Valentin Vasin

Valentin Vasin
Native name	Валентин Петрович Васин
Born	30 October 1923 Alyoshino village,Moscow Governorate,RSFSR,USSR
Died	11 November 2010 Zhukovsky,Russian Federation
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1941–1951
Rank	major general
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union Honoured Test pilot of the USSR
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Valentin Petrovich Vasin(Russian:Валентин Петрович Васин;30 October 1923 — 11 November 2010) was a decorated Soviet test pilot and head of flight operations (1973–1995) in theGromov Flight Research Institute.

Early life

Vasin was born on 30 October 1923to a working-class Russian family inAlyoshino village.He grew up inNovogireyevo,and graduated from ten grades of school and training at the Reutov aeroclub in 1941 before joining the army. He attended the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots, graduating in 1944 and working there as an instructor pilot until 1947. That year he graduated from the Higher Officer School of Instructors and continued to work as a flight instructor until May 1951.

Test pilot career

After graduating from theFedotov Test Pilot Schoolin 1953 he began his career at theGromov Flight Research Institute,where he worked as a test pilot for over twenty years. There, he conducted numerous tests on new aircraft and various modifications to existing aircraft. In 1955 he conducted tests of the TV-2T engine on a Tu-4 flying laboratory. On 11 February 1956 he participated in the maiden flight of theAn-8as co-pilot,and later that year on 25 March he achieved a speed exceedingMach IIon a Ye-50 fighter, breaking a speed record.On theMiG-19,MiG 21,Su-7,andSu-9he conducted tests of landing without engine power, and tested engine types for the Su-9,Su-11,MiG-21, and SM-12. He also flew test flights in conditions of weightlessness,including on tests of the LDAZ rocket engine on anIl-28in 1956. On 1 May 1957 he was awarded the titleHero of the Soviet Unionfor his test pilot work, but continued to work as a test pilot afterwards, flying tests the Yak-27V in 1958 and graduating from additional training at theMoscow Aviation Institutein 1959.During his career he participated in tests of not only aircraft but also new engines like the SM-50 and SM-51 and helicopters such as theMil Mi-1,Mil Mi-4,Mil Mi-8.In 1966 he was awarded the title Honoured Test Pilot of the USSR for his flight test work. He also held many senior posts at the Gromov Flight Research Institute until 2003, even after retiring from flying work. He lived in Zhukovsky, where he died on 11 November 2010 and was buried in theBykovo cemetery.

Awards

• Hero of the Soviet Union(1 May 1957)
• Honoured Test Pilot of the USSR(9 June 1966)
• Order of Lenin(1 May 1957 and 21 August 1964)
• Order of the October Revolution(26 April 1971)
• Order of Friendship of Peoples (29 December 1992)
• Honorary citizen of Zhukovsky
• jubilee medals

Literature

• Balakov, Igor; Simonov, Andrey (1999).Испытатели МиГов(in Russian). Zhukovsky: Авиационный Печатный Двор.ISBN5-93705-001-0.
• Vasin, Valentin; Simonov, Andrey (2001).Испытатели ЛИИ(in Russian). Zhukovsky: Авиационный Печатный Двор.
• Simonov, Andrey (2015).Заслуженные испытатели СССР(in Russian) (2 ed.). Moscow: Фонд «Русские витязи».