Boris Gavriilovich Shpitalny (August 7 (O.S. July 25), 1902, Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don

-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...

 — February 6, 1972, Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

) was a Soviet designer of aircraft guns and cannons, Hero of Socialist Labor

Hero of Socialist Labor

Hero of Socialist Labour was an honorary title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries. It was the highest degree of distinction for exceptional achievements in national economy and culture...

 (1940), professor (1949).

Boris Shpitalniy graduated from MAMI Moscow State Technical University

MAMI Moscow State Technical University

"MAMI" Moscow State Technical University, formerly called Moscow Automechanical Institute is a university in Moscow. It specializes in the field of automobile and tractor design. MAMI was founded in 1866 as Komissarov Technical School.-External links:...

 in 1927. Three years later, Boris Shpitalniy together with Irinarkh Komaritsky designed the ShKAS machine gun

ShKAS machine gun

The ShKAS is a 7.62 mm machine gun widely used by Soviet aircraft in the 1930s and during World War II...

, a 7.62 mm machine gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

 widely used by Soviet aircraft in the 1930s and during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. In 1939, a small number of Ultra-ShKAS were produced featuring a firing rate of 3,000 rounds per minute, but these saw only limited use due to reliability problems. ShKAS served as the basis for the ShVAK cannon

ShVAK cannon

The ShVAK was a 20 mm autocannon used by the Soviet Union during World War II. It was designed by Boris Shpitalniy and Semyon Vladimirov and entered production in 1936...

 in 1936 (designed in collaboration with Semyon Vladimirov). This 20-mm autocannon

Autocannon

An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...

 was installed in many Soviet aircraft including Yakovlev Yak-1

Yakovlev Yak-1

The Yakovlev Yak-1 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft. Produced from early 1940, it was a single-seat monoplane with a composite structure and wooden wings....

, Polikarpov I-153

Polikarpov I-153

The Russian Polikarpov I-153 Chaika was a late 1930s Soviet biplane fighter. Developed as an advanced version of the I-15 with a retractable undercarriage, the I-153 fought in the Soviet-Japanese combats in Mongolia and was one of the Soviet's major fighter types in the early years of the Second...

 and I-16, Lavochkin La-5

Lavochkin La-5

|- See also :- References :NotesBibliography* Abanshin, Michael E. and Nina Gut. Fighting Lavochkin, Eagles of the East No.1. Lynnwood, WA: Aviation International, 1993. ISBN unknown....

 and La-7

LA-7

LA-7 or LA 7 can refer to:*Television series L.A. 7*WW2 Soviet aircraft La-7*Italian Television channel La7*Louisiana's 7th congressional district*Louisiana Highway 7...

, LaGG-3, early Ilyushin Il-2

Ilyushin Il-2

The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...

, and Soviet-modified Hawker Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

 aircraft, as well as T-38 and T-60

T-60

The T-60 scout tank was a light tank produced by the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1942. In this time over 6,292 were built. The tank was designed to replace the obsolete T-38 amphibious scout tank.-Design:...

 tanks. In 1934-1953, Boris Shpitalniy was the head and chief designer of a special designer bureau (особое КБ) and then a professor at the Moscow Institute of Geodesy, Aerial Photography & Mapmaking.

For his development of new types of aircraft guns, Boris Shpitalniy was awarded two USSR State Prize

USSR State Prize

The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....

s (1941, 1942), two Orders of Lenin, four other orders, and numerous medals.