September 9, 1913. For the first time the figure "dead loop" by Nesterov Peter Nikolaevich

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"Hating banality, a half-recognized hero,

he beats on originality with his "dead loop"!

 

The mocking charade published by classmates

P. Nesterov in school almanac, 1912

 

Loop

 

 September 9 (August 27, old style) in 1913, the legendary Russian aviator Nesterov Petr Nikolaevich first performed the figure of the "dead loop" (also known as the "Nesterov loop"), which was the first step to the development of aerobatics.

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Knowing that friends are joking not out of malice, Peter Nikolayevich Nesterov just as jokingly answered their podnachku:

"If it is written: loop, 

That, of course, is me. 

But I assure you, friends, 

On a noose I dare. 

  

I only want one, 

Its loop realizing: 

To make this "dead loop" 

Would be alive in the air. 

  

I do not want to surprise the world, 

Not for fun or fervor, 

And I only want to convince you, 

That there is support everywhere in the air ... " 

And it was not empty words. He explained his reasoning thus:  "Air is a medium completely homogeneous in all directions. He will hold in any position the aircraft with proper control of it. " The artillery officer, who seemed to be an artillery officer, who was enthusiastic and ill with aviation from the first acquaintance, seemed to have devoted himself and his whole short aviator career, conquering the sky and theoretical description of the basics of aerobatics.

Peter Nesterov

The author of the figure "dead loop", the pilot who made the world's first air ram, one of the ancestors of aerobatics, Peter Nikolaevich Nesterov was born on February 27, 1887 in the family of an officer, educator of the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps. Left without a father, the Nesterov family lived hard: four children remained in the care of their mother. At the age of ten, Pyotr Nikolayevich became a cadet in an educational institution, where his father had previously served. In 1904, Nesterov graduated from the corps and as one of the best students was sent to the Mikhailovsky Artillery School. After graduation (again among the best) in 1906, Petr Nikolaevich in the rank of second lieutenant was sent to Vladivostok, to the 9th East Siberian Shooting Artillery Brigade. And here in the new place of service Nesterov begins his inventive activity: he created rules for correcting artillery firing from an observation balloon. But this was not aviation. The hobby for airplanes came to Peter Nikolaevich in 1910, which began, like many pilots of that time, from a glider, which he independently developed and built, and at the helm of which he ascended to the sky. Becoming in 1911 a member of the Nizhny Novgorod Aeronautics Society, in the following year, in 1912, Lieutenant Nesterov received the title of pilot-aviator and military pilot, having made his first independent flight in September. The next step is the completion of the course of the aviation department of the Officer Air School in 1913. which he independently developed and built, and at the helm of which he ascended to the sky. Becoming in 1911 a member of the Nizhny Novgorod Aeronautics Society, in the following year, in 1912, Lieutenant Nesterov received the title of pilot-aviator and military pilot, having made his first independent flight in September. The next step is the completion of the course of the aviation department of the Officer Air School in 1913. which he independently developed and built, and at the helm of which he ascended to the sky. Becoming in 1911 a member of the Nizhny Novgorod Aeronautics Society, in the following year, in 1912, Lieutenant Nesterov received the title of pilot-aviator and military pilot, having made his first independent flight in September. The next step is the completion of the course of the aviation department of the Officer Air School in 1913.

Petr Nikolaevich Nesterov at the glider he built in Nizhny Novgorod in 1911. 

After the courses, in May 1913, Pyotr Nikolaevich was assigned to an air force detachment belonging to the 7th aeronautical company. The detachment was formed in the city of Kiev. However, almost immediately, in June 1913, Nesterov was transferred to the 11th Corps of the 3rd Air Company, whose commander he was soon to become. Here, Pyotr Nikolaevich is mastering the Nieuport IV aircraft, adopted for the aviation units of Russia. Service in the army Nesterov begins to combine with the design and the theory of aerobatics. He tried to create a plane without vertical tail, develops a project of a seven-cylinder air-cooled engine with a capacity of 120 hp, is engaged in the construction of a single-seat high-speed aircraft. All these developments were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. The constant presence in the combat unit allowed Pyotr Nikolaevich to plunge headlong into the development of aerobatics figures. Unlike many contemporaries, Nesterov perfectly understood the whole need to study the capabilities of winged vehicles, that this knowledge can help to save the life of pilots in battle. He conducts mathematical calculations in which he proves that it is possible to carry out deep bends in the aircraft, during which, with a roll of more than 45 degrees, the elevator rudder functions as a rudder and the rudder is a helm. At that time, according to the instruction in flights on airplanes, absolutely any rolls, steep turns and spirals were strictly forbidden, Nesterov introduced flights with deep bends and landing with the stopped engine to the prepared site in the training program for pilots of his detachment. I myself mastered the flights at night. Pyotr Nikolaevich paid much attention to the interaction of aviation with land forces. It seemed that nothing escaped the attention of this active officer who saw the capabilities of aviation and tried to implement them. In the saturated for Nesterov in 1913 the pilot led the group flight of three airplanes along the route Kiev - Oster - Kozelets - Nizhyn - Kiev with intermediate landings. In this flight for the first time air filming was conducted. But an unexpected event occurred that accelerated the implementation of the main dream of Peter Nikolaevich. "I have not yet fully completed the theoretical development of the issue when I learned that the French aviator Pegu is preparing to make a" dead loop ". Then I gave up theoretical calculations and decided to take a chance. To make a "dead loop" was for me a question of self-esteem, - for more than six months I have been investigating this issue on paper ... " And so, a crucial date came, which brought Nesterov worldwide fame. September 9, 1913 in Kiev on Syretsky military airfield. At a large meeting of the people, the plane Nyupor-4, with the engine of 70 liters. with., controlled by Nesterov, soared into the sky. The very name of the "dead" loop figure was due to the fact that for a long time it was calculated only on paper, because the first attempts to perform this figure were carried out at the beginning of aviation on airplanes that did not withstand the resulting overloads and collapsed, and pilots usually did not survive . At an altitude of about 1000 m, Pyotr Nikolayevich switched off the engine and began to dive. At an altitude of about 600 m the motor was turned on, and the plane rushed vertically upwards, then onto its back, described the noose and went to the peak. The motor switched off again, The plane straightened and smoothly landed under the enthusiastic rejoicing of the assembled. Nesterov himself so trusted his own calculations that he did not even fasten his belts to the plane before carrying out the "dead loop". However, the calculations were correct and at the top of the loop it did not fall out, as some warned - the centrifugal force pressed the pilot to the seat.

Nesterov loop design

But the main merit of Nesterov is that he began to use the lifting power of the wing for maneuver in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Six days after Nesterov, this figure of aerobatics was fulfilled by the French aviator A. Pegu. But he himself later recognized the primacy of Peter Nikolaevich. In 1914, before the outbreak of hostilities, Pyotr Nikolayevich took part in two more flights: Kiev - Odessa for 3 hours 10 minutes and Kiev - Gatchina for 9 hours 35 minutes. Man all his life created the history of Russian aeronautics. The Russian government and the scientific community noted the activity of the innovator, awarding him with various orders and medals. The first world war, Peter Nikolayevich met in the rank of captain-captain as the chief of the air force, which was sent to the South-Western Front, where he took part in the battles for Lviv. Nesterov carried out flights for reconnaissance and bombardment of Austrian positions with artillery shells adapted for use from the air. Staff-captain Nesterov carried out his 28th combat mission on September 8 (August 26, old style) in 1914, the anniversary of the Battle of Borodino. Not far from the city of Zholkva, the Moran G, operated by Pyotr Nikolaevich, met the Austrian Albatros, who flew for several days to reconnoitre Russian positions. Nesterov rammed it. The brave Russian aviator died, having fulfilled his duty to the end. He was 27 years old. Not far from the city of Zholkva, the Moran G, operated by Pyotr Nikolaevich, met the Austrian Albatros, who flew for several days to reconnoitre Russian positions. Nesterov rammed it. The brave Russian aviator died, having fulfilled his duty to the end. He was 27 years old. Not far from the city of Zholkva, the Moran G, operated by Pyotr Nikolaevich, met the Austrian Albatros, who flew for several days to reconnoitre Russian positions. Nesterov rammed it. The brave Russian aviator died, having fulfilled his duty to the end. He was 27 years old.

Remains of Nesterov's "Albatross"

In memory of an outstanding pilot and inventor, the International Aviation Federation in 1962 introduced a transitional prize for the winner of the World Championship in aerobatics - the PN Cup. Nesterov. In the name of Peter Nikolaevich streets and alleys of cities of the former USSR are named. His name was also given to the asteroid № 3071. In the Russian Federation, the name of Peter Nikolaevich was given the state award - the medal of Nesterov, established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 2, 1994, No.442 "On state awards of the Russian Federation".

 

 

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