Artem Mikoyan was among the most prominent aircraft designers in the world. None of the “Russian aircraft” enjoys a greater reputation in the West as “MiG” in its many versions. Mikoyan’s airplanes have set 60 world records, most of which have not yet been surpassed. About 60,000 MiGs have been exported to different countries of the world.
After Mikoyan, a street and school number 166 have been named in Yerevan, as well as a machine-building factory, a Commercial Bank, and an Aviation Museum in Moscow. A military unit in Gyumri, the second city in Armenia, also bears Mikoyan’s name. In 2005, on the 100th anniversary of the aircraft designer, his monument was put at the airport of Erebuni. There is also Mikoyan’s house museum in Sanahin, where a MiG Mikoyan’s car was sent from Moscow in 1982.
Artem Mikoyan is also famous as the brother of the famous Soviet party member Anastas Mikoyan, who was born on August 5, 1905, in the small village of Sanahin is a poor Armenian family of a carpenter. At the age of six, Artem Ivanovich started to work as a shepherd. In 1918 the family moved to Tbilisi.
In 1923, Mikoyan entered the technical school at an engineering factory (Red Aksai) in Rostov-on-Don. In the years between 1928-and 1930, the young man served in the army and was a secretary of the Komsomol committee in the first Soviet tank school.
After returning from the army, Mikoyan went to work at the plant “Compressor” and in 1931 was accepted to study at the Air Force Engineering Academy after Zhukovsky. In 1935, Mikoyan and two other students of the Academy built a light aircraft “Oktyabrenok”, which had an original for that time mechanization of the wing – flaps and slats.
In October 1937, after defending his diploma project Mikoyan was awarded the title of “military engineer-mechanic of the Air Forces of the Red Army.” In 1937, Mikoyan graduated from the Academy with honors and was appointed as a representative of the military acceptance to the factory №1 after Aviakhim.
In 1939 Mikoyan and his team designed a small monoplane “MIG 1” of wood and plywood with low wings. The first flight of “MiG-1” took place in April 1940. Based on “MiG-1”, several modifications were made. Each new model differed from the previous one with more refined structural elements.
Mikoyan Design Bureau continued its work on designing a new type of fighter. It soon created as famous aircraft as “MiG-3” (in honor of which was even erected a monument in bronze on the river Oka), “E-222”, “I-224”.
Following the first jet aircraft, the Mikoyan design bureau managed to create new fighters, more high-speed, advanced, and reliable. One of these was the “MiG-15” equipped with the latest technology an improved pressurized cabin, and an ejection seat.
His flight took place in 1947. The maximum speed of “MiG-15” was 1050 km / h. Then “MiG-17” appeared – the first Soviet supersonic aircraft to break the sound barrier. On the base of it, the interceptor “MiG-17PF” was then created with the radar system and the forced engine.
By the early ’50s, Soviet aircraft had an opportunity to create a supersonic fighter aircraft with swept wings, with navigation and targeting system, flying day and night in adverse weather conditions, a vivid example of which was “MiG-19” with its two engines, developed by Mikoyan Design Bureau in 1954.
At this time a great interest increased abroad towards Artem Ivanovich as a creator of modern fighter aircraft, which had no equal in the world.
In connection with the 50th anniversary and for his services in the creation of new technology Mikoyan was awarded the Order of Lenin. In 1956 he was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor, and in June 1957 a second Mikoyan was awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor.
Artem Ivanovich died on December 9, 1970, after heart surgery. He was buried at Novodevich Cemetery.
For the centenary of Artem Mikoyan’s death, The Central Bank of Armenia issued a commemorative silver 100-dram coin.
Source: armedia.am
