Pyotr Nesterov

Pyotr Nikolayevich Nesterov Пётр Николаевич Нестеров
Born	February 15, 1887(1887-02-15) Nizhny Novgorod
Died	September 8, 1914(1914-09-08) (aged 27) Zhovkva, Lviv Oblast
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service/branch	Imperial Russian Army
Years of service	1906—1914
Rank	Stabskapitan
Battles/wars	First World War

Pyotr Nikolayevich Nesterov (Russian: Пётр Николаевич Нестеров) (27 February [O.S. 15 February] 1887 in Nizhny Novgorod - 8 September [O.S. 26 August] 1914 in Zhovkva, Lviv Oblast) was a Russian pilot, an aircraft technical designer and an aerobatics pioneer.

Ramming attack performed by Pyotr Nesterov

Life and career

The son of a military academy teacher, Pyotr Nesterov decided to choose a military career. In August 1904 he left the military school in Nizhny Novgorod and went to the artillery school, considered one of the best of its kind. He became a second lieutenant and served in the 9th East Siberian artillery brigade in Vladivostok. In 1909, he came into contact with aviation when he was sent to an aircraft manufacturer to work. He built his first glider and learned to fly it.

In 1911 Nesterov began formal training as a pilot and graduated on 11 October 1912. A short time later he also passed the examination to be a military pilot. In May 1913 he became leader of a relay in Kiev, completing night flights at that time.

Achievements

Nesterov believed an aircraft could fly a loop, a feat not previously performed. Despite the doubts of his peers, Nesterov proved his theory on 9 September 1913 (27 August by the calendar then used in Russia) and became the first pilot to fly a loop. This was done in a Nieuport IV monoplane with a 70 hp Gnome engine over Syretzk Aerodrome near Kiev, before many watchers. For this he was disciplined with ten days of close arrest, ostensibly "for risking government property". His achievement made him famous overnight and the punishment was reversed; he was promoted to staff captain and later awarded a medal. He founded the practice of aerobatics, stressing the value of these exercises for a military pilot. Nesterov improved the flight methods and designed new flight models without rudders.

The First World War gave Nesterov the opportunity to test his air war theories in practice. He was particularly adept at controlling the bomb release.

Remains of the aircraft Albatros attacked by Nesterov

Monument to Pyotr Nesterov in Nizhny Novgorod

Aircraft were unarmed at this early stage, and Nesterov became the first pilot to destroy an enemy airplane in flight in the history of military aviation. On 25 August 1914, using a Morane-Saulnier Type G monoplane (s/n 281), he rammed an Austrian reconnaissance plane Albatros B.II of Observer Baron Friedrich von Rosenthal and pilot Franz Malina from FLIK 11 after firing unsuccessfully at them with a pistol.^[1] Eager to destroy enemy aircraft, he probably intended to hit it with a landing gear of his Morane-Saulnier monoplane, but he hit it with his plane's propeller instead. As a result, both planes crashed. Nesterov, who had not strapped himself in, fell from his plane to his death.^[2] The Austrian pilot and Observer also died.^[3][4] The town of Zhovkva (currently in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine) near the famous air fight was renamed Nesterov in 1951, though it has since reverted to Zhovkva.

Legacy

Nesterov was buried in Kiev, Ukraine. His ramming method was used during the Second World War by a number of Soviet pilots with success and without their loss of life. The air-combat technique of ramming Nesterov pioneered became known in Russian as "Taran". In honor of Nesterov the Soviet Union established the Nesterov's cup for the best aerobatics crew. The cup was donated to the International Aeronautics Federation in 1962. It is awarded to the Men's World Team Champions of the World Aerobatic Championships.^[5]
A minor planet 3071 Nesterov discovered by Soviet astronomer Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova in 1973 is named after him.^[6]

See also

• Aerial ramming

References

• Annette Carson - Flight Fantastic: The Illustrated History of Aerobatics (1986)
• Jon Guttman, et al. Pusher Aces of World War 1. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. ISBN 1846034175, 9781846034176.

Sources of information

1. ^ Pusher Aces of World War 1.. p. 9. 
2. ^ From Tsarist General to Red Army Commander by Mikhail Bonch-Bruyevich, translated by Vladimir Vezey, Progress Publishers, 1966, p30
3. ^ Pyotr Nesterov - Great War Forum at 1914-1918.invisionzone.com
4. ^ First recorded meeting in the air? - Great War Forum at 1914-1918.invisionzone.com
5. ^ AIR SPORTS INTERNATIONAL at airsports.fai.org
6. ^ . http://books.google.com/books?hl=ru&q=3067+akhmatova+1982. 

External links

• Biography of Pyotr Nesterov - in Russian

Persondata
Name	Nesterov, Pyotr
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1887
Place of birth	Nizhny Novgorod
Date of death	1914
Place of death	Zhovkva, Lviv Oblast