Igor Volk
Encyclopedia
Igor Petrovich Volk was a cosmonaut
and test pilot
in the Soviet Union
. He is married and has two children.
Igor Volk was selected as a cosmonaut on July 30, 1980, flew as Research Cosmonaut on Soyuz T-12
, the 7th expedition to Salyut 7
. One goal of the mission was to test the effects of long-duration spaceflight on Volk's return flight piloting as a precursor to piloting the Space Shuttle Buran. He served as the head of the cosmonauts training for the Buran program and since the project's cancellation, as a Flight Tests Deputy at the Gromov Flight Research Institute
in 1995 before retiring in 1996. He has previously served as President of the National Aero Club of Russia and Vice President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
. As recognition for his contributions as a test pilot and cosmonaut he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union
on July 29, 1984.
He is also an inventor and is planning a new four-person concept
flying car
called the Lark-4 which takes off and lands at 45 km/h (28 mph) using a 27-meter (89 feet) runway
. It consumes 11 litres (3 gallons) of fuel
for every 100 km (62.1 mi) traveled and cruises
at around 637 km/h (396 mph).
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
and test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He is married and has two children.
Igor Volk was selected as a cosmonaut on July 30, 1980, flew as Research Cosmonaut on Soyuz T-12
Soyuz T-12
Soyuz T-12 was the seventh manned spaceflight to the Soviet space station Salyut 7. The name "Soyuz T-12" is also the name of the spacecraft used to launch and land the mission's three person crew. The mission occurred in July 1984, during the long-duration expedition Salyut 7 EO-3...
, the 7th expedition to Salyut 7
Salyut 7
Salyut 7 was a space station in low Earth orbit from April 1982 to February 1991. It was first manned in May 1982 with two crew via Soyuz T-5, and last visited in June 1986, by Soyuz T-15. Various crew and modules were used over its lifetime, including a total of 12 manned and 15 unmanned launches...
. One goal of the mission was to test the effects of long-duration spaceflight on Volk's return flight piloting as a precursor to piloting the Space Shuttle Buran. He served as the head of the cosmonauts training for the Buran program and since the project's cancellation, as a Flight Tests Deputy at the Gromov Flight Research Institute
Gromov Flight Research Institute
M. M. Gromov Flight Research Institute or LII for short is an important Russian aircraft test base, scientific research center located in Zhukovsky, 40 km south-east of Moscow.It has one of the longest runways in Europe at 5,403 m...
in 1995 before retiring in 1996. He has previously served as President of the National Aero Club of Russia and Vice President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
. As recognition for his contributions as a test pilot and cosmonaut he was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
on July 29, 1984.
He is also an inventor and is planning a new four-person concept
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
flying car
Flying car
A flying car or roadable aircraft is an aircraft that can also travel along roads. All the working examples have required some manual or automated process of conversion between the two modes of operation....
called the Lark-4 which takes off and lands at 45 km/h (28 mph) using a 27-meter (89 feet) runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. It consumes 11 litres (3 gallons) of fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
for every 100 km (62.1 mi) traveled and cruises
Cruise (flight)
Cruise is the level portion of aircraft travel where flight is most fuel efficient. It occurs between ascent and descent phases and is usually the majority of a journey. Technically, cruising consists of heading changes only at a constant airspeed and altitude...
at around 637 km/h (396 mph).
External links and references
- Detailed biography of Igor Volk
- Bio at Astronautix
- Lark-4 Information
- Goodwill Flight Russia-Australia-Russia