Vladimir Ilyushin
Vladimir Ilyushin Владимир Сергеевич Ильюшин | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vladimir Sergeyevich Ilyushin 31 March 1927 |
| Status | Deceased |
| Died | 1 March 2010 (aged 82) Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation | Soviet Union test pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
| Aviation career | |
| First flight | Su-11, Т-5, Su-15, Su-17, Su-24, Т-4, Su-25, Su-27 |
| Rank | Major general |
Vladimir Sergeyevich Ilyushin (Russian: Владимир Серге́евич Ильюшин; 31 March 1927 – 1 March 2010) was a Russian military officer and a test pilot in the former Soviet space program. Ilyushin was a son of the famous aviation designer Sergey Ilyushin, and whose career was mostly as a test pilot for the Sukhoi OKB (a rival of Ilyushin OKB). After retiring from the space program, Ilyushin became a sports administrator and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame (then known as the IRB Hall of Fame) in 2013.
In 1961, Ilyushin was the subject of a conspiracy theory that he, rather than Yuri Gagarin, was the first cosmonaut in space. There is no evidence and no support for the theory.