Pyotr Nikolayevich Nesterov | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | Пётр Николаевич Нестеров |
| Born | (1887-02-15)February 15, 1887 |
| Died | September 8, 1914(1914-09-08) (aged 27) |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Branch | Imperial Russian ArmyImperial Russian Air Service |
| Years of service | 1906—1914 |
| Rank | Stabskapitän |
| Battles / wars | First World War |
Pyotr Nikolayevich Nesterov (Russian:Пётр Николаевич Нестеров; 27 February [O.S. 15 February] 1887 – 8 September [O.S. 26 August] 1914) was aRussian pilot, aircraft designer andaerobatics pioneer.
Nesterov was born on 15 February 1887 in Nizhny Novgorod, into the family of an army officer, a cadet corps teacher. In August 1904, he left the military school in Nizhny Novgorod and went to Mikhailov artillery academy in St Petersburg.[citation needed] He became asecond lieutenant and served in the 9th East SiberianArtilleryBrigade inVladivostok. By the laws of that time, an officer who married before the age of 28 had to contribute a so-called ‘reserve’ to the state treasury – a deposit of 5,000rubles to provide for his family in the event of his death. The only exception was made for officers who served in the Far East; as Nesterov did not have the money, he took his young wife to the Far East.[citation needed]
In 1909, Nesterov came into contact withaviation when he was posted to a balloon observation regiment as an observer.[1] In 1911 he built his firstglider and learned to fly it, before entering flight training at the St. Petersburg aviation school at Gatchina in June, graduating 11 October 1912.[1] A short time later he also passed the examination to be a military pilot. In May 1913 he became leader of an aviation detachment in Kiev, completing night flights at that time.
Nesterov believed an aircraft could fly aloop, a feat not previously performed. Despite the doubts of his peers, Nesterov proved his theory on 9 September 1913 (27 August by theOld Style calendar still used in Russia) and became the first pilot to fly a loop.[2] This was done in aNieuport IVmonoplane over Syretzk Aerodrome nearKiev, in front of numerous watchers.[citation needed] For this he was disciplined with ten days of close arrest, ostensibly "for risking government property". His achievement made him famous overnight and when the feat was officially done by the famous French pilotAdolphe Pégoud, the punishment was reversed; he was promoted to staff captain and later awarded a medal. Stressing the value of these exercises for a military pilot, Nesterov improved Russian flight methods through extensive training, both with cross country flights and steep turns, and designed avee tail for the Nieuport he was flying although its performance proved disappointing.[3]
Aircraft were still unarmed at this early stage, and Nesterov became the first pilot to destroy an enemy airplane in flight. During theBattle of Galicia on 7 September 1914 (25 August by the calendar then used in Russia), after trying various methods on previous occasions unsuccessfully, he used hisMorane-Saulnier Type G (s/n 281) toram theAustrianAlbatros B.II reconnaissance aircraft of observerBaron Friedrich von Rosenthal and pilot Franz Malina from FLIK 11.[4] Eager to destroy enemy aircraft, he probably intended to hit it with a glancing blow but damaged his own aircraft as much as the enemy's and both planes crashed. As was common for the time, Nesterov was not strapped in and he fell from his plane, dying of his injuries the next day.[5] The Austrian pilot and observer also died. The town ofZhovkva (currently inLviv Oblast,Ukraine), located near the battle, was renamed Nesterov in his honor in 1951.
Nesterov was buried inKiev, Russian Empire. His ramming method was used during theSecond World War by a number ofSoviet pilots with success and without loss of life. The technique became known astaran. In his honor, the Soviet Union established theNesterov Cup for the best aerobatics team. The cup was donated to theFédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in 1962. It is awarded to the Men's World Team Champions of the World Aerobatic Championships.[6]
Theouter main-beltasteroid3071 Nesterov, discovered bySoviet astronomerTamara Mikhailovna Smirnova in 1973, is named after him.[7][8][better source needed]
Media related toPyotr Nesterov at Wikimedia Commons
