Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaysky | |
|---|---|
 Alexander Mozhayskiy | |
| Born | (1825-03-21)21 March 1825 Rochensalm,Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 1 April 1890(1890-04-01) (aged 65) St Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Allegiance |  Russia |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Navy |
| Years of service | 1841–1882 |
| Rank | Rear admiral |
| Battles / wars | Crimean War |
| Awards | Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd class |
Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaysky (also transliterated asMozhayski,Mozhayskii andMozhayskiy;Russian:Алекса́ндр Фёдорович Можа́йский) (March 21 [O.S. March 9] 1825 – 1 April [O.S. March 20] 1890) was an admiral in theImperial Russian Navy, anaviation pioneer, and a researcher and designer ofheavier-than-air craft.[1][2]
Mozhaysky was born inRochensalm, in theGrand Duchy of Finland (present-dayKotka), southernFinland, then part of theRussian Empire. His father was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy, and Mozhaysky graduated from theSea Cadet Corps in 1841. He spent the next seven years on voyages in theBaltic Sea and in theWhite Sea on various vessels, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1849. He served with theBaltic Fleet from 1850 to 1852. In 1853 he was selected as a member of Vice AdmiralYevfimy Putyatin’s expedition to the Far East. In August 1853, he demonstrated a working model of a steam engine to various Japanese dignitaries atNagasaki, from which Japanese inventorTanaka Hisashige was later able toreverse-engineer a Japanese version. In December 1854 he was shipwrecked atHeda, Shizuoka when the frigateDiana sank in the1854 Ansei-Tōkai earthquake. Mozhaysky assisted in the construction of the schoonerHeda in 1855, which enabled the Russian delegation negotiating theTreaty of Shimoda to return home. Later in 1855, during theCrimean War, he served in theGulf of Finland on the brigAntenor.
In 1858 Mozhaysky was selected to participate in an expedition toKhiva inCentral Asia, and published an account of theAral Sea and theAmu Darya River. He was awarded theOrder of St Vladimir, 4th class, for his participation in this expedition. After his return he was made a lieutenant-commander; however, he resigned his commission in 1863 with the downsizing of the Russian navy following the end (1856) of the Crimean War. From 1869 to 1876 he lived outside the city ofVinnytsia in what is nowUkraine.
Mozhaysky began work on aproject to develop a heavier-than-air aircraft from 1876. Mozhaysky re-enlisted in the navy in 1879 and was granted the rank of captain, 1st class. He became an instructor at the Sea Cadet Corps. He was promoted to rear admiral in July 1882, but resigned shortly thereafter due to domestic reasons.Approximately in 1884Mozhaysky's airplane made its first flight. His design relied upon a ramp rather than on engine power to generate sufficient speed forlift. The wing design of his craft lacked thecurvature necessary to generate lift. While it is possible that Mozhaysky's wings slowed hismonoplane's descent after launch from the ramp, the wings were unlikely ever to have provided sufficient lift for sustained flight unless used atangles of attack that would have been impractical, given the engines available to Mozhaysky. He also experimented with different angles of attack.
Mozhaysky died on April 1, 1890, from pneumonia; his tomb is at theSmolensk Cemetery inSaint Petersburg.
In 1909 a Russian newspaper claimed Mozhaysky's hop was thefirst powered flight. This claim was later repeated in manySoviet publications. In 1971-1981Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute researched the topic and disproved the claim. Mozhaysky's original aircraft was found incapable of generating lift because of low engine capacity. It was also shown that with a more powerful engine, which Mozhaysky had planned shortly before his death, the aircraft might have been able to fly.[3][4]
Nevertheless, Mozhaysky's aviation achievements, particularly with regard toflight controls andpropulsion, were considerable given the limits of the technology available to him,[4] and have only recently received serious attention.
TheA.F. Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy in St Peterburg and asteroid2850 Mozhaiskij are named in his honour.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
