Nikolay Kuimov

Nikolai Dimitriyevich Kuimov (; 16 December 1957 – 17 August 2021) was a Russian test pilot and a Hero of the Russian Federation.

Kuimov studied as a pilot before specialising in test pilot duties, and after a period at the Chkalov State Flight Test Centre, joined the Ilyushin Design Bureau. He became Ilyushin's chief test pilot, testing many of their new designs, including the Il-76, Il-86, Il-96, Il-114, and Il-103. He made many of the first flights of new aircraft designs and exhibited them at international airshows. In addition to the award of the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, he was an , prior to his death in 2021 when the Il-112V he was flying crashed short of the runway at Kubinka airfield.

Early life and career Kuimov was born on 16 December 1957 in Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, then part of the Russian Soviet Socialist Federative Republic, in the Soviet Union. He was drafted into the Soviet Army in 1975, and studied at the , graduating in 1979. He served in combat units of the Soviet Air Force, being deployed to Vladimirovka airbase in Astrakhan Oblast. He started out as a co-pilot, and rose to be a squadron commander, flying the Tupolev Tu-16. He also carried out the first flight of the Il-114-300 on 16 December 2020. A model of the Il-112V. Kuimov carried out the first test flight of the aircraft in 2019, and was killed flying it on later tests in 2021. On 28 December 2006 Kuimov was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation "for courage and heroism during the testing of aviation equipment." The crew of three; Kuimov, test pilot Dmitry Komarov and flight engineer Nikolai Khludeyev, were all killed.