World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbasePavel Osipovich Sukhoi was born in the village of Glubokoye near Vitebsk, Byelorussia. Between 1905 and 1914, he attended the Gomel Gymnasium. In 1915, he enrolled in the Imperial Moscow Technical School, but the outbreak of WW1 meant he was drafted into the Russian Army and did not truly start his studies until 1920; he completed his studies at Moscow Technical Aircraft University (MGTU), the new name of the Imperial Moscow Technical School after the communist revolution, in 1925. In Mar 1925, he began working at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), or specifically, at Tupolev Design Bureau. Under the tutelage of Andrei Tupolev, he worked on several successful aircraft models, including the TB-1 and TB-3 heavy bombers, I-4 and I-14 fighters, and others. In 1932, he became the head of engineering and design department in TsAGI. On 29 Jul 1939, he became the Chief Designer of aircraft factory number 135 in Kharkov, Ukraine, with the main responsibility of manufacturing his Su-2 light bomber aircraft; with this new title, he was given the opportunity to head up his own design bureau, OKB-51, or commonly known as Sukhoi OKB. In 1940, he completed a move of his design bureau from Kharkov to Moscow after insisting that being closer to the capital would be beneficial in terms of attracting greater talent in terms of aircraft engineering and design. In the same year, 1940, he earned his doctorate degree in Technical Sciences. When the Su-2 design became obsolete in the face of German aircraft, he proceeded to improve the design wit the Su-4 variant and also with the new Su-6 design; although he won honors with the Su-6 design, he was not among Joseph Stalin's favorite designers, thus he had little influence. In 1944, he began working with jet engines, producing the Su-9 jet fighter design in 1946. In 1949, he became a deputy chief designer at Tupolev Design Bureau. After Stalin's death in 1953, he regained his political stature with Stalin's successors. In 1955, his design bureau developed the Su-7 turbojet fighter-bomber, for which Sukhoi received the Order of Lenin award. In 1957, he was awarded the Hero of Socialist Labor. In 1958, he became a senator at the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; he held that position until 1974. In 1965, he received another Order of Lenin. In 1975, he received the Tupolev Gold Medal.

Pavel Sukhoi Timeline

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments