Gromov Flight Research Institute

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M. M. Gromov Flight Research Institute or LII for short (Russian: Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, Russian: ЛИИ) is an important Russian aircraft test base, scientific research center located in Zhukovsky, 40 km south-east of Moscow.

It has one of the longest airfield in Europe, 5,403 m. LII's concrete surfacing covers the area of 2.5 million square meters.

LII was used as the backup landing site for the Shuttle Buran test program and also as a test base for a Buran's aerodynamical prototypes. (See OK-GLI)

LII periodically holds the MAKS event, the International Air Show (Aviasalon). The most recent is scheduled to take place on 21-August 26, 2007.

At present, LII used also as a cargo airport.

The airfield is also known as Zhukovsky Air Base or Ramenskoe Air Base (Airport Ramenskoye)

[edit] History

The Flight Research Institute was founded on March 8, 1941, in accordance with the decree of Sovnarkom and the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party. Mikhail Gromov, a legendary test pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union, became its first chief.

From the very beginning the Institute participated in development and testing of aircraft and airborne systems, conducted flight research in order to pave the way to further scientific activities.

The first years of the Institute's existence fell on the Great Patriotic War, the hardest of times for the whole country. But it is in these days that versatility of the Institute's functions and resources manifested itself the brightest.

During the war, the experts of the Institute kept developing recommendations with respect to maintenance of the highest possible level of the aircraft's' military characteristics, controlled flight trials of the experimental prototypes, aided to combat troops, studied the foreign aircraft and equipment, both purchased and taken as trophies.