OKB (Russian:ОКБ) is a transliteration of the Russian initials for "Опытно-Конструкторское Бюро" (Opytno-Konstruktorskoye Byuro), which translates to "Experimental Design Bureau." During theSoviet era, OKBs were closed institutions working on design and prototyping ofadvanced technology, usually formilitary applications. The corresponding English language term for such a bureau's activity is R&D or "research and development."
For security, each bureau was only officially identified by a number, but were often semi-officially referenced by the name of its lead designer. For example, OKB-51 was led byPavel Sukhoi, and it eventually became known as simplySukhoi. Successful and famous bureaus often retained these names after the departure of their founding designer.
These relatively smallstate-run organisations were not intended formass production of aircraft, rockets, or other vehicles or equipment which they designed. However, they usually had the facilities and resources to construct prototypes. Designs accepted by the state were then assigned to factories for mass production.
After thecollapse of the Soviet Union, many OKBs becameScientific Production Associations (NPOs). There were some attempts to merge them in the 1990s, and there were widespread amalgamations in 2001–2006 to create "national champion" corporations, such asAlmaz-Antey to consolidatesurface-to-air missile development.
OKBs in aerospace industry
edit- KB-1 –NPO Almaz,Vitaly Shabanov
- OKB-1 –Korolev todayRSC Energia
- OKB-1 – Dr.Brunolf Baade disbanded by 1953
- OKB-2 – early name ofMKB Raduga (OKB-155-2)
- OKB-3 –Bratukhin
- OKB-4 –Matus Bisnovat's Design Bureau (different fromNPO Molniya)
- OKB-8 –Novator (long-range SAMs)
- OKB-19 –Shvetsov,Soloviev. Now: "Perm MKB"[1]
- OKB-20 –Klimov,Omsk-Motors
- OKB-21 –Alexeyev
- OKB-23 –Myasishchev (also OKB-482)
- OKB-24 –Mikulin
- OKB-26 –Klimov
- OKB-39 –Ilyushin
- OKB-45 –Klimov
- OKB-47 –Yakovlev originally, transferred toShcherbakov
- OKB-49 –Beriev
- OKB-51 –Sukhoi
- OKB-52 –Chelomei
- OKB-86 –Bartini
- OKB-115 –Yakovlev
- OKB-117 –Klimov,Izotov
- OKB-120 –Zhdanov (surname)
- OKB-124 – N/A (cooling systems forTu-121)
- OKB-134 –Vympel
- OKB-140 – N/A (first hydro-alcohol starter-generators for Tu-121)
- OKB-153 –Antonov
- OKB-154 –Kosberg, previously OKB-296
- OKB-155 –Mikoyan (formerly Mikoyan-Gurevich)
- OKB-155-2 – (sometimes designated as OKB-2-155) OKB-155 spin-off inDubna.Gurevich,Berezniak,Isaev... NowMKB Raduga.
- OKB-156 –Tupolev
- OKB-165 –Lyulka
- OKB-207 –Borovkov and Florov (Borovkov-Florov D,Borovkov-Florov I-207)
- OKB-240 –Yermolaev
- OKB-246 –OKBM (naval nuclear propulsion)
- OKB-256 – Tsybin
- OKB-276 –Kuznetsov
- OKB-296 – renamed toOKB-154 in 1946 KB Khimavtomatika
- OKB-300 –Tumansky
- OKB-301 –Lavochkin
- OKB-329 –Mil
- SKB-385 –Makeev
- OKG-456 –Glushko
- OKB-458 –Chetverikov
- OKB-478 –Ivchenko
- OKB-575 –Kovrov
- OKB-586 –Yangel
- OKB-692 –JSC "Khartron" (formerly KB electropriborostroeniya, then NPO "Electropribor")
- OKB-794 –Leninets[2]
- OKB-938 –Kamov
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"ПЯТЬ ДЕСЯТИЛЕТИЙ ПАВЛА СОЛОВЬЕВА" [Five Decades of Paul Soloviev] (in Russian). Research Institute for the Economics of Aviation Industry (NIIEAP). Archived fromthe original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved10 July 2006.
- ^"Su-24 Historical Background".Sukhoi Company. Archived fromthe original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved14 November 2014.
External links
edit- Factories, Research and Design Establishments of the Soviet Defence Industry: a Guide. University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
- Aviation.ru - "OKBs"