In honor of Robert Bartini

Young specialists of Russian Ilyushin Aviation Complex took part in the festivities dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birthday of Robert Bartini, an outstanding aircraft designer and aerodynamicist. The Ilyushin workers were joined by beginning aircraft designers of Myasishchev Experimental Design Bureau and other enterprises of the industry, students of field-oriented higher education institutions, and young specialists of Roscosmos and United Rocket and Space Corporation.

The festivities were opened by the General Director of Ilyushin Aviation Complex Aleksei Rogozin, who emphasized Bartini’s role in the formation of the country’s aviation. Aleksei Rogozin pointed out that even today Bartini can serve as a symbol of professional success and offbeat approach to problem solving.

‘Bartini was a man of creative mindset, capable of achieving goals which are critical for our country. By commemorating a man of such stature, we ourselves are becoming better at what we do. Let us remember that there is no such thing as unsolvable tasks. Let us move forward and derive inspiration from our great predecessors,’ Aleksei Rogozin stated.

Among those who gave their welcoming speeches were also pilot-cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, president of the Cosmonautics Federation of Russia Vladimir Kovalenok; first vice-president, general director of the Cosmonautics Federation of Russia, honoured test engineer of space systems Vasily Kuznetsov; acting first deputy general director and acting state secretary of United Rocket and Space Corporation Dmitry Shishkin; and HR director of United Aircraft Corporation Lyubava Shepeleva.

The educational program of the festival included an interactive lecture on the famous aircraft designer, viewing of a documentary film, and a team game during which the future engineers were drawing up a promising aerospace project. Three teams presented their versions of an “aircraft of the future” based on Bartini’s works.

The festivities concluded with an exciting flashmob – red paper planes were flown. The flashmob was a tribute to Bartini, in particular with regards to his words about his main desire: to make “red” (Soviet) aircraft faster than the “black” (Nazi) ones. The young designers wrote their wishes and dreams on the paper planes, which were later flown into the sky in the territory of the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics at the All-Union Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy.

Robert Bartini was a physicist, aircraft designer, and maker of more than 60 aircraft projects, an author of scientific papers on aerodynamics, an inspirator of the Soviet space program. Sergei Korolyov called him his teacher; among his colleagues had been aircraft designers Sergei Ilyushin, Oleg Antonov, Vladimir Myasishchev, Aleksandr Yakovlev. For his versatile talents, he was sometimes compared with Leonardo da Vinci. A special aerodynamical effect, ‘Bartini Effect’, was named after him.

The festivities were prepared by the employees of Ilyushin Aviation Complex jointly with the representatives of Roscosmos State Space Corporation, United Rocket and Space Corporation, and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).