Andrei Tupolev

Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev (Russian: Андре́й Никола́евич Туполев; November 10, 1888 – December 23, 1972) was a pioneering Russian aircraft designer.

Tupolev was born in Pustomazovo, Russia. His most famous passenger designs are the Tu-134 and Tu-154. During his career, Tupolev was the creator of more than 100 types of aircraft which were used to set 78 world records. In recognition of his work, he was made an honorary member of Britain's Royal Aeronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

He was a leading designer at the Moscow-based Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) from 1929 until his death in 1972. This design bureau produced mostly bombers and airliners. Of the military aircraft he designed, the Tupolev Tu-26 (an intercontinental bomber) is probably the most famous.

During his incarceration in the Gulag , Tupolev's sharashka (affectionately called Tupolevka) was famous for its concentration of engineering talents.

He is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow, Russia.

His son Alexei Tupolev (1925–2001) was also a famous aircraft designer. His most famous design was the supersonic airliner Tupolev Tu-144.