Michael Stroukoff

Michael Stroukoff (29 January 1883 - 22 December 1973) was a Russian White Guard soldier and an American architect and aircraft designer. He served in the White Army during the Russian Revolution before emigrating to the United States in 1922. After spending some time as an architect, he joined the Chase Aircraft Company and designed a number of transport aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Air Force, later starting his own company to perform further aeronautical work.

Early life Born 29 January 1883 in Yekaterinoslav (Dnipro), a city in the Russian Empire, now part of Ukraine. Stroukoff attended the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1908 with a degree in civic engineering. Joining the Russian Army, he saw service during World War I. With the defeat of the Whites by the Bolsheviks, he fled Russia and emigrated to the United States in 1922.

American career

Following his emigration, Stroukoff started a career in architecture and interior design,

Following World War II, the assault glider fell out of favour, replaced by powered transports. Stroukoff modified a YG-18 into the prototype YC-122, and a small number of the aircraft were built. the C-123 contract was awarded to Fairchild Aircraft, and Kaiser bought out Chase Aircraft.

The Larissa Stroukoff Memorial Trophy, awarded by the Soaring Society of America for the highest speed recorded on a closed course in a glider during the U.S. National Open Class Soaring Championships, was designed by Stroukoff.