Summer of 1923, an event, that caused the great interest of city residents, especially the young, occurred in Kyiv. It was demonstrative aviation exhibition, which was organized by the provincial department of the Society of Aviation and Aeronautics Ukraine and Crimea. The exhibition was held in the Proletarian Garden (now Khreshchatyi Park) in Kyiv.About the beginning of its work the magazine "Aviation and aeronautics" wrote: "Before the opening the record takeoff was done by chervonolet (red pilot) com.Yakovchuk from the site of the garden (the smallest airfield of the world) on the plane "Vickers "and aerobatics over the garden were performed by squadron chervonovoenlets (red military pilots) Shishkovskyi, Zatikin , Minin and Zhurovich. "To record-breaking flight test pilot of Kyiv Aircraft Repair Plant "Remvozduh №6" Kostantin e Yakovchuk this edition devoted a separate article illustrated with pilot's photographs and takeoff run sceme. The length of the makeshift runway was only 23 meters; track ended abruptly deep precipice, and nearly the same abyss lay on the left.It was noted at the end of the article that the Aviation Scientific-Technical Society (ASTS) at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) has recognized the flight record and decided to give the pilot "a diploma certifying his record-breaking take-off."
ASTS KPI as authoritative Aviation Centre of Ukraine at that time took an active part in the organization of this exhibition. Moreover, it was only one episode of the daily activities of the company. Prospects of aviation at that time struck the imagination of many. This exhibition gave one additional impetus to this general delight. Therefore unlikely it was a coincidence of circumstances that in the summer of the same 1923 a first year student KPI Dmitry Tomashevych, who passed tests for admission on Locomotive department, decided to change the direction of his future and choose aviation specialty.
Childhood and youth
Dmitry Tomashevych was born on September 27 (October 10, NS), 1899 in the small town of Rokitnoe, Kyiv region in the family of hereditary nobleman Ludwig Feliksovich Tomashevych, who was working at that time as a forest warden. Despite a title of nobility, the family did not have a higher income. They lived in an ordinary peasant hut under the reeds. Father's salary is not always enough to support a family of seven children. Therefore, there have eated fruits and vegetables from their own garden, which was under the care of the mother Claudia Andriivna. But the constant lack of funds did not stop parents to educate children. Small Dima first was in elementary school in Rakitnoe, and in 1910 he entered the gymnasium Belotserkovskii. However, in 1912 his father was dismissed from government service without the right to a pension, and soon died. From that time the guy should earn money not only for his training but also to help his mother and sisters. He started with tutoring, and then worked as an assistant projectionist. At the same time he was fond of designing, even built his own model steam engine.
After graduating from gymnasium in 1918, Dmitry was admitted in the Kyiv University of St. Vladimir. However, the realities of historical cataclysms, facing the country in that years, did not give the possibility to study in peace: in the beginning of 1919 due to poverty he was forced to return to Rokitnoe and again started to look for work. He found the place of a mechanic at Siniavskyi sugar factory. There was an accident - in October 1920, he lost his right eye. And only gaining the needed lenght of servise, which has recently become a prerequisite for admission to the training of people non-proletarian origin, allowed Dmitry Tomashevych in 1922 to become a student Locomotive department of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
Education in KPI and passion for aviation
Early twenties in the KPI were marked by the opening of the aircraft construction Faculty on the base of aviation specialty and Aviation Scientific-Technical Society. This ASTS, which was grown from the Society of Aeronautics KPI, became the cradle of Ukrainian aviation. It gave start in life to outstanding designers Alexander Mikulin, Dmitry Grigorovich, Kostantin Kalinin, Sergei Korolyov, Dmitry Tomashevych, Alexei Gratsianskyi and many other creators of aviation and space technology.
ASTS activities carried out in the sections - the research, production,flying, aircraft engines and glider. The last almost immediately after the discovery started to direct activity of all gliding clubs in Kyiv.
As the magazine "Aviation and aeronautics" wrote at that time, in the summer of 1923 members of the glider section drafted two devices: first - type of "Vampire", and the second one - of original design. Calculations and drawings of gliders were made by regular students and students from worker faculty of KPI. It was planned that these devices should be constructed on "Remvozduh-6" plant, but in fact the students have constructed both gliders themselves. Dmitry Tomashevych took an active part in this work. He became one of the developers of a series of gliders, which are called "KPIR." These letters stands for "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute of Rakovski" - in the 20-ies Institute was named after the then chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine, a colleague of Lenin - Christian Rakovsky.
Gliders, designed and built by the Kyiv Polytechnical Institute, played a considerable role in the development of gliding in Ukraine. Still today gliding is considered by many a mandatory stage in the preparation of the pilot. And in those days, when the country was spending huge efforts to strengthen its defense capability, the gliding had a special significance.
Kyiv Polytechnics sought perfection of their designs, so no coincidence the first non-powered aircraft, built in the KPI after the revolution, was a glider similar to German "Vampire." A
number of records has been set using this glider at 1922. Gliders of own design took into account the advantages and disadvantages of the best non-motorized vehicles of that time and embodied the most interesting ideas. These were well-made gliders, and their developers, unlike many other authors, approached to the business armed with science and engineering techniques, which they acquired in institute classrooms. Therefore, in 1924, at the II All-Union glider tests in Koktebel their debutant Kostantin e Yakovchuk (who was not only a test pilot of
"Remvozduh-6" plant, but also a student KPI) took third place for the duration of the flight, having held a glider "KPIR-1" in the air 4 hours and 15 minutes. This glider - strut-braced high with rectangular wing of large relative thickness, with paneled plywood fuselage was constructed by a small team consisting of Dmitry Tomashevych, Michola Zheleznikov and Vladimir Savinskyi. They were awarded for their design by one of the main prizes of these tests.
Many aviation experts considered gliders Kyiv Polytechnic best among domestic. Proof of this was the award in 1925 at National projects competition of record and training gliders in Kharkov (then the capital of Ukraine) first prize in the group record gliders to project "KPIR 4" development Tomashevych, Zheleznikov and Savinskoyi. Many years after an outstanding aircraft and gliding veteran Oleg Antonov often mentioned "great apparatus of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute".
It was a victory of the Kyiv school, and members of the ASTS enthusiastically started to implement their developments. Work in located under the main staircase of the Institute main building workshops was in full swing from the morning until late at night. The experienced students, who have already started to prepare their thesis projects, were among the leaders. Dmitry Tomashevych was one of them. As a qualified mechanic and engineer, he not only led the work, but also helped newcomers.
In the summer of that year, the KPI representative Kostantin Yakovchuk among the best Soviet glider pilots went to Germany to participate in the VI Rennes glider competitions, which were held at Mount Wasserkuppe. In the first days of competition Yakovchuk, on his glider "KPIR-4", which the students called "Kyiv-4", struck Germans with his flights in almost not suitable for soaring flying weather. He became the first of the participants, who was able to hold in the air for over an hour. And in the autumn in Koktebel, on Mount Uzun Sirt at the III All-Union glider competition he scored again: he held the glider "KPIR 1 bis" - a modernized "KPIR-1" in the air during 9 hours 39 minutes 15 seconds, beating last year's record of German Schulz by almost an hour. These competitions have shown not only the skill of the pilot ASTS Kotyanin Yakovchuk, but also that the Kyiv Polytechnic are able to design and build machines not worse overseas.
These and subsequent events in Koktebel were attended by future eminent scientists and engineers of aerospace engineering O.K. Antonov, S.V. Ilyushin, A.S.Yakovlev, A.N.Tupolev, S.P. Korolev, M.K.Tihonravov, Yu.A..Pobedonostsev, V.F.Bolhovitinov, D.L.Tomashevych, M.I.Gurevich, V.S.Pishnov, S.N.Lyushin, I.P.Tolstih, G.F. Proskura, V.P.Vetchinkin, B.I.Cheranovsky, B.G.Raushenbah, B.N.Sheremetev, V.K.Gribovsky, V.Vahmistrov, A.V.Chesalov, M.A.Tayts, G.P. Svischev et al.
However, not only gliders Tomashevych in those years was working with. He was one of the participants in the development of domestic production of the first passenger aircraft "K-1". The scientific secretary of ASTS, graduate student KPI Kostantin Kalinin was the Chief designer of this project. Actually, this development was his thesis project. Spring of 1924, Dmitry Tomashevych together with Michola Zheleznikov during their internship designed spars elliptical and trapezoidal wing options "K-1" and carried out calculations of the strength of the chassis with a diagram of efforts and the selection of the section.
The formation of aircraft designer
In 1925 Dmitry Tomashevych as a graduation project began to develop an light plane - glider, which he called "KPIR-5." After successfully defending the project in 1926 he was adopted by already familiar Aircraft Repair Plant "Remvozduh-6", where he began to work on the practical implementation of its design. Management of the enterprise helped him. The test flights were organized with a help of Kostantine Yakovchuk. Glider has turned out quite successful and some years even performed with demonstration flights at the celebration of the next revolutionary anniversaries.
Dmitry Tomashevych did not forget his passion for non-powered aircraft. Together with M.Zhemchuzhin, O.Sorochinskyi he started the development and construction of a new record glider, which was built in 1929. Glider, called "Grif", was tested by experienced pilot plant Leonid Yungmeyster. In October of the same year at the VI All-Union glider competition in Koktebel the known pilot Dmitry Koshits broke two national records on this glider, rising by more than one and a half thousand meters and flew almost 35 miles.
Interestingly, in the design of "Grif" Tomashevych embodied the idea of an elliptic wing, which was successfully implemented by Kostantin Kalinin in his designs. The fin unit also had an elliptic shape. Glider developers have thought through the problems of its folding and service. For example, to ensure availability of the nodes of the machine, its fore and aft fairings were removable.
The main activity of the enterpise, which has been already called "Plant number 43" and was subject to Union Trust "Prompovitrya" was thorough and current repairs of military and civil aircrafts. The technology of this work has been continuously improved, equipment has been modernized, so the rationalization movement encouraged. Young engineer Tomashevych became one of its leaders, and later even topped desk which target was to consider and make a decision on acceptance or rejection of proposed innovations. Personally Tomashevych belonged effective technique for restoration of wooden spar fuselage spy plane "P-1", the technology of automated stamping radiator covers aircraft "De Haviland," a new technology for manufacturing the wings. After introduction this technology into production he was entrusted to guide a team to make the calculations required for the manufacture of the wings and tails of planes under repaire.
In 1929 by the decision of the Board of Trust "Prompovitrya" Tomashevych as young promising specialist was transferred to Moscow as head of the technical department of the aircraft sector. His responsibilities now included organizational issues with repair aircrafts.
Soon, however, the trust was reorganized. All-Union Association of the aviation industry, which is subordinated to the People's Commissariat of Military and Naval Affairs was created after few weeks on its base. Included repair shops had the same as before the reorganization, serial numbers, but now they became aircraft manufacturing.
These changes have become crucial in the life of Dmitry Tomashevych. From now on, it was his duty to support the production of a new spy plane "P-5", which in its class was considered one of the best in the world. After some time, he met with the developer of this plane - Nikolai Polikarpov.
It was a difficult period in the life of the famous Soviet aircraft designer, whom contemporaries called the "king of fighters". Felling under the campaign against " wreckers " - "old experts" Polikarpov as a specialist with pre-revolutionary experience, was charged of " participation in the counter-revolutionary sabotage organization" and was sentenced to death. However, at the end of 1929, he was transferred to the organized in Butyrskaya pison Special Design Bureau of the OGPU (SDB). There were collected sentenced to various terms of imprisonment aviation specialists. They had to work on projects of new aircraft. This organization has gone down in history as the first "sharashka." After a few months bureau was transferred to the Moscow Aviation Plant number 39 of V.R.Menzhinskyi (GAZ-39), where experimental production was organized. After another reorganization on the basis of OKB another Design Bureau was established, which was called the "Central Design Bureau № 39" (CDB-39). Here, in the "seventh hangar", which was divided into residential and industrial areas, prisoned engineers and technicians have worked. However, they are not alone: side by side with them civilian experts worked too. One of them was Dmitry Tomashevych, who, wishing to return to an active design and production activities, made the transfer to the "CDB-39" in the general department. Starting from that time and for following decades he became one of the collegues of Nikolai Polikarpov.
In 1931, after the successful development and launch into production fighter "I-5" constructed by Dmitry Grigorovich (another convicted eminent aircraft designer - a graduate of the KPI) and Nikolai Polikarpov, both of them together with a group of other professionals were released from punishment. Polikarpov was released and headed the design bureau, which was formed as a division of the great Central Design Bureau of the aircraft plant named after V.R.Menzhinskyi. Dmitry Tomashevych at the invitation of Polikarpov took the place of wing group chief. The DB main activity was the development of fighters.
The very first design, which was developed by this team, turned out to be strikingly successful and quickly came to the Air Force of the Red Army. It was a fighter "CDB-3" ("ЦКБ-3"), which in a series was called "I-15". He had quite high, as for the first half of the thirties, characteristics and significant lifting force that allows the horizontal flight with a roll of 90 °. All this makes it extremely maneuverable, which is very important for air combat. In the basic version and another versions for a few years, he became the main combat aircraft of the Red Army.
Dmitry Tomashevych was actively involved in the development of center wing secton of the aircraft and its modifications. The fighter took the baptism of fire in the Spanish sky and there, especially in the first part of the war, played a considerable role. "I-15" fought and over Khalkhin-Gol, but then he began to become obsolete. However, work on improving it lasted, and Tomashevych was an active participant in the creation of several of its modifications, including the famous "The Seagull", "I-153" - perhaps the most advanced fighter in the world biplane scheme. In particular, Tomashevych developed original chassis that the during the aircraft lifting was hidden. This has greatly increased the speed of a fighter - up to 430 km / h.
The next machine, which Tomashevych was working upon, was the legendary fighter I-16 ("donkey") (CDB-12). Designing of the aircraft began in 1933 and 30 December 30 it was experienced by Valery Chkalov. The aircraft did not have prototypes and did not look like any of the fighters. In early 1934, "I-16" was the lightest fighter in the world. It was a wonderful for its time combat aircraft, the first in the country and one of the world's first mass-produced fighter-monoplanes, which were produced in large quantities.
The aircraft was produced at several plants of the country for nearly eight years. At the same time it is constantly modified. Fighters "I-16" for a long time became the basis of the combat power of the Soviet Union, fought in all the wars of the second half of the 30s, in which the country participated, and in the first half of the air battles of the Great Patriotic War.
Working on one aircraft after another Tomashevych gained experience. Working on new projects under supervision of Polikarpov, possibility to implement his own ideas and inventions in them created a fully formed creator of flying mechanisms. Chief Structural Engineer noticed his potential so he was appointed a team supervisor during the development of new project – “I-17” airplane. Soon he was assigned as Chief Structural Engineer deputy assistant. One of the plane variations was introduced at the parade of the year 1936. It was piloted by Valeriy Chekalov. Later this plane was shown at the aviation exhibitions in Paris and Milan. Even though its main characteristics exceeded such of transboundary fighter aircrafts such as “Hurricane”, “Spitfire” and “Messerschmitt” serial production of this plane was never started due to a variety of causes. First of of because of absence of serially manufactured national in-line engine with fluid cooling and required volume and weight characteristics provided with necessary capacity. Necertheles huge amount of work done during development of “I-17” prepared basics for successful work over the next models of airplanes.
As Chief Structural Engineer deputy assistant Tomashevych worked at designing of lightweight bombers, multipurpose airplane “Ivanov” and air tank-hunters – “BIT-1” and “BIT-2” planes. But this models were also never put into serial production due to absence of manufacturing base administrator complications and barriers that occurred during work of Polikarpov design room. There were really many organizational issues: since 1933 to 1938 design room was relocated twice. First to the Factory #84 in Khimki (part of the crew was rearranged to the factory #21 in Gorkiy), later to the air factory #156, previously known as research design plant CAGI, where innovations of A.Tupolev were realized (presently VAT “Tupolev” is located there). Nevertheless after the second relocation Polikarpov received a license from Commissariat of defense industry for design of new air-fighter which was name “I-180”. Chief designer at all stages of its construction was Dmytro Tomashevych.
Lots of aviation specialists considered “I-180” to be an airplane with outstanding characteristics for the time it was created:maximum speed at the height of 7000 meters is 575 km/hour, by the ground level 455km/hour, maximum flight height 11500, turn-in time 19-20 seconds, weight of the empty plane 2020kg, maximum take-off weight 2638kg, average height gain of 5000 meteres time is 5,6 minutes. Weaponry: for the first time ever 2 machine-guns ShKAS and 2 BSs, which could shoot simultaneously over the engine cylinders, were joined into the one battery, bombs loading packet 200kg, mixed hi-tech metal-wooden construction.
But the quality of airplane assembling, structural components and overall technology level and culture at the factory #156 were fairly low. Also due to enmity of the core workers towards Polikarpov and his coworkers some of his orders were openly sabotaged. Besides this developers were hurried by the curators of 1-st National Commissariat Main Office of defense industry all the time including its director Semyon Beljakin.
Construction of th plane was started in the summer of 1938. First test flights were appointed in December of the same year. All the works were done with the increased speed. However during the shop tests of aggregates and steering systems many faults were discovered. Largest amount of worries was provoked by the M-88 engine, in compliance with which the plane was designed. It was overheating, had bad acceleration response and died out all the time. Besides this it appeared that some of the aggregates and structural components were assembled with deviation of schematic drawings. Even by the time of the first test flight there were 14 points at the inventory of defects checklist. Despite this fact and objections of Polikarpov and Tomashevych, directors insisted on the start of testing, which were to e conducted by the best country’s pilot, hero of the USSR, chief-pilot of the Polikarpov design room – Valeriy Chekalov.
Despite of the frost and temperature of -25 in celcius the testing began on the 15-th of December 1938. Until the last moment mechanics were messing with the aggregates and structural components. After all somebody forgot to install adjustment cooling louver shutter on the engine, which can be incredibly dangerous during such cold weather (some sources suppose it was done on purpose). After a second lap around the flying field the engine incident occurred. For such an experienced pilot as Chekalov it wasn’t such a critical situation due to he had faced it before more than once. But because of cmpact planning around the Central flying field Chekalov had to manoeuvre. Deprived of the height and controllability plane scratched transmission polarized and crashed. Valeriy Chekalov died.
Circumstances of this incident are still unknown. There are many articles, books and films dedicated to its investigation. As the responsible for the incident director of the 1-st Main office of National Commissariat of air industry Semyon Beljaykin, factory manager Mikhaylo Usachov, headmanager of the testing station Viktor Poray and Chief Structural Engineer deputy assistant Dmytro Tomashevych.
None the less death of a great pilot and icon for the millions of people all over the country and world didn’t stop the construction of the plane. 3 development prototypes flew over the tribunes on the Red Square in Moscow at the parade of 1 May 1940. But due to the line of predominantly subjective reasons this plane as well as “I-185”, its modified version, were not set to the mass production, even though during war they were put to the test in combat conditions and got the highest grades from pilots.
During imprisonment
Tomashevych followed the way of his teacher Polikarpov and served his sentence in specific NKVD jail differing from his teacher’s only by a number. It was CKB-29, known as “Tupolev Jail”. It was a place of imprisonment of Andriy Tupolev and workers of his design room as well as other outstanding aircraft designers – Volodymyr Petlyakov, Volodymyr Miasyshchev, Joseph Neman, Sergiy Korolyov, Robert Bartini, Alexander Putylov, Volodymyr Chizhevskiy, Leo Kerbel, Oleksiy Cheremukhin and many others.
Prisoner-workers were allocated to the separate design rooms: of V. Petlyakov, working on the high-altitude fighter, later redesigned into dive-bomber – “project 100” (future “Pe-2”); of V. Myasishchev, working on the high-altitude bomber “project-102” (future “DVB-102”); of A. Tupolev working on the dive-bomber “project-103” (future “Tu-2”).
At the beginning Tomashevych was working on the projects of steering systems of all this planes, but later, considering his high qualification and experience in construction of fighters , he was put in charge of the fourth bureau, which was working on the frontier fighter “project 110”. So Tomashevyvh became chief designer during his imprisonment.
His plane had great flying range, good weaponry ( one ShVAK cannon, two UBS machine-guns, two ShKAS machine-guns, bomb package up to 500kg). Pilot was protected by the armored seat back 15mm in thickness. It could reach speed of 610 km/hour at the height of 6000m. The plnae was designed in compliance with the new M-107 engine of rating equaled 1400 horsepowers constructed by Volodymyr Klimov. “110” was assembled in Omsk where CKB-29 was relocated after the war breakout.
The plane had passed the test but according to their results wasn’t put into the mass production. First of all because it didn’t have any advantages in flying characteristics against other planes which were designed simultaneously. But it wasn’t worse as well. At the same time it had outstanding performance: construction was divided into separate parts, aggregates and mechanical blocks assembled without fitting and with extensive use of flange mountings. Processes of production and assembling were well thought-out: every manipulation didn’t take more than 3 minutes. Performance was overall Tomashevych inventions hallmark. He understood its importance already during his studying at the university. KPI unique feature at its aviation department was its practical focus. One of the reasons the plane was not put into mass production was intense competition. It wasn’t competition between planes and projects as you could think, taking into account war needs but competition of designers. And decisive factor was not the quality of development but being acquainted with the higher authorities. Tomashevysh never succeeded at the last one.
Nevertheless the engine later used with the different modifications of other combat airplanes was tested on the “110”.
After being released
Tomaschevich with a large group of engineers were released from warding in July 1941 (but they were rehabilitated so much later — just in 1956). His place of work was CDB-29 in Omsk.
Dmitro Tomashevich was engaged in those years in one very unusual project. He proposed the original in design, the easy in control and high-tech twin-engine bomber attack, which was equipped with a good overview`s armored cab, had a good armament (two guns VYa-23 and machine gun UBC) and could carry two 250 kg bombs. The aircraft has got the “Pegasus” name. The materials for its productions were used the cheapest — non-aviation plywood, steel, some aluminum and etc. (design was mixed), the whole joints were flanged. This machine was very cheap, because it was created taking into account the situation on the fronts and industry opportunities of those period. Also the flying “Pegasus” didn`t required the great qualification from the pilots, and industry — the serious investments and the time for the equipment. Tomashevich proposed to form the entire air army of 15,000 these aircrafts for the tank`s fighting and support of ground troops.
Please note that designer predicted the future large-scale tank battles in his considerations and proposed his own method to fight with armada of enemy vehicles.
It was built and tested five “Pegasus” but because of some reasons they didn`t include in large series (the most part of aircrafts were the condition their effective combat use). Later the famous test-pilot Hero of Soviet Union Petro Stefanovsky, who flew this bomber attack, wrote in the memory`s book: “… who can affirm that in other circumstances and granting the motor slightly more power this fighting machine was impossible to prove and to run into the series?”
Dmitro Tomashevich was transferred into serial plant in 1943, where the aircrafts “Pe-2” were produced. The workers KB, which was headed by Volodimir Miasischev after the death of Volodimir Petliakov, engaged in engineering maintenance of this aircraft and its permanent upgrades. Tomashevich took over as head of configurations. However he had the new appointment less than a year — to the Moscow at the pilot plant #51, where he had to be a new M. Policarpov`s surrogate. But he came to the new place in the day of designer`s death. At the plant Tomashevish provided the flight tests of last experimental Policarpov`s machines and took over the guide the development of a new fighter “I-187” and rocket interceptor “Malutca”. So the whole threads aviation enterprise application included one of his tasks.
Rocket design
The same year at the factory № 51 appeared a new field - construction of robot plane aircraft-like missile with pulsating jet pipe on the basis of German buzz-bomb cruise missile. The construction of Soviet-era aircraft-like missile, which got code 10X, was similar to the German one, that was favoured by the fact that the crashed sample and wreckage of buzz-bomb were delivered to the plant from England and Poland. The truth is that all of them were incomplete, without the biggest part of controllers and automatic blocks. However, unlike the German rocket, which could be taken off from catapult, placed on ground, as well as from the plane, while the Soviet one was constructed to be fired/launched only from the plane. The project director was the former KPI student Volodymyr Cholomey, who became the incomer of M.Polycarpov on the post of the KP head. The work was slack: Cholomey and the team headed by Tomashevich offered a bit different schemes of fuel control automation, but the chief constructor persisted on realization of his own scheme. Unfortunately, the built-in technology was incorrect/ defective. To prove this the full scale testing was required,( which in the most cases was unsuccessful) and the arrival to the factory of the special committee. Finally the scheme of Tomashevich was accepted, but the relations with the authorities were upset.
Since 1944 Dmitro Tomashevich began to work at one more place - Zhukivsky Air Force Academy. And in 1946 he even gained the readership in Airframe Engineering department. In 1947, after working upon the variety of design changes of 10X, it became absolutely clear that in the future he won’t be able to work with V.Chelomayev ,Tomashevich joined the academy as the teacher. The same year he engaged on a secondary job as a chief mechanic of Minestry of agricultural mechanic engineering KB-2 department.
Despite friendly name, this KB ,on behalf of Council of Ministers of USSR, designed missileries and gunpowder engine for the air forces needs (notice that during the war Ministry of agricultural mechanic engineering was the part of People’s Commissariat of Ammunition. German arms materiel was taken as the sample, which was scrutinized, copied, improved and used in the similar native developings of Soviet engineers. Tomashevich and his group worked upon radio guided glide bomb “Henshel” Hs-293. Actually it was a air-to-ground missile assigned for water-born target engagement – absolutely new type of armament for the Soviet army. For this reason, built according to the KB-2 drawings, its analogs previously underwent tests : several firings were made from the board of the plane “TY-2D”, refit with German radio guidance system "Kehl-Strassburg". However, the checkouts proved low reliability and short rocket range: only 3 from 24 items were aimed in the target. Finally ,for this reason, the direction of the ministry scrapped the plans of its production.
In 1946 KB-2 proceeded with engineering of its personal jet torpedo, that was named PAMT-1400 “Shchyka”. The work upon it wasn’t started from the green field - in the construction some decisions, realized in "Hs-293", were used, but, of course, most of the hubs and accessories were absolutely original. These rockets even differed in general aircraft configuration: thus “Shchyka” had “aircraft-type configuration” with V-type fins. The rocket was assigned for aircraft firing as well as for ground firing. “Shchyka” was adopted for service that same way it was designed by Tomashevich.
In 1946 D.L Tomashevich was engaged to Special design-engineering department SB-1 produced for the construction antisurface missile system “Cometa” antisurface aircraft-like missile with 100km firing distance. In reality, the cruiser ,that supposed to be fired from the plane,was constructed, its target direction system and control system. In this organization Tomashevich was appointed as director of engineering of design-engineering department № 32.
The design managers of SB- 1 were renowed radarmen – Pavlo Kusenko -Doctor of Engineering Science(he also fulfilled functions of KB head) and his yesterday’s diploma student, alumnus of Leningrad Budenov’s Communication Academy, Engineer Capitan Serhyi Beriya- son of almighty protector of the head of the USSR Ministry Council Lavrentyi Beriya. Ironically, the protector of the SB-1 head was former head of prison TZKB-29,where Tomashevich served time, Ministry of State Security colonel -Grigoryi Kytepov.
OKB-155 Mikoyan experts worked upon the project of aircraft-like missile. However, to improve its flying qualities , actuiation of airborn hardware, including war emergency power with target run, aviate analog was used, equipped with pilot's cockpit, tester with minimal use of flight navigation instrument instead of stationary combat part -“vybir SDK” ( “product” backup plane “Cometa”). It was constructed by the group of mechanicians under the guidance of D.L. Tomashevich. Four such “laboratories analogs” were built, and the first flight on one of them was made twice by the Soviet Hero Amet-Han Syltan. For the armament the rocket system “ Cometa” was accepted in 1953, and the group of its formers, including Tomashevich, were awarded with Stalin Prize.
At the end of the forties SB-1 worked also according to another topics. In particular, it had a task to create a completely new missile air defence of Moscow that could effectively protect the capital of the USSR from high-flying planes of possible enemy. The question was extremely serious. Since 1945, yesterday's anti-Hitler coalition allies began to blackmail the winners of the Germany by nuclear weapons. The threat was so serious because of high-altitude bombers B-24, B-29, which has proven effective in carpet bombing of Germany and Japan. Actively was carried out develop even more sophisticated machines that could fight even at more greater heights.
For domestic anti-aircraft guns were not available. Therefore, the USSR started active work on the "stratospheric" guns. The first set of powerful land destination is KC-19, based on 100 mm gun was developed under the leadership of the KPI 1933 graduate of Leo Lyulyev, was accepted for service only in March 1948. Lyulyevske CB continued to work on the 130 mm gun, but the aircraft the U.S. and the UK also hayaly time. Therefore, the Soviet leadership decided to organize work in parallel to create own anti-aircraft missiles. The curator of the project has become all-powerful Lavrentii Beria, who has already "led" nuclear project.
The new system is called S-25 "Berkut". The responsibilities of the customer have been laid on specially created for the Third Chief Directorate at the Council of Ministers. The staff of engineers and technicians to work was completed almost in mobilization order: send experts to work on the "Berkut" is not consistent either with themselves or with their leadership. Moreover, they were not even reported what work they are going to do.
Was developed not just anti-aircraft missile system, it was the whole system, with the technical means of control groups of complexes and their combat support and so on, which was to provide air defense for the capital of the USSR in Moscow. Because of the project involved not only the SB-1 (which was the main organization of the project and even received a different name - KB-1), but also some other design offices. The very anti-aircraft missiles have been mandated to develop OKB-301 - known team, led by Semen Lavochkin (Rocket "V-300").
Parallel development of missiles also conducted SB-1, or more precisely its department № 32, the chief designer was Dmitrii Tomashevich (rocket "SHB" or "32B"). The missile was successfully tested on range Kapustin Yar (was made 36 starts), however for use as part of "Berkut" (S-25) have been accepted nevertheless products "V-300".
However, "SHB", developed under the Tomashevich's leadership, has not gone unnoticed. It was the prototype for anti-aircraft guided missile B-750 (1D) anti-aircraft missile system S-75 (by the way, this rocket May 1, 1960 near Sverdlovsk in the destroyed spy plane "Lockheed U-2").
However, this was preceded by a reorganization and change structure of KB-1. It happened in March 1953 after the arrest of Lawrentii Beria. Immediately after his son Sergei was dismissed, deprived of rank and also arrested. Division № 32 was removed from the CB on its base the new OKB-2 rocket profile Ministry of Medium Machine Building. The head of it was appointed the former chief engineer KB Lavochkin Peter Grushin. Almost finished product greatly accelerated the work on a new project. Subsequently Tomashevich's drawings were reprinted, but the name of them disappeared. Conflict of talented and highly skilled designer with equally talented but younger age and extremely ambitious chief designer was inevitable. Eventually Dmitry Ludvygovuch slammed the door and began to teach at the Moscow Aviation Institute in the department of design of aircraft.
Lectures, books, projects...
The Institute Tomashevich left a memory as a teacher and researcher who introduced a systematic approach to design. That is, the design of the rocket he considered part of the design of the whole complex, which has to perform a specific combat mission. In addition, Tomashevich did not forget about the technology and economics aircraft missile production. No wonder one of the most famous books written by him was the work of "Construction and Economy of aircraft", which was published in 1960. It, by the way, one of the first in the USSR, he raised the issue of Value Analysis. More than two years had published his new book - "Fundamentals of device of unmanned aerial vehicles."
Teaching Professor Tomashevich always been inextricably linked to practice, because of the design work, he never left: in 1957 the BC -1 , he concurrently began work on a draft anti-tank guided missile complex 3M7 for "Dragon" with semi-automatic guidance system. Over time, working in the BC -1 has again become constant and teaching at the MAI - concurrently. At the Institute he worked until 1967, not only gave two lectures ("Fundamentals of design aircraft" and "Fundamentals of aviation engineering"), but also led the graduation projects.
And nevertheless, most of his life remained practical work in production. Specialist tank weapons, which had to participate in trials and proof of the "Dragon", Gennady Pasternak recalled: "... Among certain range of designers, who met on my life's journey, were also monitoring the actions which were the pattern "speechless" teaching is a technical analysis of the test results. Dmytro Tomashevich is among of such constructors." His vast experience, engineering talent and intuition in the most difficult situations prompted the best solution of the problem. So Tomashevich, who was then chief designer of the complex, was the undisputed authority for all. Moreover, in its production and in science: in 1963 he was introduced to the Expert Council WAC Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the USSR by the relevant specialty.
In 1968, a set of "Dragon" was accepted for service, and next year Dmytro Tomashevich for this work was awarded the USSR State Prize and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Dmytro passed away on August 7, 1974. He was killed in a car accident. Throughout his life D.L.Tomashevich dedicated work in the field, working on security of the country. The subject of his projects was often secret or top secret. Names of people, personalities, whose work provided the defensive power of the country, the general public were unknown. Therefore, the name of Dmitry Tomashevich was for many years familiar to few, mostly – specialists in aviation and rocket science and historians of technology. Kiev Polytechnic University remember and is highly revered name of his graduate of 1926, the outstanding Soviet aircraft designer and creator of anti-missile technology Dmitry Tomashevich. His technical solutions studied by the students of the Faculty of aviation and space systems and mechanical-engineering-building Institute. With its vivid biography introduced numerous visitors at the State Polytechnic Museum "KPI".