Aviation backpack parachute. G

This post will tell you how the parachute was invented and what they wrote about it in newspapers at the beginning of the last century.

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.

This is what the popular magazine of that time, Ogonyok, wrote about this

Before this, there were attempts to invent a life-saving device for aviators:

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 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.

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 gain a foothold on such a parachute and separate from him with it. aircraft. 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. — 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.”

“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 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, tests of a parachute took place in the Gatchina Aeronautical School camp near the village of Salizi: the invention was demonstrated to the highest ranks of the 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 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 canopies to the tree branches around them...

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 successful inventor of the parachute dreamed of being on stage as a child.

The boy played the piano and some others very well musical instruments(balalaika, mandolin, violin). 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 life-saving equipment 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 canvases. 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 to create 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

Amazing story the invention of the parachute continued on August 10, 1911, when Kotelnikov wrote a detailed letter to War Department. He described in detail technical specifications new items 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 locality 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 numerous achievements 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, accepted active participation 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.

Kotelnikov's parachute

How more active person conquered the sky, the more acute the problem of a life-saving device became. The number of victims in the world, including in Russia, was growing. The article “Victims of Aviation,” published in the magazine “Aeronautics,” indicated that of the 32 accidents recorded by 1910, approximately three quarters occurred in last year. If four people died in 1909, then in the next year - already 24 aviators. The list of aviation victims also included Lev Makarovich Matsievich, who crashed at the Kolomyazh Hippodrome in September 1910. Even sadder information was published in the "Bulletin" Air Fleet"No. 4 for 1918, which says that in Russian military aviation Parachutes were practically not used until 1917. This was explained by the “special position” of the tsarist generals, who believed that pilots with parachutes would abandon expensive aircraft purchased abroad in the event of the slightest danger. In addition, some generals, including those directly responsible for aviation, considered the parachute a dubious and unreliable means of escape. However, statistics refuted this conclusion. In 1917 alone, out of 62 cases of parachute use, 42 resulted in a successful outcome, 12 pilots received bruises and injuries, and only eight died.

The archive preserved a memorandum from reserve lieutenant Gleb Kotelnikov to Minister of War V.A. Sukhomlinov, in which the inventor asked for a subsidy for the construction of a prototype backpack parachute and reported that “August 4 this year. In Novgorod, the doll was dropped from a height of 200 meters, out of 20 times - not a single misfire. The formula of my invention is as follows: a rescue device for aviators with an automatically ejected parachute... I’m ready to test the invention in Krasnoe Selo...”

The bureaucratic machine of the Military Department began to work. The letter reached the Main Engineering Directorate, the response was delayed. On September 11, 1911, Kotelnikov asked in writing to speed up the response. This time, the State Institution failed to remain silent, and already on September 13, Gleb Evgenievich received a notice of refusal to accept the invention. The head of the electrical engineering department of the State Institution, Lieutenant General A.P. Pavlov, wrote: “Returning, in accordance with your letter dated September 11th, the drawing and description of the automatically operating parachute of your invention, the State Institution notifies that the “ejector backpack” invented by you does not in any way ensure reliable opening 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 Inspectorate rejects your proposal.”

Having received a negative answer, Gleb Kotelnikov went with the drawings and model to an appointment with the Minister of War. The reception was conducted by Deputy Minister, Lieutenant General A. A. Polivanov. Right in his office, Kotelnikov demonstrated his model by throwing a doll to the ceiling. The surprised general touched “Mannequin Second”, which smoothly descended onto the green cloth of the ministerial table, and immediately filled business card, addressing the inventor to General von Roop in the Engineering Castle. On the way to the Engineering Castle, Kotelnikov stopped by the Invention Committee, where an official, seeing General Polivanov’s business card, wrote down in a thick book: “50103. Collegiate assessor G. Kotelnikov - for a rescue backpack for aviators with an automatically ejected parachute. October 27, 1911."

At the Main Military Engineering Directorate, General von Roop greeted the inventor with respect:

Well, show me...

Throw - the parachute opened... General Roop immediately invited the officer:

In order to evaluate the rescue apparatus invented by Kotelnikov for aviators, appoint a special commission chaired by the head of the Aeronautical School, General Kovanko. The device will be examined in the presence of the inventor on October 28 of this year.

At a meeting of the commission, General Kovanko puzzled the inventor, saying that after the pilot jumped out of the plane and opened the parachute, he would no longer need it, since his legs would be torn off during the jerk. However, Kotelnikov managed to get his parachute tested. Archival materials and periodicals of those years allow us to trace future fate inventions. In December 1911, the “Bulletin of Finance, Industry and Trade” informed its readers about the applications received, including the application of G. E. Kotelnikov, but “for unknown reasons, the inventor did not receive a patent. In January 1912, G. E. Kotelnikov made an application for his parachute in France and on March 20 of the same year received a patent No. 438 612.”

Convinced that he was right, Gleb Evgenievich calculated total area parachute for cargo weighing up to 80 kg. It turned out to be equal to 50 square meters. m, approximately the same as is accepted for modern types parachutes. First, there was an attempt to make a prototype backpack from three-layer arborite produced by the O. S. Kostovich plant, then the inventor settled on a lightweight version, making it from aluminum. In the spring of 1912, the backpack and dummy were ready for testing. And again Kotelnikov is forced to knock on the threshold of the Military Department. On May 19, 1912, General A.P. Pavlov addressed A.M. Kovanko with a request to draw up a test program for Kotelnikov’s parachute. In June, the head of the temporary aviation department, Lieutenant Colonel S.A. Ulyanin and the school adjutant drew up a parachute test program, which included dropping from a kite balloon, from a controlled balloon, and then from an airplane, if in the two previous tests it turned out that dropping a load with a parachute could not be dangerous.

The first parachute tests were carried out on June 2, 1912 using a car. The car was accelerated, and Kotelnikov pulled the trigger strap. The parachute, tied to the towing hooks, instantly opened. The braking force was transferred to the car and the engine stalled. And on June 6 of the same year, parachute tests took place in the Gatchina camp of the Aeronautical School near the village of Salizi. During the tests, no one was in command higher than the company commander, and no reports were drawn up. A mannequin weighing 4 poods 35 pounds was dropped from a height of 200 m in a wind of 14 m/s, head down from a balloon gondola. Before the device took effect, the doll ran into one of the belts of the tethered balloon, as a result of which its head was torn off, which was poorly marked. After being thrown out, the parachute opened completely, flying only 12-15 m, and without any oscillatory movements descended in 70-80 fathoms, with a speed of about 1.5 m/s, and the doll’s descent occurred so smoothly that it stood on its feet for several moments and the grass at the place of descent was barely crushed. A second test, on June 12, 1912, from a height of 100 and 60 m, gave the same results.

After one of the successful descents of the dummy, Lieutenant P. N. Nesterov said to Gleb Evgenievich:

Your invention is amazing! Let me repeat the jump immediately. I’ll make an agreement with Captain Gorshkov...

But the school adjutant intervened and banned the experiment, and Lieutenant Nesterov ended up in the guardhouse. There are different assessments of this fact in the literature, but many agree that General Kovanko’s severity was excessive.

Although a full-weight dummy in flight uniform was repeatedly dropped from balloons and airplanes, and the results were known to the command, aviators were forbidden to use both domestic and foreign parachutes. The military department was not interested in this rescue device for pilots.

In a memo dated October 6, 1912, Kotelnikov wrote to the Minister of War: “Back in August last year, I submitted to the Aeronautical Department of the Engineering Department the drawings of the rescue “parachute pack” I had invented for pilots. By letter of September 13, 1911, No. 715, the Aeronautical Department notified me that my device could not be accepted... that the experiments I had made with the model could not be considered convincing... Meanwhile, in Sevastopol... Efimov made an experiment in dropping a dummy with the device at an altitude of 100 m from a Farman biplane, and the result was brilliant. Finally, on September 26 this year. Staff Captain Gorshkov made an experiment of throwing from a Bleriot monoplane at an altitude of 80 m and the result was the same... despite the obvious success of my device during various tests of it, at present the head of the Aeronautical School in his report addressed to the Aeronautical Department General Staff gives a review about my device, from which it is clear that: 1) in general, parachute descent should be considered dangerous, since in the wind, with sufficient forward speed, the descender can break into an oncoming tree or fence... 3) that the parachute is used exclusively in war... Such conclusions from the head of the Aeronautical School seem at least... strange and naive.

I consider it my duty to report to Your Excellency what a strange attitude towards such an important and useful matter as salvation the right people and devices for me, a Russian officer, is both incomprehensible and offensive.”

Such a detailed message to the Minister of War did not go unnoticed. Already on October 20, the head of the aeronautical department of the General Staff, Major General M. I. Shishkevich, urgently requested from A. M. Kovanko a report on the results of experiments on Kotelnikov’s parachute. Having received such a dispatch from the General Staff, Kovanko demanded a written report from Gatchina officials, who were forced to reconstruct the events from memory June days to get out of an awkward situation. In a report dated November 16, 1912, the head of the aviation department wrote:

“I did not allow Staff Captain Gorshkov, who conducted the experiments, to drop a life-size dummy or a person, since I recognize this as extremely dangerous... The tests performed are quite enough to come to the conclusion that the parachute is completely unsuitable for military aviation... Mr. Kotelnikov’s latch box does little to improve the matter and gives only slightly greater confidence in the opening of the parachute... I ask for your Excellency’s petition to terminate the above-mentioned experiments due to their great risk and little benefit.”

Based on the reports of his subordinates, A. M. Kovanko wrote to the head of the aeronautical department of the General Staff, M. I. Shishkevich:

“Attaching herewith a report on the experiments carried out in the school entrusted to me with the parachute of Mr. Kotelnikov, I consider it necessary to note that this device does not stand out in any way from a whole series of more or less ingenious devices designed so far and which have, in general, given very mediocre results.

From the above considerations one should not, of course, conclude that parachutes are absolutely unsuitable, but one should only keep in mind that cases of successful use modern parachutes in aviation will be extremely rare, and therefore the parachute in the design that it has currently received must be looked at without exaggerating its significance and without attaching special importance to it, as Mr. Kotelnikov does.”

In the winter of 1912/13, the RK-1 parachute designed by G. E. Kotelnikov, despite the negative attitude of the generals, 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. Russian invention 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.

Only in years Soviet power the inventor saw the flourishing of military and sports parachuting, complete and unconditional recognition of his work. In 1923, Gleb Evgenievich created new model backpack parachute - RK-2, and then a model of the RK-3 parachute with a soft backpack, for which a patent was received on July 4, 1924 under No. 1607. 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.

The Great Patriotic War found Gleb Evgenievich in Leningrad. Having survived the blockade, he went to Moscow, where he soon died. At the Novodevichy cemetery, the grave of the outstanding Russian inventor is often visited by pilots, paratroopers, and paratroopers. With their heads bowed, they read the inscription on the marble plaque: “The founder of aviation parachuting is Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov. 30.1.1872 - 22.XI.1944.” To commemorate the first test of a full-scale model of a backpack parachute, the village of Salizi, Gatchina region, was named Kotelnikovo. And not far from the training ground, a modest monument was erected with the image of a parachute.

This day in history:

Few people know that Gleb Evgenievich KOTELNIKOV

invented the backpack parachute, also because he really loved... theater

The parachute was invented in the lobby of the Bolshoi...

Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov was born (18) 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 and played the violin. He also liked to make different toys and models. Graduated from Kyiv military school(1894), and, after serving three years of compulsory service, went into the reserve. Served as an excise official in the province.

He 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). By the way, over time, his son Anatoly became a fairly famous Soviet playwright under the name Glebov (Kotelnikov).

In 1910, Kotelnikov, impressed by the death of pilot Lev Matsievich, 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. In December 1911, Kotelnikov tried to register his invention, a free-action backpack parachute, in Russia, but for unknown reasons he did not receive a patent.

He was inspired to create such a scheme by what he saw in the lobby Bolshoi Theater a picture of a woman taking out a huge silk scarf from a small handbag...

The parachute had a round shape and was placed in a metal backpack located on the pilot using a 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, receiving a patent on March 20, 1912.

The RK-1 parachute (Russian, Kotelnikova, model one) was developed within 10 months, and its first demonstration test was carried out by Gleb Evgenievich in June 1912. First, tests were carried out 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.

A few days later, parachute tests took place at the Gatchina Aeronautical School camp.

At different altitudes, 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 was presented by the commercial firm Lomach and Co. to a competition in Paris and Rouen. And on January 5, 1913, a student of the St. Petersburg Conservatory (!) Ossovsky 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 Kotelnikov was drafted into the army and sent to automobile units. However, soon the pilot Alekhnovich convinced the command: it is necessary to supply the crews of multi-engine aircraft with RK-1 parachutes. It was then that Kotelnikov was soon called to the Main Military Engineering Directorate and offered to take part in the manufacture of backpack parachutes for aviators.

Gleb Evgenievich with test dummy Ivano Ivanovich

In 1923, Gleb Evgenievich created a new model RK-2. Later, the RK-3 model with a soft backpack appeared, for which a patent was received on July 4, 1924. In the same year, Kotelnikov produced 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, Kotelnikov transferred all his inventions to the Soviet government.

On July 26, 1930, near Voronezh, Soviet parachutist pilots led by B. Mukhortov made the first series of jumps from airplanes using parachutes designed by Gleb Kotelnikov. Since then, skydiving enthusiasts have celebrated the unofficial Skydiver's Day.

The first parachute designed by Kotelnikov RK-1 appeared in 1012. The development of parachute technology has continued for more than 100 years. The amazing story of the creation of a parachute

This is how planes and pilots appeared

From time immemorial, people looked into the sky, at the stars... This tempting depth of height attracted with its inexplicable spaciousness. The creation of the first aircraft that took to the Sky was a miracle! Contrary to all the laws of gravity, this structure took off from the ground and flew across the Sky like a huge roaring bird, charming some and frightening others. This is how planes and pilots appeared... :)) And to save the pilots in case extreme situation They began to use long folded umbrellas that were attached to the plane. Their design was heavy and unreliable, and in order not to increase the weight of the aircraft, many pilots preferred to fly without this saving element - not to use an umbrella in flight.

When a plane crashed, in a rare case, the pilot was able to unfasten the umbrella, open it and jump from the plane to soften the impact on the ground.

On January 18 (30), 1872, in St. Petersburg, a son was born into the family of Kotelnikov, a professor of mechanics and higher mathematics, who sang and played the violin from childhood, and often went to the theater with his parents. This boy also liked to make different toys and models. Gleb, that was the boy’s name, remained interested in theater and construction as he grew older.

Invention of the backpack parachute

If not for this story, it is not known when it would have taken place. invention of the backpack parachute.

In 1910, the All-Russian Aeronautics Festival took place in St. Petersburg. A magnificent holiday with several demonstration flights by the best pilot of those times, Lev Makarovich Matsievich. The day before, Stolypin flew into the Sky with him, he enthusiastically admired St. Petersburg and its surroundings.

And on the day of aeronautics senior officials officers and Matsievich ascended to Heaven. And also... influential people... Imagine how happy they were...! Flying on an airplane...! And there was probably even more pride... :))

The holiday was in full swing, and the day was approaching evening, and before the final flight, Matsievich was conveyed a wish from Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich to show something like that... some kind of aviation achievement. And Matsievich set a record.

He decided to fly as high as possible... as high as his beloved Farmon-IV, this light, amazingly beautiful, as if translucent, plane could. Maximum speed flight that Farmon could develop was 74 km/h.

This was a very bold and decisive step, because in those days it was believed that the closer to the ground, the safer the flight. Lev Makarovich Matsievich in the set took his Farmon 1000 meters from the ground - that's about half a mile... and suddenly... suddenly... the plane began to fall, crumbling in the air... the pilot fell out of the randomly falling plane... and following the wreckage of his car, he fell to the ground... in front of the spectators...

An archival photo of that tragic moment. Seconds... and the last meeting with the ground...

This tragedy lay deep in the soul of Gleb Kotelnikov, and he began to develop a system that could save the pilot. A little over a year later, Kotelnikov already tried to register his first invention - backpack parachute free action. But for unknown reasons, he was denied registration of a patent.

On March 20, 1912, after the second attempt, already in France, Kotelnikov received patent No. 438,612.

Parachute RK-1

Parachute RK-1(Russian, Kotelnikova, model one) had a round shape and fit into a metal backpack. The backpack was attached to the harness system, which was worn on a person, at two points. Kotelnikov divided the parachute lines into two parts and brought them out to two free ends. A unique reconstruction of the attachment of the canopy to the harness system took place, which eliminated the involuntary rotation of the parachutist under the canopy, where all the lines were attached to one halyard. In the air, after pulling out the ring, a satchel opened, at the bottom of which there were springs under the dome... they threw the dome out of the satchel... and without fail... there was not a single failure...

Can you imagine what severe shock the person survived after tragic death the pilot, and how strong was the desire to save, to exclude the possibility of the pilot’s death if the airplane failed in the airspace. Kotelnikov invented all the keys necessary for the normal operation of the parachute system.

The first tests took place on the ground. The car to which the parachute was attached accelerated, and Kotelnikov activated the parachute, which, coming out of the backpack, instantly opened, and the car stalled from an unexpected jerk back... history tells...

Further tests of the RK-1 parachute system continued from the balloon. A mannequin weighing 80 kg jumped - the most best friend testers. Threw with different heights, and all the dummy's jumps were successful.

But into production parachute system were not accepted due to the fact that the Head of the Russian Air Force Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich expressed concern that pilots would abandon the aircraft at the slightest failure. expensive car in the air. Airplanes are expensive and are imported from abroad. You need to take care of airplanes, but people will be found. Parachutes are harmful; with them, aviators will save themselves at the slightest danger and expose the airplane to destruction.

No, no... and soon the RK-1 parachute designed by G.E. Kotelnikov was submitted to the competition in Paris and Rouen, and the parachute was represented by the commercial firm Lomach and Co.

First parachute jump RK-1. The road to life.

On January 5, 1913, in Rouen, the first parachute jump RK-1 from the bridge over the Seine. Height 60 meters...!!! A student of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Vladimir Ossovsky, made a magnificent fearless jump...!!! The parachute worked perfectly and showed the ability to deploy when jumping from a low altitude. Now you and I understand how risky this jump was, but in those days we believed that this was the safest option for the jump, especially since the Seine River below would save you in an emergency. But you can imagine how spectacular the jump turned out to be! The competition was brilliant! The Russian invention has received recognition abroad.

In Russia, the tsarist government remembered Kotelnikov’s parachute only during the First World War...

But I remembered... :))

Thanks to the pilot G.V. Alekhnovich... he managed to convince the command of the need to supply the crews of multi-engine aircraft with RK-1 parachutes. The first production of backpack parachute systems for aviators under the direction of Kotelnikov began.

Was created new system, parachute RK-2.

Kotelnikov was not satisfied with the metal backpack with springs. Create, create like that! And a parachute appeared RK-3 with soft backpack, in which springs were replaced by honeycombs for laying lines - this technique of laying lines is still used today.

Cargo parachute RK-4 was created in 1924, the Dome with a diameter of 12 meters was designed for a load of up to 300 kg.

Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov paved the way to Heaven, created something that immediately took off and went into rapid development. All tests were successful, which meant that the path was correct.

In 1926, Kotelnikov transferred all his inventions to the Soviet government.

Not far from the test site where Kotelnikov’s parachute was first tested, near the village of Salizi (since 1949 Kotelnikovo), monument with a picture of a parachute.

The inscription on the monument: “In the area of this village in 1912, the world’s first aviation backpack parachute, created by G.E. Kotelnikov, was tested.” But 100 years have already passed... Thank you for the joy, smart Kotelnikov!

In St. Petersburg there is Kotelnikov Alley

At the Novodevichy cemetery, the grave of Gleb Evgenievich Kotelnikov is the place where parachutists constantly tie ribbons and parachute strings to trees.