Alexei Tupolev

Alexei Andreyevich Tupolev (May 20, 1925 - May 12, 2001) was a Soviet aircraft designer who led the development of the first Soviet supersonic passenger jet, the Tupolev Tu-144. He also helped design the Buran space shuttle.

Tupolev was the son of famed Soviet aircraft pioneer, Andrei Tupolev. He graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute in 1949 and began working with his father at the Tupolev Design Bureau. He became chief designer in 1963 and general designer in 1973.