Nikolai Kuimov

Kuimov was born on 16 December 1957 in Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, then part of the Russian Soviet Socialist Federative Republic, in the Soviet Union. He was drafted into the Soviet Army in 1975, and studied at the , graduating in 1979. He served in combat units of the Soviet Air Force, being deployed to Vladimirovka airbase in Astrakhan Oblast. He started out as a co-pilot, and rose to be a squadron commander, flying the Tupolev Tu-16. In 1981, at the request of the Chkalov State Flight Test Centre, he was enrolled in the third year of the Moscow Aviation Institute's evening faculty "Takeoff" classes, graduating in 1985 with a degree in aircraft engineering and the qualification of "Mechanical Engineer". Between 1987 and 1989 Kuimov underwent further training at the Air Force Research Institute's Test Pilot Training Centre in Akhtubinsk, where he participated in tests of the An-72, An-124, and the Il-80. He was then employed by the Chkalov State Flight Test Centre as a senior test pilot between 1989 and 1994. In 1994 he joined the Ilyushin Design Bureau as a test pilot and was involved in test flights for many of their new designs, including the Il-76, Il-86, Il-96, Il-114 and Il-103. ==Achievements==

, one of the Russian presidential aircraft. Kuimov carried out the version's first test flight, and oversaw its test flight program. Kuimov experienced various firsts during his time as a test pilot, as well several accidents and incidents. While testing the Il-76MF transport version in 2000, the aircraft cabin was loaded with heavy plates. At 11,000 feet a plate broke loose, piercing the cabin and cutting wiring. The aircraft began to depressurise, but Kuimov and his crew were able to land the plane. He also carried out the first flight of the Il-114-300 on 16 December 2020. . Kuimov carried out the first test flight of the aircraft in 2019, and was killed flying it on later tests in 2021. On 28 December 2006 Kuimov was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation "for courage and heroism during the testing of aviation equipment." Over his career Kuimov was rated to fly more than 35 types of aircraft. He took part in air shows and exhibitions, flying the Il-96T at the 1997 Paris Air Show, the Il-76MF at the 1998 ILA Berlin Air Show, and the Il-114-100 at the 2000 Changi International Airshow in Singapore. He had received the award of on 8 May 2003. ==Death==

Kuimov died on 17 August 2021 when the Il-112V prototype he was flying crashed short of the runway at Kubinka airfield at 11:18 Moscow time. The crew of three; Kuimov, test pilot Dmitry Komarov and flight engineer Nikolai Khludeyev, were all killed. ==References==