Alexander Kartveli
Encyclopedia
Alexander Kartveli 1896–1974, born Kartvelishvili) was a famous and influential aircraft engineer and a pioneer of American aviation history. Kartveli achieved important breakthroughs in military aviation in the time of turbojet fighters. He is considered to be one of the most important and innovative aircraft designers in US history
into a noble Georgian family. He graduated from the grammar school in Tiflis in 1914. Later on, he decided to move to France, as one of several aviation engineer aspirants of Georgian origin, such as Michael Gregor.
Kartveli graduated in 1922 from the Highest School of Aviation in Paris. In 1922–1927, he worked for a while at the Louis Bleriot
company and designed the Bernard
and Ferbois aircraft. In 1924, one of his aircraft established a world speed record.
In 1927, the American millionaire Charles Levine invited Kartveli to New York, to join the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation in 1928 and in 1931 Kartveli met the prominent engineer Alexander de Seversky, who was born in Georgia but was of Russian descent. In his little company which later was renamed to Seversky Aircraft Corporation, Kartveli worked as Chief engineer. In 1939 the company again changed its name to "Republic Aviation Company
".
.
After Kartveli immigrated to the United States, Seversky almost immediately hired his fellow immigrant as chief engineer, and Kartveli quickly proceeded to design a number of very advanced aircraft, including the SEV-1XP, which outperformed the Curtiss P-36 Hawk during a 1936 Army Air Corps competition and served as a necessary step in developing all metal aircraft. Known by the military designation Seversky P-35
, it was the first modern US Army fighter, incorporating a metal fuselage, low-set wings, retractable landing gear and a radial engine. A different concept called Seversky SEV-3
, a floatplane fitted with retractable wheels failed to win a volume order, but the Seversky coorporation succeeded with selling a subsequent trainer model, the BT-8
was born. The first major aircraft to merge from the new company was the P-47 Thunderbolt
, using an innovative wing from the fertile efforts of Kartveli. At the end of the war he designed a sleek flying photo lab called the Republic XF-12, initially planned as a four-engine postwar transport; American Airliners canceled its orders and only two prototypes were built for the US Air Force.
Shortly after the end of World War II, Kartveli designed the F-84 Thunderjet
and the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. Then later on lead the team that developed the F-105 Thunderchief
. He was also heavily involved with a 1960s-era Air Force project called "Aerospaceplane", to design and build an orbital logistics vehicle a decade before the NASA
attempted a similar concept, known as Space Shuttle
. The radical turboramjet-powered XF-103 was another stillborn Kartveli design, a victim of the populsion community not being able to produce a suitable engine to power the Mach 3 interceptor. Kartveli contributed significantly to the science of flight and the readiness of the US Military and was involved in designing and leading of various projects.
who was leading designer of the Lockheed Corporation
. An immigration to the United States, saved both engineers Alexander Kartveli and Michael Gregor from the Great Purge
of Joseph Stalin
.
Alexander Kartveli died 1974 in New York.
Education and early career
Alexander Kartveli was born in Tiflis, Georgia, later Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
into a noble Georgian family. He graduated from the grammar school in Tiflis in 1914. Later on, he decided to move to France, as one of several aviation engineer aspirants of Georgian origin, such as Michael Gregor.
Kartveli graduated in 1922 from the Highest School of Aviation in Paris. In 1922–1927, he worked for a while at the Louis Bleriot
Louis Blériot
Louis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
company and designed the Bernard
Bernard
The masculine given name Bernard is of Germanic origin.The meaning of the name is from a Germanic compound Bern-hard meaning "bear-hardy", or "brave as a bear". Bern- is the old form of bear from West Germanic *beran-....
and Ferbois aircraft. In 1924, one of his aircraft established a world speed record.
In 1927, the American millionaire Charles Levine invited Kartveli to New York, to join the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation in 1928 and in 1931 Kartveli met the prominent engineer Alexander de Seversky, who was born in Georgia but was of Russian descent. In his little company which later was renamed to Seversky Aircraft Corporation, Kartveli worked as Chief engineer. In 1939 the company again changed its name to "Republic Aviation Company
Republic Aviation Company
The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many important military aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt, F-84...
".
Seversky Corporation
Kartveli and Seversky worked on a series of new designs. During World War II the first joint project resulted into one of the most effective US fighter aircraft, the Republic P-47. The new fighter aircraft was a clear improvement to the in comparison lightly armed Seversky P-35Seversky P-35
The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...
.
After Kartveli immigrated to the United States, Seversky almost immediately hired his fellow immigrant as chief engineer, and Kartveli quickly proceeded to design a number of very advanced aircraft, including the SEV-1XP, which outperformed the Curtiss P-36 Hawk during a 1936 Army Air Corps competition and served as a necessary step in developing all metal aircraft. Known by the military designation Seversky P-35
Seversky P-35
The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...
, it was the first modern US Army fighter, incorporating a metal fuselage, low-set wings, retractable landing gear and a radial engine. A different concept called Seversky SEV-3
Seversky SEV-3
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The end of the beginning...The Seversky P-35". Air Enthusiast, Ten, July–September 1979, pp. 8–21....
, a floatplane fitted with retractable wheels failed to win a volume order, but the Seversky coorporation succeeded with selling a subsequent trainer model, the BT-8
Republic Aviation Company
In 1939, Seversky was removed as head of his company and the Republic Aviation CompanyRepublic Aviation Company
The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Originally known as the Seversky Aircraft Company, the company was responsible for the design and production of many important military aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt, F-84...
was born. The first major aircraft to merge from the new company was the P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, using an innovative wing from the fertile efforts of Kartveli. At the end of the war he designed a sleek flying photo lab called the Republic XF-12, initially planned as a four-engine postwar transport; American Airliners canceled its orders and only two prototypes were built for the US Air Force.
Shortly after the end of World War II, Kartveli designed the F-84 Thunderjet
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
and the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. Then later on lead the team that developed the F-105 Thunderchief
F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
. He was also heavily involved with a 1960s-era Air Force project called "Aerospaceplane", to design and build an orbital logistics vehicle a decade before the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
attempted a similar concept, known as Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
. The radical turboramjet-powered XF-103 was another stillborn Kartveli design, a victim of the populsion community not being able to produce a suitable engine to power the Mach 3 interceptor. Kartveli contributed significantly to the science of flight and the readiness of the US Military and was involved in designing and leading of various projects.
List of aircraft Kartveli designed and helped to design
- Bernard 191GR
- Ferbois aircraft
- Seversky P-35Seversky P-35The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...
- Seversky SEV-3Seversky SEV-3|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The end of the beginning...The Seversky P-35". Air Enthusiast, Ten, July–September 1979, pp. 8–21....
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
- Republic XF-12
- Republic F-84 Thunderjet
- F-84G
- XP-84
- XP-84A
- YP-84A
- F-84B
- EF-84B
- F-84C
- F-84D
- F-84E
- EF-84E
- F-84G
- F-84KX
- Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
- YF-84F
- RF-84F
- RF-84K
- YF-84J
- Republic F-105 Thunderchief
- Rockwell X-30Rockwell X-30-See also:-References: 2. -External links:*...
- Republic XF-103Republic XF-103The Republic XF-103 was an American project to develop a high speed interceptor aircraft capable of destroying Soviet bombers. Despite a prolonged development, it never progressed past the mock-up stage.-Development:...
- Republic RC-3 SeabeeRepublic RC-3 SeabeeThe Republic RC-3 Seabee is an all-metal amphibious sports aircraft designed by Percival Spencer and manufactured by the Republic Aircraft Corporation.-Design and development:...
- Republic P-43 Lancer
- Republic XF-84H
- Gloster JavelinGloster JavelinThe Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...
(disputed)
Career status
Due to the false assumption that Kartveli was of Russian origin ( Georgia at that time was part of the USSR and the relationship between both superpowers was stressed ), he never became as famous as his counterpart Clarence JohnsonClarence Johnson
Clarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson was an aircraft engineer and aeronautical innovator. As a member and first team leader of the Lockheed Skunk Works, Johnson worked for more than four decades and is said to have been an "organizing genius"...
who was leading designer of the Lockheed Corporation
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
. An immigration to the United States, saved both engineers Alexander Kartveli and Michael Gregor from the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
Alexander Kartveli died 1974 in New York.