hole appeared, which made it possible to avoid bouncing during landing (Joseph Lalande) ... And then the era of heavier-than-air aircraft came - and they required completely different parachutes. Such as no one has ever done before.

There would be no happiness...

The creator of what is today called a “parachute” had a passion for design since childhood. But not only: no less than calculations and drawings, he was fascinated by stage lights and music. And it is not surprising that in 1897, after three years of compulsory service, a graduate of the legendary Kyiv Military School (which, in particular, General Anton Denikin graduated from) Gleb Kotelnikov resigned. And after another 13 years, he left public service and completely switched to the service of Melpomene: he became an actor in the troupe of the People's House on the St. Petersburg Side and performed under the pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov.

The future father of the backpack parachute would have remained a little-known actor if not for the talent of the designer and a tragic incident: on September 24, 1910, Kotelnikov, who was present at the All-Russian Aeronautics Festival, witnessed the sudden death of one of the best pilots of that time - Captain Lev Matsievich. His Farman IV literally fell apart in the air - it was the first plane crash in the history of the Russian Empire.

Flight of Lev Matsievich. Source: topwar.ru

From that moment on, Kotelnikov did not abandon the idea of ​​​​giving pilots a chance for salvation in such cases. “The death of the young pilot shocked me so deeply that I decided at all costs to build a device that would protect the pilot’s life from mortal danger,” Gleb Kotelnikov wrote in his memoirs. “I turned my small room into a workshop and worked on the invention for over a year.” According to eyewitnesses, Kotelnikov worked on his idea like a man possessed. The thought of a new type of parachute never left him anywhere: neither at home, nor in the theater, nor on the street, nor at rare parties.

The main problem was the weight and dimensions of the device. By that time, parachutes already existed and were used as a means of rescuing pilots; they were a kind of giant umbrellas mounted behind the pilot's seat on an airplane. In the event of a disaster, the pilot had to have time to secure himself on such a parachute and separate from the aircraft with it. However, Matsievich’s death proved: the pilot may simply not have these few moments on which his life literally depends.

“I realized that it was necessary to create a durable and lightweight parachute,” Kotelnikov later recalled. - When folded, it should be quite small. The main thing is that it is always on the person. Then the pilot will be able to jump from the wing and from the side of any aircraft.” This is how the idea of ​​a backpack parachute was born, which today, in fact, is what we mean when we use the word “parachute.”

From helmet to backpack

“I wanted to make my parachute so that it could always be on a flying person, without restricting his movements as much as possible,” Kotelnikov wrote in his memoirs. - I decided to make a parachute from durable and thin non-rubberized silk. This material gave me the opportunity to put it in a very small backpack. I used a special spring to push the parachute out of the backpack.”

But few people know that the first option for placing a parachute was... the pilot’s helmet! Kotelnikov began his experiments by hiding a literally puppet parachute - since he carried out all his early experiments with a doll - in a cylindrical helmet. This is how the inventor’s son, Anatoly Kotelnikov, who was 11 years old in 1910, later recalled these first experiments: “We lived in a dacha in Strelna. It was a very cold October day. The father climbed to the roof of a two-story house and threw the doll from there. The parachute worked great. Only one word came out of my father joyfully: “Here!” He found what he was looking for!”

However, the inventor quickly realized that when jumping with such a parachute, at the moment when the canopy opens, at best the helmet will come off, and at worst, the head. And in the end, he transferred the entire structure to a backpack, which he first intended to make from wood, and then from aluminum. At the same time, Kotelnikov divided the lines into two groups, once and for all incorporating this element into the design of any parachutes. Firstly, it made the dome easier to control. And secondly, it was possible to attach the parachute to the harness system at two points, which made the jump and deployment more convenient and safe for the parachutist. This is how the suspension system appeared, which is still used almost unchanged today, except that it did not have leg loops.

As we already know, the official birthday of the backpack parachute was November 9, 1911, when Kotelnikov received a certificate of protection for his invention. But why he ultimately failed to patent his invention in Russia still remains a mystery. But two months later, in January 1912, Kotelnikov’s invention was announced in France and received a French patent in the spring of that year. On June 6, 1912, parachute tests took place in the Gatchina Aeronautical School camp near the village of Salizi: the invention was demonstrated high ranks Russian army. Six months later, on January 5, 1913, Kotelnikov’s parachute was presented to a foreign public: Vladimir Ossovsky, a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, jumped with it in Rouen from a 60-meter-high bridge.

By this time, the inventor had already finalized his design and decided to give it a name. He named his parachute RK-1 - that is, “Russian, Kotelnikov, first.” So in one abbreviation Kotelnikov combined all the most important information: the name of the inventor, and the country to which he owed his invention, and his primacy. And he secured it for Russia forever.

“Parachutes in aviation are generally a harmful thing...”

As often happens with domestic inventions, they cannot be appreciated for a long time in their homeland. This, alas, happened with the backpack parachute. The first attempt to provide it to all Russian pilots ran into a rather stupid refusal. “Parachutes in aviation are generally a harmful thing, since pilots, at the slightest danger threatening them from the enemy, will escape by parachute, leaving their planes to die. Cars are more expensive than people. We import cars from abroad, so they should be taken care of. But there will be people, not those, but others!” - such a resolution was imposed on Kotelnikov’s petition by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian air force Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich.

With the beginning of the war, parachutes were remembered. Kotelnikov was even involved in the production of 70 backpack parachutes for the crews of the Ilya Muromets bombers. But in the cramped conditions of those planes, the backpacks got in the way, and the pilots abandoned them. The same thing happened when the parachutes were handed over to the aeronauts: it was inconvenient for them to tinker with the backpacks in the cramped baskets of the observers. Then the parachutes were pulled out of the packs and simply attached to the balloons - so that the observer, if necessary, could simply jump overboard, and the parachute would open on its own. That is, everything has returned to the ideas of a century ago!

Everything changed when in 1924 Gleb Kotelnikov received a patent for a backpack parachute with a canvas backpack - RK-2, and then modified it and called it RK-3. Comparative tests of this parachute and the same, but French system showed the advantages of the domestic design.

In 1926, Kotelnikov transferred all rights to his inventions to Soviet Russia and was no longer involved in invention. But he wrote a book about his work on the parachute, which went through three reprints, including in the difficult year of 1943. And the backpack parachute created by Kotelnikov is still used all over the world, having withstood, figuratively speaking, more than a dozen “reissues.” Is it by chance that today’s paratroopers certainly come to Kotelnikov’s grave at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, tying retaining tapes from their domes to the tree branches around them...

Long before the birth of the first airplane, frequent fires and accidents that occurred in the air with spherical balloons and aerostats forced scientists to turn their attention to creating reliable means that could save the lives of aircraft pilots. When airplanes flying much faster than balloons took to the skies, a slight breakdown of the engine or damage to any insignificant part of the fragile and bulky structure led to terrible accidents, often ending in the death of people. When the number of casualties among the first pilots began to rise sharply, it became obvious that the lack of any life-saving means for them could become a drag. further development aviation.

The task was technically extremely difficult, despite numerous experiments and long research and development ideas Western states, was never able to create reliable protection for balloonists. For the first time in the world, this problem was brilliantly solved by the Russian scientist-inventor Gleb Kotelnikov, who in 1911 designed the world’s first parachute, which fully met the requirements for aviation rescue equipment of that time. All modern models parachutes were created according to the concept of Kotelnikov’s invention.

Gleb Evgenievich was born on January 18 (old style) 1872 in the family of a professor of higher mathematics and mechanics at the St. Petersburg Institute. Kotelnikov's parents loved the theater, were fond of painting and music, and often staged amateur performances in the house. It is not surprising that, growing up in such an environment, the boy fell in love with art and became eager to perform on stage.

Young Kotelnikov showed extraordinary abilities in teaching how to play the piano and other musical instruments. IN short terms the talented guy mastered the mandolin, balalaika and violin, and began to write music on his own. Surprisingly, along with this, Gleb was also interested in technology and fencing. From birth, the guy had, as they say, “golden hands”; he could easily make an intricate device from available materials. For example, when the future inventor was only thirteen years old, he independently assembled a working camera. Moreover, he only purchased a used lens, and made the rest (including photographic plates) with my own hands. The father encouraged his son's inclinations and tried to develop them as best he could.

Gleb dreamed of going to the conservatory or Institute of Technology, however, plans had to be changed dramatically after the sudden death of his father. The family's financial situation deteriorated sharply, leaving music and theater, he volunteered to join the army, enrolling in the military artillery school in Kyiv. Gleb Evgenievich graduated from it in 1894 with honors, was promoted to officer and served in the army for three years. After leaving the reserve, he got a job in the provincial excise department. At the beginning of 1899, Kotelnikov married Yulia Volkova, daughter of the artist V.A. Volkova. The young people knew each other since childhood, their marriage turned out to be happy - they lived in rare harmony for forty-five years.

Kotelnikov worked as an excise official for ten years. This stage of his life was, without exaggeration, the most empty and difficult. It was difficult to imagine a service more alien to this creative personality. The only outlet for him was the local theater, in which Gleb Evgenievich was both an actor and artistic director. In addition, he continued to design. For workers at a local distillery, Kotelnikov developed a new model of a bottling machine. I equipped my bicycle with a sail and successfully used it on long trips.

One fine day, Kotelnikov clearly realized that he needed to radically change his life, forget about the excise tax and move to St. Petersburg. Yulia Vasilievna, despite the fact that by that time they already had three children, understood her husband perfectly. A talented artist, she also had high hopes for the move. In 1910, the Kotelnikov family came to the Northern capital, and Gleb Evgenievich got a job in the troupe of the People's House, becoming a professional actor in the thirty-ninth year of his life under the pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov.

At the beginning of the last century, demonstration flights of the first domestic pilots were often held in large cities of Russia, during which aviators demonstrated their skills in controlling aircraft. Gleb Evgenievich, who loved technology since childhood, could not help but become interested in aviation. He regularly went to the Commandant's airfield, watching the flights with delight. Kotelnikov clearly understood what enormous prospects the conquest of airspace opened up for humanity. He was also admired by the courage and dedication of Russian pilots, who soared into the sky in unstable, primitive machines.

During one “aviation week,” the famous pilot Matsievich, who was flying, jumped out of his seat and flew out of the car. The plane, which lost control, flipped several times in the air and fell to the ground after the pilot. This was the first loss of Russian aviation. Gleb Evgenievich witnessed a terrible event that made a painful impression on him. Soon the actor and simply talented Russian person accepted firm decision- to protect the work of pilots by building for them a special rescue device that can function flawlessly in the air.

After some time, his apartment turned into a real workshop. Scattered everywhere were coils of wire and straps, wooden beams and pieces of cloth, sheet iron and a wide variety of tools. Kotelnikov clearly understood that he had nowhere to wait for help. Who, in the conditions of that time, could seriously think that some actor would be able to invent a life-saving device, the development of which scientists from England, Germany, France and America had been struggling for several years? There were also funds for the upcoming work limited quantity, so it was necessary to spend them extremely sparingly.

Gleb Evgenievich spent whole nights drawing various drawings and making models of life-saving equipment based on them. He dropped finished specimens from flying kites or from the roofs of houses. The experiments came one after another. In between, the inventor redid unsuccessful options and looked for new materials. Thanks to the historian domestic aviation and aeronautics A.A. Kotelnikov's relatives acquired books on flying. Special attention he paid attention to ancient documents telling about primitive devices used by people when descending from various heights. After much research, Gleb Evgenievich came to the following important conclusions: “For use on an airplane, a light and durable parachute is needed. It should be very small when folded... The main thing is that the parachute is always with the person. In this case, the pilot will be able to jump from any side or wing of the aircraft.”

After a series of unsuccessful experiments, Kotelnikov accidentally saw in the theater how one lady was taking out a huge silk shawl from a small handbag. This gave him the idea that fine silk might be the most suitable material for a folding parachute. The resulting model was small in volume, durable, flexible and easy to deploy. Kotelnikov planned to place the parachute in the pilot’s head helmet. A special spiral spring was supposed to push the rescue projectile out of the helmet if necessary. And so that the lower edge quickly formed the canopy and the parachute could fill with air, the inventor passed an elastic and thin metal cable through the lower edge.

Gleb Evgenievich also thought about the task of protecting the pilot from excessive jerking at the moment the parachute opens. Particular attention was paid to the design of the suspension system and the attachment of the life-saving device to the person. The inventor correctly assumed that attaching a parachute to a person at one point (as in aeronautical life preservers) would give an extremely strong jerk in the place where the cord would be attached. In addition, with this method of attachment, the person will rotate in the air until the very moment of landing, which is also quite dangerous. Refusing such a scheme, Kotelnikov developed his own, rather original solution - he divided all the parachute lines into two parts, attaching them to two hanging straps. Such a system evenly distributed the force of the dynamic impact throughout the body when the parachute opened, and the elastic shock absorbers located on the suspension straps softened the impact even more. The inventor also took into account the mechanism for quickly releasing the parachute after landing in order to avoid dragging a person along the ground.

Having assembled a new model, Gleb Evgenievich moved on to testing it. The parachute was attached to a dummy doll, which was then dropped from the roof. The parachute jumped out of the head helmet without a hitch, opened and smoothly lowered the dummy to the ground. The inventor's joy knew no bounds. However, when he decided to calculate the area of ​​the dome capable of supporting and successfully (at a speed of about 5 m/s) lowering an eighty-kilogram load to the ground, it turned out that it (the area) had to be at least fifty square meters. It turned out to be absolutely impossible to put so much silk, even very light, into a pilot’s helmet. However, the brilliant inventor was not upset; after much thought, he decided to place the parachute in a special bag worn on his back.

Having prepared all the necessary drawings of a backpack parachute, Kotelnikov began creating the first prototype and at the same time a special doll. For several days there was intense work going on in his house. His wife helped the inventor a lot - she spent whole nights sewing intricately cut fabrics.

Gleb Evgenievich’s parachute, later called by him RK-1 (Russian-Kotelnikovsky version, model one), consisted of a metal backpack worn on the back, which had a special shelf inside, placed on two spiral springs. The lines were placed on the shelf, and the canopy itself was placed on them. The lid was made on hinges with internal springs for faster opening. To open the lid, the pilot had to pull a cord, after which springs would push the dome out. Remembering the death of Matsievich, Gleb Evgenievich provided a mechanism for forced opening of the backpack. It was very simple - the backpack lock was connected to the aircraft using a special cable. If for some reason the pilot could not pull the cord, then the safety rope had to open the backpack for him, and then under the weight human body break off.

The parachute itself consisted of twenty-four canvases and had a pole hole. The slings passed through the entire canopy along radial seams and were connected in twelve pieces on each suspension strap, which in turn were fastened with special hooks to the suspension system worn on the person and consisting of chest, shoulder and waist straps, as well as leg loops. The design of the sling system made it possible to control the parachute during descent.

The closer it was to the end of the work, the more nervous the scientist became. It seemed that he had thought through everything, calculated everything and provided for everything, but how would the parachute perform during tests? In addition, Kotelnikov did not have a patent for his invention. Anyone who saw and understood its operating principle could appropriate all rights to themselves. Knowing very well the customs of the foreign businessmen flooding Russia, Gleb Evgenievich tried to keep his developments secret for as long as possible. When the parachute was ready, he went with it to Novgorod, choosing a deaf one for experiments. remote place. His son and nephews helped him in this. The parachute and dummy were raised to a height of fifty meters using huge snake, also created by the tireless Kotelnikov. The parachute was thrown out of the backpack by springs, the canopy quickly turned around and the dummy smoothly sank to the ground. After repeating the experiments several times, the scientist was convinced that his invention worked flawlessly.

Kotelnikov understood that his device urgently needed to be introduced into aviation. Russian pilots were required to have a reliable life-saving device on hand in case of an accident. Inspired by the tests, he hastily returned to St. Petersburg and on August 10, 1911, he wrote a detailed note to the Minister of War, beginning with the following phrase: “The long and mournful synod of victims in aviation prompted me to invent a rather simple and useful device to prevent the death of aviators in an air accident...” . The letter further stated technical specifications parachute, description of its manufacturing process and test results. All drawings of the device were also attached to the note. However, the note, once it got to the Military Engineering Directorate, was lost. Concerned by the lack of response, Gleb Evgenievich decided to personally contact the Minister of War. After long ordeals in the offices of officials, Kotelnikov finally ended up with the Deputy Minister of War. Introducing him current model parachute, he spent a long time and convincingly proving the usefulness of his invention. The Deputy Minister of War, without deigning to answer him, handed over a referral to the Main Military Engineering Directorate.

On October 27, 1911, Gleb Evgenievich submitted a patent application to the Committee for Inventions, and a few days later he appeared at the Engineering Castle with a note in his hands. General von Roop appointed a special commission to consider Kotelnikov’s invention, chaired by General Alexander Kovanko, who was the head of the Aeronautical Service. And here Kotelnikov suffered his first major setback. In accordance with Western theories existing at that time, the chairman of the commission stated that the pilot should leave the aircraft only after the deployment (or simultaneously with the deployment) of the parachute. Otherwise, he will inevitably die during the dash. In vain the inventor explained in detail and proved to the general about his own, original way of solving this problem. Kovanko stubbornly stood his ground. Not wanting to think deeply about Kotelnikov’s mathematical calculations, the commission rejected the wonderful device, imposing a resolution “As unnecessary.” Kotelnikov also did not receive a patent for his invention.

Despite this conclusion, Gleb Evgenievich did not lose heart. He managed to register the parachute in France on March 20, 1912. In addition, he firmly decided to seek official tests in his homeland. The designer convinced himself that after demonstrating the invention, the parachute would be immediately implemented. Almost every day he visited various departments of the War Ministry. He wrote: “As soon as everyone sees how a parachute lowers a person to the ground, they will immediately change their minds. They will understand that it is also necessary on an airplane, like a life preserver on a ship...” Kotelnikov spent a lot of money and effort before he managed to get the tests carried out. The new prototype parachute cost him several hundred rubles. Without support from the government, Gleb Evgenievich fell into debt, relations in the main service deteriorated, since he could devote less and less time to work in the troupe.

On June 2, 1912, Kotelnikov tested the parachute for the strength of materials, and also checked the resistance force of the canopy. To do this, he attached his device to the tow hooks of the car. Having accelerated the car to 70 versts per hour (about 75 km/h), the inventor pulled the trigger cord. The parachute instantly opened, and the car was immediately stopped by the force of air resistance. The structure fully withstood, no breaks in the lines or tears in the material were detected. By the way, stopping the car gave the designer the idea of ​​​​developing an air brake for aircraft during landing. Later, he even made one prototype, but things didn’t go any further. “Authoritative” minds from the Military Engineering Directorate told Kotelnikov that his next invention had no future. Many years later, the air brake was patented as a "novelty" in the United States.

The parachute test was scheduled for June 6, 1912. The venue was the village of Salyuzi, located near St. Petersburg. Despite the fact that Kotelnikov’s experimental model was calculated and designed specifically for the aircraft, he had to carry out the tests from an aeronautical apparatus - at the very last moment the Military Engineering Directorate imposed a ban on experiments from the aircraft. In his memoirs, Gleb Evgenievich wrote that he made the jumping dummy to look like General Alexander Kovanko - with exactly the same mustache and long sideburns. The doll was attached to the side of the basket on a rope loop. After the balloon rose to a height of two hundred meters, pilot Gorshkov cut one of the ends of the loop. The mannequin separated from the basket and began to rapidly fall headfirst. The spectators present held their breath, dozens of eyes and binoculars watched what was happening from the ground. And suddenly the white speck of the parachute took shape into a dome. “There was a “hurrah” and everyone ran to get a closer look at how the parachute would descend…. There was no wind, and the mannequin stood on the grass with its feet, stood there for a few seconds and then just fell.” The parachute was dropped from different heights several more times, and all experiments were successful.

Monument to the RK-1 test in Kotelnikovo

There were many pilots and aeronauts present at the site, correspondents from various magazines and newspapers, and foreigners who, by hook or by crook, got into the tests. Everyone, even people incompetent in such matters, understood that this invention opened up enormous opportunities for the further conquest of the air.

The next day, most of the capital's print media published reports about the successful tests of a new rescue aircraft projectile, invented by a talented Russian designer. However, despite the general interest shown in the invention, the Military Engineering Directorate did not react in any way to the event. And when Gleb Evgenievich started talking about new tests from a flying plane, he received a categorical refusal. Among other objections, it was argued that dropping a dummy weighing 80 kilograms from a light aircraft would lead to a loss of balance and an inevitable crash of the aircraft. Officials stated that they would not allow the machine to be risked “for the pleasure” of the inventor.

Only after long, exhausting persuasion and persuasion did Kotelnikov manage to get permission to test. Experiments on dropping a doll with a parachute from a monoplane flying at an altitude of 80 meters were successfully carried out in Gatchina on September 26, 1912. By the way, before the first test, the pilot dropped sandbags in the air three times to make sure the plane was stable. The London News wrote: “Can the pilot survive? Yes. We will tell you about an invention adopted by the Russian government...” The British naively assumed that the tsarist government would definitely use this wonderful and necessary invention. However, not everything was so simple in reality. The successful tests still did not change the attitude of the leadership of the Military Engineering Directorate towards the parachute. Moreover, a resolution came from the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich himself, who wrote in response to a petition for the introduction of Kotelnikov’s invention: “Parachutes are actually a harmful thing, since pilots, in any danger that threatens them, will be saved on them, providing machines of death... We import planes from abroad and they should be taken care of. And we will find people, not those, but others!

Time passed. The number of aviation accidents continued to rise. The patriot and inventor of an advanced life-saving device, Gleb Kotelnikov, who was deeply worried about this, wrote one after another unanswered letters to the Minister of War and the entire Aeronautical Department of the General Staff: “... they (the pilots) are dying in vain, while they could right moment to prove to be useful sons of the Fatherland..., ...I am burning with the only desire to fulfill my duty to the Motherland..., ...this attitude towards the useful and important matter for me, a Russian officer, it is incomprehensible and offensive.”

While Kotelnikov tried in vain to implement a parachute in his homeland, the course of events was closely monitored from abroad. Many interested people arrived in St. Petersburg, representing various offices and ready to “help” the author. One of them, Wilhelm Lomach, who was the owner of several aviation workshops in St. Petersburg, suggested that the inventor open a private production of parachutes, exclusively in Russia. Gleb Evgenievich, who was in extremely difficult financial conditions, agreed to the Lomach and Co. office to present his invention at competitions in Paris and Rouen. And soon the enterprising foreigner received permission from the French government to perform a parachute jump with a living person. A person willing to do the same was soon found - he was a Russian athlete and an ardent admirer of the new invention, Vladimir Ossovsky, a student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The chosen location was the bridge over the Seine in the city of Rouen. The jump from a height of fifty-three meters took place on January 5, 1913. The parachute worked flawlessly, the canopy opened completely when Ossovsky flew 34 meters. It took 12 seconds to descend the last 19 meters and land on the water.

The French greeted the Russian paratrooper with delight. Many entrepreneurs tried to independently establish the production of this life-saving product. Already in 1913, the first models of parachutes began to appear abroad, which were slightly modified copies of the RK-1. Foreign companies made huge capital from their production. Despite pressure from the Russian public, which more and more often expressed reproaches about indifference to Kotelnikov’s invention, the tsarist government stubbornly stood its ground. Moreover, for domestic pilots, a massive purchase of French parachutes designed by Zhukmez, with a “one-point” attachment, was carried out.

By that time, the First World War had begun. After the Ilya Muromets multi-engine heavy bombers appeared in Russia, the demand for life-saving equipment increased significantly. At the same time, there were a number of deaths of aviators who used French parachutes. Some pilots began to ask to be equipped with RK-1 parachutes. In this regard, the War Ministry turned to Gleb Evgenievich with a request to produce a pilot batch of 70 pieces. The designer set to work with great energy. As a consultant to the manufacturer, he made every effort to ensure that the rescue equipment fully met the requirements. The parachutes were made on time, but further production was again suspended. And then the socialist revolution happened and burst out civil war.

Years later, the new government decided to establish the production of parachutes, the demand for which was increasing in aviation units and aeronautical detachments every day. The RK-1 parachute was widely used in Soviet aviation on different fronts. Gleb Evgenievich also got the opportunity to continue working on improving his rescue device. In the first research institution in the field of aerodynamics, organized on the initiative of Zhukovsky, called the “Flying Laboratory”, a theoretical study of his invention was carried out with a complete analysis of the aerodynamic properties. The work not only confirmed the correctness of Kotelnikov’s calculations, but also gave him invaluable information in improving and developing new types of parachutes.

Jumps with the new rescue device were carried out more and more often. Along with the introduction of parachutes in the field of aviation, they attracted increasing attention from ordinary residents. Experienced and experimental jumps attracted masses of people, looking more like theatrical performances than scientific research. Clubs for training in parachute jumping began to be created, presenting this device not only as a life-saving device, but also as a tool for a new sports discipline.

In August 1923, Gleb Evgenievich proposed a new model with a semi-soft backpack, called RK-2. Its demonstration at the Scientific and Technical Committee of the USSR showed good results, and a decision was made to produce a pilot batch. However, the inventor was already running around with his new brainchild. The RK-3 model of a completely original design was released in 1924 and was the world's first parachute with a soft backpack. In it, Gleb Evgenievich got rid of the spring that pushes out the canopy, placed honeycomb cells for slings inside the backpack on the back, and replaced the lock with tubular loops into which the pins attached to the common cable were threaded. The test results were excellent. Later, many foreign developers borrowed Kotelnikov’s improvements, applying them in their models.

Anticipating the future development and use of parachutes, Gleb Evgenievich in 1924 designed and patented the RK-4 basket rescue device with a dome with a diameter of twelve meters. This parachute was designed to drop loads weighing up to three hundred kilograms. In order to save material and give greater stability, the model was made of percale. Unfortunately, this type of parachute was not used.

The advent of multi-seat aircraft forced Kotelnikov to take up the issue of joint rescue of people in case of an accident in the air. Assuming that a man or woman with a child who has no experience in parachute jumping would not be able to use an individual rescue device in an emergency, Gleb Evgenievich developed options for collective rescue.

In addition to his inventive activities, Kotelnikov carried out extensive public work. With his strength, knowledge and experience, he helped flying clubs, talked with young athletes, and gave lectures on the topic of creating life-saving equipment for aviators. In 1926, due to his age (the designer was fifty-five years old), Gleb Evgenievich retired from developing new models, donating all his inventions and improvements in the field of aviation rescue devices to the Soviet government. For outstanding services, the designer was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

After the start of the Great Patriotic War, Kotelnikov found himself in besieged Leningrad. Despite his years, the almost blind inventor took active participation in the air defense of the city, fearlessly enduring all the hardships of war. In critical condition, he was evacuated to Moscow after the first winter of the siege. Having recovered, Gleb Evgenievich continued creative activity, in 1943 his book “Parachute” was published, and a little later a study on the topic “The History of the Parachute and the Development of Parachuting.” The talented inventor died in the Russian capital on November 22, 1944. His grave is located at the Novodevichy cemetery and is a place of pilgrimage for paratroopers.

(Based on materials from the book by G.V. Zalutsky “Inventor of the aviation parachute G.E. Kotelnikov”).

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One of the main inventions of aviation - the parachute - appeared thanks to the determination and efforts of just one person - self-taught designer Gleb Kotelnikov. He not only had to solve many of the most difficult technical problems for his time, but also spent a long time trying to achieve the start of mass production of the rescue kit.

Early years

The future inventor of the parachute, Gleb Kotelnikov, was born on January 18 (30), 1872 in St. Petersburg. His father was a professor of higher mathematics at the capital's university. The whole family was fond of art: music, painting and theater. Amateur performances were often staged in the house. Therefore, it is not surprising that the not yet accomplished inventor of the parachute dreamed of being on stage as a child.

The boy played the piano and some other musical instruments (balalaika, mandolin, violin) very well. At the same time, all these hobbies did not prevent Gleb from being keenly interested in technology. Having received it from birth, he was constantly making and assembling something (for example, at the age of 13 he managed to assemble a working camera).

Career

The future that the inventor of the parachute chose for himself was determined after a family tragedy. Gleb's father died prematurely, and his son had to give up his dreams of a conservatory. He went to the Kiev Artillery School. The young man graduated in 1894 and thus became an officer. This was followed by three years of military service. After resigning, Kotelnikov became an official in the provincial excise department. In 1899, he married his childhood friend Yulia Volkova.

In 1910, a family with three children moved to St. Petersburg. In the capital, the future inventor of the parachute became an actor in People's House, taking the pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov for the stage. St. Petersburg gave him new opportunities to realize his inventive potential. All previous years, the nugget continued to design at an amateur level.

Passion for airplanes

At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of aviation began. In many cities of Russia, including St. Petersburg, demonstration flights began to be held, which were of keen interest to the public. It was in this way that the future inventor of the backpack parachute, Gleb Kotelnikov, became acquainted with aviation. Having been partial to technology all his life, he could not help but develop an interest in airplanes.

By coincidence, Kotelnikov became an involuntary witness to the first death of a pilot in the history of Russian aviation. During a demonstration flight, pilot Matsievich fell out of his seat and died, falling to the ground. Following him, a primitive and unstable plane crashed.

The need for a parachute

The disaster involving Matsievich was a natural consequence of the unsafety of flights on the very first aircraft. If a person went into the air, he was putting his life on the line. This problem arose even before the advent of airplanes. IN XIX century suffered from a similar unresolved issue balloons. If a fire broke out, people were trapped. They could not leave the vehicle in distress.

This dilemma could only be resolved by the invention of the parachute. The first experiments in its production were carried out in the West. However, the task in its own way technical features was extremely complex for its time. For many years, aviation has been marking time. The inability to provide a guarantee of saving the lives of pilots seriously hampered the development of the entire aeronautics industry. Only desperate daredevils entered it.

Working on an invention

After tragic episode During the demonstration flight, Gleb Kotelnikov (the one who invented the parachute) turned his apartment into a full-fledged workshop. The designer was obsessed with the idea of ​​​​creating a life-saving device that would help pilots survive in the event of a plane crash. The most amazing thing was that the amateur actor took on a technical task alone, which many specialists from all over the world had been struggling with for many years to no avail.

The inventor of the parachute, Kotelnikov, carried out all his experiments at his own expense. Money was tight, and we often had to skimp on details. Instances of the rescue device were dropped from kites and St. Petersburg roofs. Kotelnikov acquired a pile of books on the history of flying. The experiences happened one after another. Gradually, the inventor came to the approximate configuration of the future rescue vehicle. It had to be a strong and lightweight parachute. Small and foldable, it could always be with a person and help out in the most dangerous moment.

Solving technical problems

Using a parachute with an imperfect design was fraught with several serious flaws. First of all, this is a powerful jerk that awaited the pilot during the deployment of the canopy. Therefore, Gleb Kotelnikov (the one who invented the parachute) devoted a lot of time to designing the suspension system. He also had to redo the fastenings several times. If the life-saving device was incorrectly designed, the person could spin chaotically in the air.

The inventor of the aviation backpack parachute tested his first models on mannequin dolls. He used silk as fabric. In order for this matter to lower a person to the ground at a safe speed, about 50 square meters of canvas were required. At first, Kotelnikov folded the parachute into the head helmet, but it could not fit so much silk. The inventor had to come up with an original solution for this problem.

Backpack idea

Perhaps the name of the inventor of the parachute would have been different if Gleb Kotelnikov had not thought of solving the problem of folding the parachute using a special backpack. In order to fit the material into it, we had to come up with an original drawing and intricate cutting. Finally, the inventor began creating the first prototype. His wife helped him in this matter.

Soon the RK-1 (Russian - Kotelnikovsky) was ready. Inside the special metal backpack there was a shelf and two spiral springs. Kotelnikov made the structure so that it could open as quickly as possible. To do this, the pilot only needed to pull a special cord. The springs inside the backpack opened the canopy, and the fall became smooth.

Finishing touches

The parachute consisted of 24 canvases. There were slings running through the entire canopy, which were connected by hanging straps. They were fastened with hooks to a base worn by a person. It consisted of a dozen waist, shoulder and chest straps. Leg loops were also provided. The parachute device allowed the pilot to control it while descending to the ground.

When it became clear that the invention would be a breakthrough in aviation, Kotelnikov became concerned about copyright issues. He did not have a patent, and therefore any outsider who saw a parachute in action and understood the principle of its operation could steal the idea. These fears forced Gleb Evgenievich to transfer his tests to remote Novgorod places, which were advised by the inventor’s son. It was there that the final version of the new life-saving device would be tested.

The fight for a patent

The amazing story of the invention of the parachute continued on August 10, 1911, when Kotelnikov wrote a detailed letter to War Department. He described in detail the technical characteristics of the new product and explained the importance of its introduction into the army and civil aviation. Indeed, the number of aircraft only grew, and this threatened new deaths of brave pilots.

However, Kotelnikov's first letter was lost. It became clear that the inventor now had to deal with terrible bureaucratic red tape. He started the War Ministry and various commissions. In the end, Gleb Evgenievich broke into the invention committee. However, the functionaries of this department rejected the designer’s idea. They refused to issue a patent, considering

Confession

After failure at home, Kotelnikov achieved official registration of his invention in France. The long-awaited event occurred on March 20, 1912. Then it was possible to organize general tests, which were attended by pilots and other persons involved in the young Russian aviation. They took place on June 6, 1912 in the village of Salyuzi near St. Petersburg. After the death of Gleb Evgenievich, this settlement was renamed Kotelnikovo.

On a June morning, in front of an astonished public, the balloon pilot cut the end of the loop, and a specially prepared dummy began to fall to the ground. Spectators watched what was happening in the air with the help of binoculars. A few seconds later the mechanism worked and a dome opened in the sky. There was no wind that day, which is why the mannequin landed straight on its feet and, after standing there for a few more seconds, fell. After this public test, it became known to the whole world who the inventor of the aviation backpack parachute was.

Mass release of parachutes

The first serial production of the RK-1 began in France in 1913. The demand for parachutes increased by an order of magnitude after the First World War soon began. world war. In Russia, rescue kits were required for pilots of the Ilya Muromets aircraft. Then, for many years, the RK-1 remained indispensable in Soviet aviation.

Under Bolshevik rule, Kotelnikov continued to modify his original invention. He worked a lot with Zhukovsky, who shared his own aerodynamic laboratory. Experimental jumps with trial parachute models turned into a mass spectacle - they were attended by a huge number of spectators. In 1923, the RK-2 model appeared. Gleb Kotelnikov provided her with a semi-soft backpack. Several more modifications followed. Parachutes became more convenient and practical.

At the same time, Kotelnikov devoted a lot of time to helping flying clubs. He gave lectures and was a welcome guest in sports communities. At the age of 55, due to age, the inventor stopped experiments. He transferred all his heritage to the Soviet state. For his numerous services, Kotelnikov was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Being retired, Kotelnikov continued to live in the Northern capital. He wrote books and textbooks. When did the Great Patriotic War, already elderly and visually impaired, Gleb Evgenievich, nevertheless, took an active part in the organization air defense Leningrad. The siege winter and famine caused swipe on his health. Kotelnikov was evacuated to Moscow, where he died on November 22, 1944. The famous inventor was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.