Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov was a Chief Designer of the
Soviet Design Bureau OKB-276 which deals with the development, manufacture and distribution of equipment, especially aircraft engines, turbines and gearboxes.
Biography
Kuznetsov started his career as a professional coppersmith and he began working as a mechanic. In 1930 graduated from the school and enrolled at the "Moscow Aviation College" where he studied part-time and worked as a mechanic. In 1933, he joined the Air Technical School in the Motor Branch of "VVIA of Zhukovsky". There he studied under
Prof. Nikolai Jegorowitsch Schukowski - then the head of the department for aircraft engines research, and Kuznetsov received a degree with honors in November 1938.
The topic of his diploma there was on motors: four-carburettor, 28-cylinder with a 4-star air-cooled power of 1500 hp at 3400 rpm and at an altitude of 6000 meters with two-high-speed driven centrifugal blowers.
In April 1939, Kuznetsov became a member of Communist Party organization of the academy and was elected a faculty. On 4 April 1941 he successfully defended his thesis on the structural integrity of aircraft engines. In the period from July to September 1942 he trained under a senior engineer of 239 fighter division 6th air force who met
George Malenkov and praised the ability of Kuznetsov and subsequently sent his deputy to become a Designer at the Ufa Aviation Plant.
Here Kuznetsov worked from 1943 to 1949 first under the leadership of
Klimov
The JSC Klimov (or Joint Stock Company Klimov) presently manufactures internationally certified gas turbine engines, main gearboxes and accessory drive gearboxes for transport aircraft.
Originally established as ''Kirill Klimov Experimental D ...
then as chief designer. In 1949 he was transferred to Kuybyshev (currently the City of
Samara) which is headed by the State union pilot plant number 2 on the development and manufacture of advanced jet engines now known as "N. D. Kuznetsova Samara Scientific and Technical Complex". There he worked with
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...
, the famous Soviet rocket designer.
Contributions
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, captured German turbine specialists were brought along with some of the gas turbines to the Soviet Union. In addition to the already established
Jumo 004
The Junkers Jumo 004 was the world's first production turbojet engine in operational use, and the first successful axial compressor turbojet engine. Some 8,000 units were manufactured by Junkers in Germany late in World War II, powering the Mess ...
and
BMW 003
The BMW 003 (full RLM designation 109-003) is an early axial turbojet engine produced by BMW AG in Germany during World War II. The 003 and the Junkers Jumo 004 were the only German turbojet engines to reach production during World War II.
W ...
engines they brought along the design documents and plans of
Jumo 022 project.
In 1949, Kuznetsov was appointed as chief designer of jet engines at
OKB-276 ("Experimental design bureau-276") and started developing
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...
designs further with the help of the German specialists.
It proved to be a successful engine and was completed in 1955. The new turboprop engine, named
Kuznetsov NK-12
The Kuznetsov NK-12 is a Soviet turboprop engine of the 1950s, designed by the Kuznetsov design bureau. The NK-12 drives two large four-bladed contra-rotating propellers, diameter (NK-12MA), and diameter (NK-12MV). It is the most powerful ...
, displayed great performance and was developed up to 11,000 kW. It was used in the
Antonov An-22
The Antonov An-22 "Antei" (, ''An-22 Antej''; English ''Antaeus'') (NATO reporting name "Cock") is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines each driving a pa ...
aircraft,
A-90 Orlyonok
The A-90 ''Orlyonok'' (Russian: Орлёнок, English: "Eaglet") is a Soviet ''ekranoplan'' that was designed by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev of the Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau.
The A-90 uses ground effect to fly a few meters above ...
Ekranoplane and the
Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber among others. The later models produced around 15,000 kW.
In 1954, he began work on a two-flow jet engine with afterburner, called the Kuznetsov
NK-6, which was never completed.
In 1957, he received the Order of
Hero of Socialist Labor
The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...
for his contributions.
From 1959 onwards, he was also involved in the development of engines for the projected Soviet
N1 moon rocket. The primary engines for the development rockets were Kuznetsov
NK-15
The NK-15 (GRAU index 11D51) was a rocket engine designed and built in the late 1960s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation was derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-15 was among the most powerful LOX/ ...
and Kuznetsov
NK-15V (later developed into Kuznetsov
NK-33
The NK-33 and NK-43 are rocket engines designed and built in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation is derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-33 was among the most powerf ...
and Kuznetsov
NK-43). Ultimately, these designs were successful but arrived too late. By the time the bugs in this very advanced design, which to this day has the highest thrust to weight ratio of any
liquid fuel rocket engine ever produced
were rectified, the N1 rocket program had been cancelled.
[Lindroos, Marcus]
THE SOVIET MANNED LUNAR PROGRAM
''MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
''. Accessed: 4 October 2011. Several stockpiled
NK-33
The NK-33 and NK-43 are rocket engines designed and built in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. The NK designation is derived from the initials of chief designer Nikolay Kuznetsov. The NK-33 was among the most powerf ...
engines were refurbished and modified by
Aerojet and used for the
Orbital Sciences
Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other governmen ...
Antares
Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ ...
.
In the 1960s he developed aircraft engines specifically for the world's first supersonic transport aircraft to fly
Tupolev Tu-144
The Tupolev Tu-144 (russian: Tyполев Ту-144; NATO reporting name: Charger) is a Soviet supersonic passenger airliner designed by Tupolev in operation from 1968 to 1999.
The Tu-144 was the world's first commercial supersonic transport ai ...
, the
Kuznetsov NK-144
The Kuznetsov NK-144 is an afterburning turbofan engine made by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Used on the early models of the Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, it was very inefficient and was replaced with the Kolesov RD-36-51
The Ko ...
turbofan. This was however inefficient and replaced by the
Kolesov RD-36.
Based on these design experiences, the engine Kuznetsov
NK-321
The Kuznetsov NK-32 is an afterburning three-spool low bypass turbofan jet engine which powers the Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic bomber, and was fitted to the later model Tupolev Tu-144LL supersonic transport. It produces of thrust in afterburner ...
(also known as NK-32-1) was developed later for the supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber
Tupolev Tu-160, which is also in the more powerful version of the Tupolev Tu-144 (version Tu-144LL).
In the late 1980s OKB- 267 began the development of the fuel sipping Turbo Fan Engine Kuznetsov
NK-93, which has a by-pass ratio of almost 17:1 and thus an engine of a unique design in the world.
Awards
*
Hero of Socialist Labor
The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...
(Twice)
* Honorary Citizen of
Kuybyshev in 1982.
See also
*
Sergey Tumansky
References
Further reading
* J. K. Golovanov, M., "Korolev: Facts and myths",
Nauka, 1994, ;
"Rockets and people"–
B. E. Chertok, M: "mechanical engineering", 1999. ;
*
A.I. Ostashev, ''Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov - The Genius of the 20th Century'' — 2010 M. of Public Educational Institution of Higher Professional Training MGUL .
* "Bank of the Universe" - edited by Boltenko A. C.,
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
, 2014., publishing house "Phoenix",
* "Russia interrupted flight" - Ivanchenko Y. C., M., 2010 publishing house "Restar
External links
Official Company's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuznetsov, Nikolai Dmitriyevich
1911 births
1995 deaths
Early spaceflight scientists
Heroes of Socialist Labour
Soviet inventors
Soviet space program personnel
Soviet spaceflight pioneers
Soviet engineers
Rocket scientists
Full Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences
Full Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences