Among prominent figures of the Soviet Union, Beriev Georgiy Mikhailovich occupies an honorable place. Perhaps his name is not known to everyone and everyone, but in the field of aircraft construction - this is a man-legend. He, more than any of his colleagues, has succeeded in creating amphibious aircraft, which today are among the best on the planet. They are issued under the Be brand (the first syllable of the creator’s name). Beriev left the descendants not only many models of aircraft, but also a school in which his students continue to design seaplanes.
Childhood
In the Georgian city of Tbilisi (Tiflis) on February 13, 1903, Beriev Georgy Mikhailovich was born. His nationality is Georgian. The name of his father initially sounded like Beriashvili. But since the vast majority of Tbilisi residents were Russian, Mikhail Solomonovich did not feel very comfortable and changed his surname. All four of his children were already growing Berievs.
The father of the future aircraft designer worked as a simple laborer, and her mother - Ekaterina Prokhorova (apparently, was Russian) - worked as a laundress.
Young George was very lucky with the school. Its director, being a great enthusiast, tried to provide students with a quality education, enriching the standard program. Children were constantly taken on excursions and broadened their horizons in various other ways. The impressions of his school years remained forever in Beriev's memory. And a huge shock to his childhood was for him the first time he saw the flight of an airplane made by ace Sergey Utochkin. Perhaps it was during that air show that the boy had a dream about the sky.
But, after graduating from school, the fifteen-year-old Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev did not go to the pilots, but to the iron foundry. True, he worked there only a couple of years.
Education
Parents of the guy, although they were very poor, but believed that they were obliged to give education to their children. Therefore, they did everything possible for George to enter Tbilisi Higher Primary School. Studying was easy for the young man, and especially liked technical subjects. In 1916, Beriev successfully graduated from this school and immediately entered another - railway, where he received a degree in mechanics.
The guy failed to finish school. The Civil War flared up more and more, and Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev, being an ardent admirer of the Bolsheviks, first joined the Komsomol and then left as a volunteer in the Red Army.
Only a few years later he managed to continue his education. This time the choice fell on the polytechnic in Tbilisi.
Dream of heaven
Analyzing the fate of an outstanding figure, today we can say that Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev was born “winged”. The dream of heaven, which originated in childhood, became even sharper in youth. The guy tried to enter the Yegoryevsky school of pilots, but it did not work out - he had to study at the Polytechnic. Only George was not one of those who surrendered. A year after admission, he found a compromise, transferring from Tbilisi to Leningrad, where the Polytechnic Institute had a shipbuilding department and an aviation department. Life was back on track … The dream was getting closer.
Students practiced at the factory "Red Pilot" - the largest manufacturer of aircraft in the country. During practice, the 27-year-old Beriev Georgy Mikhailovich first ascended into the sky. True, so far only as a passenger.
Carier start
The 20-30s were marked by the rapid development of hydroaviation in many countries of the world, including the Union. To develop this industry, the Soviet government specifically created OMOS (Department of Marine Experimental Aircraft Engineering). This is where the graduate of the Polytechnic came to work.
The next place of work of Beriev was a design bureau under the leadership of French aircraft designer Paul Richard. Georgy Mikhailovich first held the position of calculator, and then designed the nodes.
The design bureau has been functioning for three years and during this time it has not been marked by any significant achievements. Therefore, the contract with the Frenchman was not renewed, and the bureau was disbanded. Some employees, among whom was Beriev, went to the TsAGI Central Design Bureau. Here, a highly qualified specialist was entrusted with the post of deputy chief of the marine department of the Central Design Bureau-39.
Beriev Georgy Mikhailovich works tirelessly and very soon creates a plane that in the next twenty years was indispensable in the aviation of the navy of the USSR. We are talking about the most popular apparatus of those years - the all-metal seaplane MBR-2.
Foreign experience
After the launch of the MBR-2, its designer was noticed and noted by the government. The authorities decided that Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev, whose biography was simply impeccable (born in a proletarian family, joined the party, fought as part of the Red Army), is worthy of a trip abroad in order to take on experience.
The trip lasted 6 months, and during this time Beriev managed to visit aircraft manufacturing enterprises in England, France, Italy and even the United States of America. The delegation of Soviet aircraft designers returned to their homeland in July 1934.
Chief Designer of the Central Design Bureau of Marine Aircraft
After Beriev returned, he was transferred to Taganrog, where at the aircraft factory, taking the position of chief designer, he creates a design bureau from scratch.
The Taganrog period of Georgy Mikhailovich’s activities includes his “offspring” such as the civilian version of the MBR-2 - MP-1, presented in two versions - for the transport of passengers and goods.
Employees of the plant, managed by Beriev, managed to create the first in the USSR catapult amphibious aircraft KOR-1. The model was not perfected, but it was put into production.
Among the significant achievements of those years is also the improved MBR-2, which received the "name" of MBR-7; MDR-5, designed for marine long-range reconnaissance; development of the KOR-2 apparatus, which belongs to the class of ejection monoplanes, and others.
Dream come true
Working in Taganrog, Beriev Georgy Mikhailovich - an aircraft designer of the highest class, continued to dream about the sky. He wanted not only to create winged vehicles, but also to control them!
And then it occurred to him to find like-minded people and create an aero club. Conceived - done! The authorities made concessions to the eminent designer and allocated him two U-2 aircraft. On them all comers learned to fly. Got a “crust” of the pilot and Beriev.
In the future, he often sat down at the helm, including his offspring - MBR-2. And once, even managing the latter, I got into a difficult situation. The engine of the aircraft failed, and the pilots had to put the device in water in bad weather conditions. Balancing on the waves, put in order the "heart of the bird", took off and safely reached the airport.
Thus, Georgy Beriev proved in practice that he created a worthy model. And also - finally, his childhood dream came true!
The Great Patriotic War
Productive activity was treacherously interrupted by the invasion of the Nazis. The Great Patriotic War began. Beriev's design bureau was evacuated to Omsk, where work continued on the vital country KOR-2. Time was running out, power was rushing, although its true motives were at first incomprehensible.
Later it turned out that KOR-2 was to perform the functions of a light bomber during naval battles. For this purpose, the bureau redid the model somewhat, and it was launched into mass production.
The year 1943, when the design bureau was already working in Krasnoyarsk, dates back to the design of the first flying boat created by Beriev. It was a new generation ship. But, unfortunately, he did not have time to fight. The first copy of the LL-143 (or Be-6) was assembled just in time for victory - in May of the 45th, and the country began production of vehicles in 1946. Production was carried out in Taganrog.
For a real breakthrough in the domestic aircraft industry, Beriev Georgy Mikhailovich received high awards:
- 2 orders of Lenin.
- 2 orders of the Red Banner of Labor.
- Medal "For Military Merit".
- Medal "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."
- Anniversary medals.
- Name weapons.
- Stalin Prize of the second degree.
- State Prize of the USSR.
After the war
At the end of World War II, the design of aircraft received a new round of development. Taganrog Design Bureau produced one model after another.
Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev, whose photo was already familiar to readers of Soviet newspapers, soon after the legendary Be-6 presented the country with a Be-8 multipurpose seaplane, which had long served as a flying laboratory (underwater wings were tested on it).
The next brainchild of the bureau was the Be-P1 marine reconnaissance, and after it came the turn to see the Be-10 light, which was first equipped with swept wings. The aircraft was presented during a crowded air show, and later twelve world records were made on it. True, the Be-10 century turned out to be offensively short, because the device was created from an extremely short-lived aluminum alloy.
Military industry developed worldwide, and nuclear submarines entered the podium. Their destruction is the goal that amphibian designers now had to pursue. And Beriev creates another masterpiece - the Be-12, affectionately called the "seagull." This unit could find and destroy submarines. For him, the designer received another award - the State Prize. "The Seagull" made it possible to establish forty-two world records.
A departure from the “topic” was the creation of a P-10 projectile under the leadership of Georgy Mikhailovich. He had nothing to do with amphibians.
Last years
Beriev devoted the last years of his career to creating projects, most of which have remained unrealized. Among them, for example, amazing "ekranoplans" that can fly over any plane due to an air cushion. Some developments simply did not have time to take root, because they lost relevance. And others are still waiting in the wings and still look fantastic.
In the late 1960s, after a repeated heart attack, Georgy Mikhailovich left the design bureau. But she does not sit idle on retirement, continuing her analytical and research work. Trying to predict the future of aviation. Member of various scientific and technical councils of the country. Until the very last days, Georgy Mikhailovich Beriev remains in service. Major General left this world on July 12, 1979.
