Vladimir Ilyushin

Vladimir Ilyushin
Владимир Сергеевич Ильюшин
Born
Vladimir Sergeyevich Ilyushin

(1927-03-31)31 March 1927
StatusDeceased
Died1 March 2010(2010-03-01) (aged 82)
Moscow, Russia
OccupationSoviet Union test pilot
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union
Aviation career
First flightSu-11, Т-5, Su-15, Su-17, Su-24, Т-4, Su-25, Su-27
RankMajor general

Vladimir Sergeyevich Ilyushin (Russian: Владимир Серге́евич Ильюшин; 31 March 1927 – 1 March 2010) was a Russian military officer and a test pilot in the former Soviet space program.[1] Ilyushin was a son of the famous aviation designer Sergey Ilyushin, and whose career was mostly as a test pilot for the Sukhoi OKB (a rival of Ilyushin OKB). After retiring from the space program, Ilyushin became a sports administrator and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame (then known as the IRB Hall of Fame) in 2013.[2]

In 1961, Ilyushin was the subject of a conspiracy theory that he, rather than Yuri Gagarin, was the first cosmonaut in space. There is no evidence and no support for the theory.[3]

  1. ^ Wade, Mark. "Ilyushin". Archived from the original on 2005-01-09.
  2. ^ "Ilyushin first Russian in IRB Hall of Fame" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 28 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference hall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).