Valentin Bliznyuk

Valentin Ivanovich Bliznyuk (; 12 April 1928 – 30 December 2019) was a Soviet and Russian aircraft designer who worked chiefly with the Tupolev design bureau over a career spanning almost seventy years.

Born in 1928, Bliznyuk entered the S. Ordzhonikidze Moscow Aviation Institute and was recruited to work at the Tupolev design bureau as a design engineer during his studies. His early work included several military designs, including the Tu-91 turboprop tactical strike aircraft, the Tu-95 and Tu-98 strategic bombers, the Tu-105 prototype for the Tu-22 supersonic long-range bomber, and the Tu-107. From the late 1950s Bliznyuk worked on designs for unmanned aerial vehicles for different purposes, and had a hand in the development of the Tu-121, Tu-123, Tu-141 and Tu-143 unmanned vehicles, as well as some more unconventional designs, the Tu-130 boost-glider and the proposed Tu-136 orbital crewed spacecraft. By the 1960s he was working under the bureau's chief, Aleksey Tupolev, on the design for the Tu-144 supersonic passenger aircraft, and had the title of Deputy Chief Designer.

Using the expertise developed on the production of the Tu-144, Bliznyuk worked to develop the Tu-160, a supersonic bomber which incorporated a number of features developed and perfected on the Tu-144. Bliznyuk was appointed Chief Designer and head of the Tu-160 project in 1975, and shepherded the design through to its first test flight in 1981, and its acceptance into service with the Soviet Air Force in 1987. He continued to refine and develop the design for the rest of his career. Receiving a number of awards over his career, including the USSR State Prize, the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, and the Order of the Badge of Honour, as well as the title of , Bliznyuk remained with Tupolev until his death in 2019, serving as a consultant on the company's senior council. In 2006 the Military Council of 37th Air Army named one of their Tu-160 bombers "Valentin Bliznyuk", in honour of the plane's chief designer.

Early life and design work A Tu-95 in flight. One of the early designs Bliznyuk worked on. Born on 12 April 1928 in the village of Malorossiyskoe, in what was then the Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, in the Soviet Union, Bliznyuk entered the S. Ordzhonikidze Moscow Aviation Institute after graduating from high school. While studying, he joined the Tupolev design bureau as a design engineer in 1952, before graduating from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1953. Bliznyuk oversaw the coordination of the different companies and elements involved in the design and construction work, as well as the construction of prototypes and their testing and refinement. The first flight of the prototype Tu-160 was on 18 December 1981. After thorough testing the Tu-160 entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1987. The Tupolev design bureau announced his death, and recorded that "he was an outstanding aviation designer, a talented organizer, a responsive and attentive leader and friend. Valentin Ivanovich made an invaluable contribution to the development of the domestic aircraft industry. He created projects and put them into practice, investing his energy, knowledge and strength, his sincere love for aviation and faith in its prospects."

Honours and awards

Over his career Bliznyuk was awarded the USSR State Prize, and the title of . He also received the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, and the Order of the Badge of Honour. In 2006 the Military Council of 37th Air Army named one of their Tu-160 bombers, identification number 19, "Valentin Bliznyuk".

Memory In 2006 the Military Council of 37th Air Army named one of their Tu-160 bombers in service with the Russian Air Force (tail number 19) "Valentin Bliznyuk".