One of the main inventions of aviation - the parachute - appeared thanks to the determination and efforts of just one person - the self-taught designer Gleb Kotelnikov. He had not only to solve many of the most difficult technical problems for his time, but also for a long time 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 inventor of the parachute, who had not yet taken place, dreamed of a 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 golden hands from birth, he constantly made and collected something (for example, at the age of 13 he managed to assemble a working camera).
Career
The future I choseinventor of the parachute, 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. Three years of military service followed. After retiring, 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 the People's House, taking the pseudonym Glebov-Kotelnikov for the stage. St. Petersburg gave him new opportunities for realizing his inventive potential. All previous years, the nugget continued to engage in construction at an amateur level.
Passion for airplanes
Aviation began to develop at the beginning of the 20th century. Demonstration flights began to be carried out in many cities of Russia, including St. Petersburg, which were of great interest to the public. It was in this way that the future inventor of the backpack parachute, Gleb Kotelnikov, got acquainted with aviation. Being indifferent to technology all his life, he could not help but catch fire with an interest in aircraft.
By a 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 off his seat and died, falling to the ground. Following him, a primitive and unstable plane fell.
Necessityparachute
The accident involving Matsievich was a natural consequence of the unsafe flight on the very first aircraft. If a person went into the air, he put his life on the line. This problem arose even before the advent of aircraft. In the 19th century, balloons suffered from a similar unresolved issue. In the event of a fire, people were trapped. They could not leave the vehicle in distress.
Only the invention of the parachute could solve this dilemma. The first experiments on its production were carried out in the West. However, the task, due to its technical features, was extremely difficult for its time. For many years, aviation has been marking time. The inability to provide a life-saving guarantee to pilots seriously hampered the development of the entire aeronautics industry. Only desperate daredevils entered it.
Work on the invention
After a tragic episode on a 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 surprising thing was that an amateur actor took on a technical task alone, over which many specialists from all over the world had been struggling for many years to no avail.
The inventor of the parachute Kotelnikov conducted all his experiments at his own expense. Money was tight, often had to save on details. Instances of rescuefunds were dropped from kites and St. Petersburg roofs. Kotelnikov acquired a pile of books on the history of flying. Experience passed one after another. Gradually, the inventor came to an approximate configuration of the future rescue vehicle. It was supposed 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.
Technical problem solving
Using a parachute with an imperfect design was fraught with several serious flaws. First of all, this is a powerful jerk that was waiting for the pilot during the opening 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 mounts several times. When using the wrong design of the life-saving equipment, a person could randomly rotate in the air.
The inventor of an aviation backpack parachute tested his first models on mannequin dolls. He used silk as a fabric. In order for this matter to be able 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 a head helmet, but so much silk could not fit in it. The inventor had to come up with an original solution for this problem as well.
Backpack idea
Perhaps the name of the inventor of the parachute would have been different if Gleb Kotelnikov had not guessed to solve the problem of folding the parachute using a specialknapsack. In order to fit matter into it, I 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 a special metal satchel there was a shelf and two coil springs. Kotelnikov made the design 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 dome, and the fall became smooth.
Finishing touches
The parachute consisted of 24 canvases. Slings went through the entire dome, which were connected on suspension straps. They were fastened with hooks to the base, put on a person. It consisted of a dozen waist, shoulder and chest straps. Leg wraps were also included. The parachute device allowed the pilot to control it when descending to the ground.
When it became clear that the invention would be a breakthrough in aviation, Kotelnikov became concerned about copyright. He did not have a patent, and therefore any outsider who saw the parachute in action and understood the principle of its functioning 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 rescue vehicle would be tested.
Patent Fight
The amazing story of the invention of the parachute continued on August 10, 1911year, when Kotelnikov wrote a detailed letter to the War Ministry. He described in detail the technical characteristics of the novelty and explained the importance of its implementation in 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 now the inventor has to deal with terrible bureaucratic red tape. He began to beat on the thresholds of the War Department and various commissions. In the end, Gleb Evgenievich broke into the committee on inventions. However, the functionaries of this department rejected the idea of the designer. They refused to issue a patent, considering the invention useless.
Recognition
After the failure at home, Kotelnikov achieved official registration of his invention in France. The long-awaited event took place 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 audience, a 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 the dome swung open in the sky. There was no wind that day, which caused the dummy to land right on its feet and,After standing there for a few more seconds, he fell. After this public test, it became known to the whole world who was the inventor of the aviation backpack parachute.
Mass production of parachutes
The first serial production of the RK-1 began in France in 1913. The demand for parachutes rose by an order of magnitude after the First World War soon broke out. In Russia, rescue kits were needed for the pilots of the Ilya Muromets aircraft. Then, for many years, the RK-1 remained indispensable in Soviet aviation.
Under the Bolshevik regime, Kotelnikov continued to modify his original invention. He worked extensively with Zhukovsky, who shared his own aerodynamic laboratory. Experienced jumps with trial models of parachutes turned into a mass spectacle - a huge number of spectators came to them. In 1923, the RK-2 model appeared. Gleb Kotelnikov supplied her with a semi-soft satchel. Several more modifications followed. Parachutes became more comfortable and practical.
Simultaneously with his inventive activities, Kotelnikov devoted a lot of time to helping flying clubs. He gave lectures, was a welcome guest in sports communities. At the age of 55, due to age, the inventor stopped experiments. He transferred all his legacy to the Soviet state. For numerous merits, 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 begin?war, already elderly and weakly seeing Gleb Evgenievich, nevertheless, took an active part in organizing the air defense of Leningrad. The blockade winter and famine de alt a severe blow to his he alth. Kotelnikov was evacuated to Moscow, where he died on November 22, 1944. The famous inventor was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.
