Pyotr Nesterov

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Pyotr Nesterov (Russian: Пётр Николаевич Нестеров) (27 February [O.S. 15 February] 1887 in Nizhny Novgorod - 8 September [O.S. 26 August] 1914 in Zhovkva, Lviv Oblast) was a Russian pilot and aircraft technical designer.

Ramming attack performed by Pyotr Nesterov

Remains of the aircraft Albatross attacked by Nesterov

The son of a Military Academy teacher, Pyotr Nesterov chose a military career. In August 1904 he left the military school in Nizhny Novgorod and went to the artillery school, considered one of the best of its kind. He became a second lieutenant and served in the 9th East Siberian artillery brigade in Vladivostok. In 1909, he came into contact with aviation when he was sent to an aircraft manufacturer. He built his first glider and learned to fly it.

In 1911 Nesterov began formal training as a pilot and graduated on 11 October 1912. A short time later he also passed the examination to be a military pilot. In May 1913 he became leader of a relay in Kiev, completing night flights at that time.

Nesterov believed that an aircraft could fly a loop, a feat not previously performed. Despite the doubts of his peers, Nesterov proved his theory on 27 August 1913 and became the first pilot to fly a loop. This achievement made him famous overnight. He soon thereafter founded the practice of aerobatics, stressing the value of these exercises for a military pilot. Nesterov improved the flight methods and designed new flight models without rudders.

The First World War gave Nesterov the opportunity to test his air war theories in practice. He was particularly adept at controlling the bomb release.

Aircraft were unarmed at this early stage, so Nesterov became the first to perform a suicide plane crash in the history of aviation. On 26 August 1914 he rammed an Austrian reconnaissance plane Albatros B.II of Observer Baron Friedrich von Rosenthal and pilot Franz Malina from FLIK 11. Eager to destroy enemy aircraft, he probably intended to hit it with a landing gear of his Morane-Saulnier monoplane, but he hit it with propeller and as a result, both planes fell. Both pilots and Observer died. [1] The town of Zhovkva (currently in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine) near the famous air fight was renamed Nesterov, though it has since reverted to Zhovkva.

Nesterov was buried in Kiev, Ukraine. His ramming method was used during the Second World War by several Soviet pilots with success and without their loss of life. The air-combat technique of ramming Nesterov pioneered became known in Russian as Taran. In honor of Nesterov the Soviet Union established the Nesterov's cup for the best aerobatics crew.