An
exhibition dedicated to Alexander Kartveli, the greatest military aircraft designer
in history, is on display at the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi from
November 17, 2015 to May 1, 2016.
In
conjunction with the Alexander Kartveli Association, the exhibition, “Alexander
Kartveli – Georgian Genuis of American Aviation,” showcases the innovative designs of American military aircraft. The exhibition celebrates Kartveli’s
life and work, credited with some of the most important breakthroughs in
aviation design.
Kartvelishvili
(1896-1974) was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, on September 9. He moved to Paris
with his parents and sister to study aviation (his letter to the Russian government
requesting permission to study in Paris is displayed in the exhibition).
His reputation in the
1920s, while working for the French firm Bleriot Aeronautiqe, led to his
meeting with American aviation entrepreneur Charles Levine. Kartveli then moved
to New York in 1927, at the age of 31, where he met Tbilisi-born Alexander de
Seversky, and worked at the Seversky Aircraft Corpoation (later called the
Republic Aviation Company.
With
de Seversky, Kartveli worked on designing military aircraft during the war. He
is responsible for the seminal designs of legendary aircraft, such as the P-35
(the first single-seat fighter), the P-43 Lancer, the P-47 Thunderbolt (The
Jug) in World War II, the F-84 (The Hog) during the Korean War, the XF-103
experimental prototype of the high-speed bomber and the F-105 used in Vietnam.
He was also responsible for the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) still in service
today and used in Operation Desert Storm. He also assisted NASA on designs for
hypersonic spacecraft. Many of his designs are kept in the Smithsonian
Institute and in NASA’s archives.
The
P-47 Thunderbolt – The Jug, designed in 1940, was the largest, heaviest, and
most expensive fighter in history to be powered by a single piston engine. It
was also the first all-metal fighter aircraft to fly at 400 miles per hour,
effective for short-to-medium range escort in high-altitude air-to-air combat
during World War II and in the Pacific. Republic Aviation Company produced 12,602
P-47Ds, the largest number of a single sub-type of any fighter aircraft in
history. The total P-47 production was 15,660 aircraft.
The
Republic XF-12 Rainbow was an American low drag, four-engine, all-metal
prototype reconnaissance aircraft. The term ‘flying on all fours’ referred to
its four engines, 400 miles per hour speed, 4,000-mile range at 40,000 feet. It
is still the fastest piston-engine plane of this size, exceeding (by 50 miles
per hour) the Boeing XB-39 of 1944. The XF-12’s first flight was on February 4,
1946 during test-flight. It flew at 45,000 feet at a speed of 470 miles per
hour over a range of 4,500 miles – hence it exceeded its design goals.
The
F-84 Thunderjet – The Hog, designed in 1946, was an American turbo-jet
fighter-bomber, and part of the Thunderjet, Thunderstreak, and Thunderflash
family of aircraft, all design by the Republic Aviation Company. The Thunderjet
could fly at 600 miles per hour. It was the first production fighter to use
inflight refueling and the first to carry a nuclear weapon, the Mark 7 nuclear
bomb. It was known as the ‘workhorse’ of the Korean War, flying 86,408
missions. Republic built 4,457 Thunderjets, then the F-84F Thunderstreak,
followed by the photograph reconnaissance RF-84F Thunderflash. In total,
Republic built 7,524 F-84s. The Thunderstreak established a transcontinental
speed record of 550 miles per hour and non-stop jet-fighter distance record from
England to Texas.
The
XF-91 Thunderceptor (originally called the XP-91) was a mixed-propulsion
prototype interceptor aircraft developed by the Republic Aviation Company. It
used a jet engine for most flights, and a cluster of four small rocket engines
for added thrust during climb and interception. A unique feature of the
Thundereceptor, which made it instantly recognizable, was the odd wing design.
The
F-105 Thunderchief – Thud, designed from the early 1950s to mid-1960s, was
intended to replace the F-84 Thunderjet. The F-105 was a supersonic,
low-altitude penetrator, sacrificing maneuverability for speed – it could reach
speeds of Mach 2.15. It was used in Vietnam from 1964, and during Operation
Rolling Thunder in March 1965. A later
version, the F-105F, was called the Wild Weasel. The Thunderchief was
withdrawn from service at the end of the Vietnam War.
The
Republic Aviation Company changed its name to the Fairchild Republic, and built the A-10
Thunderbolt II – Warthog, designed in the 1960s and used in 1972. It was
equipped with 16,000 pounds of Maverick missiles, laser-guided bombs, and a
seven-barrel 30mm GAU/8A ‘Gatling Gun’ cannon – and currently remains in
service.
The X-planes were a series of experimental aircraft, helicopters, and rockets to test aerodynamic designs. Most of them were used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is predecessor, the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (NACA). Kartveli also contributed to NASA’s space shuttle and orbital aircraft designs (aircraft capable of returning to Earth). The X-7 reached speeds of Mach 4.25 (2,800 miles per hour) at 85,000 feet.
He died in New York on June 20, 1974 at the age of 77.
The exhibit is part of the worldwide 70th anniversary commemorations of the end of World War II.
(Text
provided on displays at the exhibition.)
Monument of Alexander Kartveli by Georgian sculptor Muraz Murvanidze
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