At the age of 20, Andrei Tupolev entered the Moscow Higher Technical School and studied under Nikolai Zhukovsky, the founder of Russian aviation. Beginning in 1916, Tupolev held a number of prestigious academic posts, culminating with his appointment as Chief of the Aircraft Design Bureau of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in 1922. Here he produced a series of original designs for his country's first all-metal aircraft. Foremost among his designs was the ANT-4 of 1925, which became the first all-metal, low-wing, twin-engine bomber in the world to enter quantity production. In 1934, his 8-engined ANT-20, the Maxim Gorky, was the largest aircraft flying anywhere in the world. A world's record for distance was set by his ANT-25 long-range monoplane when it flew across the Arctic to America in 1937. During World War II, Tupolev and his team produced a number of excellent medium and heavy bombers which were instrumental in the final victory of the Allied forces. After the war, Tupolev made the transition to the jet age with airliners, beginning with the famous TU-104 and including the world's first supersonic transport, the TU-144. Antrei Tupolev's remarkable career spanned 64 years and resulted in over 100 aircraft designs. His academic brilliance and aerodynamic innovation led the aviation industry in the development of long range, high speed flight.
Inducted in 1988.
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