Max Taitz

Max Taitz (Max Arkadyevich Taitz, ; 1904–1980) was a Soviet scientist, engineer, and one of the founders of Gromov Flight Research Institute. He was a doctor of engineering, a professor, and a recipient of the Stalin Prize (1949 and 1953), and the honorary title of Honoured Scientist of the RSFSR (1961).

Biography Early years Taitz was born in Warsaw, Russian Empire.

From 1934 to 1937, Taitz participated in a technical commission for engineering support of non-stop flight distance record flights of Valery Chkalov and Mikhail Gromov in the Tupolev ANT-25 long-haul aeroplane and upon successful completion was awarded his first Order of Red Banner of Labour (1937). He was one of the authors of the comprehensive "Aircraft designer reference book" published by TsAGI in 1937.

After the arrest of his elder brother David Taitz in the Great Purge in 1938, Taitz left TsAGI and worked as engineer-editor for the State Scientific Library of the NKTP, editing the aviation department of the News of Technical Literature journal. In 1939, he got a chance to obtain the position of Dean of Theoretical Mechanics Department at the Soviet Union Industrial Academy but in 1940, a delegation from TsAGI visited him and requested his return to the institute to head a group of researchers. During the Great Patriotic War (World War II), Taitz headed the evacuation of the science core of the institute to Novosibirsk, and supervised flight and ground testing of the serial production fighter aeroplanes to eliminate defects in the flight qualities and war-fighting capabilities of the aircraft. Gromov Flight Research Institute became a leading research organisation in the USSR in flight testing and certification of aircraft and Taitz was a driving force behind that. Other notable scientists in these activities were Nikolai Stroev, Victor Utkin, and Arseny Mironov. For a number of years in the 1960s, Taitz was head of the Soviet-French working group on avionics and flight tests. He was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1966 for achievements in automation of aeroplane controls.

Family Taitz was born to Izhok-Aaron (Isaac-Arkady) Z. Taitz (1868–1935), a travelling salesman who was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, Russian Empire, They had two daughters; Irina M. Khmelevskaya Taitz (born 1932) and Elena M. Flokovskaya Taitz (born 1940).

Awards and decorations Stalin Prize (1949) for flight research and testing of the first Soviet jet fighters Stalin Prize (1953) for flight testing and introduction into service of the first Soviet cruise missiles (particularly KS-1 Komet) Order of Lenin (in 1944 and 1966) Order of the October Revolution Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (1945) Three Orders of the Red Banner of Labour (the first one in 1937 for engineering support of the non-stop flight distance record flights of Valery Chkalov and Mikhail Gromov) Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1970) Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" (1944) Medal "Veteran of Labour" Gold medal of VDNKh (1977)

Memorials

Taitz is buried at the Bykovskoye Memorial Cemetery in Zhukovsky. There is a bronze memorial plate with his bas-relief image installed on the Gromov Flight Research Institute headquarters building where he once worked.

Notable publications Most of Taitz's notable publications are in Russian.

(published posthumously).