Vladimir Yakovlevitch Klimov

Vladimir Yakovlevitch Klimov (in Russian ВладимирЯковлевичКлимов; * July 11th/July 23rd 1892 with Moscow; † September 9th 1962) was a Soviet manufacturer of driving of planes. He carried the rank of Engineer Generalmajor of the air force.

He began his career in 1918 as professor at the technical university from Moscow then to the Military academy Joukovski while working as aeronautical engineer in several factories and research institutes on various projects.

He accomplished several voyages abroad to acquire the production taxes under license of engines intended for the Soviet air forces in the course of creation. Thus it bought in Germany in 1924 hundred engines BMW and acquired the production taxes of the French engine Hispano-Suiza and in 1928 those of the engine Gnome and the Rhone, from which it bought also 200 specimens. Of 1925 with 1930, it worked with the development of several radial engine.

Extremely of the experience gained at the time of its voyage in France in 1933, it founded in 1935 with Saint-Petersbourg OKB -117, a research department for engines of planes of which it was named chief engineer. It is there that was developed under its direction the engine M-100 which equipped the Tupolev SB-2. The greatest success which its team gained at that time was the Moteur in line M-105 which equipped several types of planes of the Second world war like the bomber S Yer-2 and EP-2, the hunter LaGG-3 as well as the successful series of the Yakovlev Yak-1M, Yak-3, Yak-7 and Yak-9PD. This engine, renamed VK-105 in the honor of its creator, was with his various alternatives one of the Soviet engines of the most used planes.

After the war, the team of Klimov concentrated with the development of reaction engines by directing particularly towards the English turbines of Rolls-Royce Derwent and Nene . It built also the first Soviet reaction engines:

WK-1 assembled on Mig-15,
WK-2 assembled on La-15, It-28 and Mig-17 and finally
WK-5B assembled on Mig-19.

It joined Sergueï Isotov, an engineer also originator of engines (such as for example that of the Mil Semi-8), which was its assistant editor.

With his death, Vladimir Klimov had been decorated five times with the Ordre of Lénine, named twice Héros of socialist work, it had been four times prize winner of the Prix of the State and was member of the Academy of Science of the USSR.

Foot-note: The double dates initially indicate the date according to the Calendrier Julien into force until the Russian Révolution 1917 and in second place, that of the Gregorian Calendrier used in the Western countries since XVIe/XVIIIe century. See also: Wikipédia: conventions of Transcription of French Russian.

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