Eduard Vaganovich
Yelyan
1926-2009
Eduard Vaganovich Yelyan was a test pilot of the Tupolev Design Bureau, Colonel. He was born in Baku. In 1938-1944 he lived in Norilsk, Moscow, Sverdlovsk. In 1944 he finished the Sverdlovsk special School of the Air Force. He was in the army since June 1944. In 1944 he finished the 9th Military Aviation School of initial training of pilots (Buguruslan), in 1948 – Borisoglebsky Military Aviation School of pilots, until 1951 he was an instructor pilot there. In 1953 he finished the School of Test Pilots, in 1960 he graduated from the evening department of the Zhukovsky branch of Moscow Aviation Institute. In 1953-1958 he was a test pilot of the Flight Research Institute (Zhukovsky). He conducted a number of testing works on fighter planes, participated in the testing of aviation suits. In 1958-1960 he was a test pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau. He conducted tests of the S-1 for durability; participated in tests of supersonic fighters T-3, PT-8, T-49, T-5, P-1, Su-7. In 1960-1982 he was a test pilot of the Tupolev Design Bureau. He took to the sky and tested the world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-144; participated in the tests of the Tu-22 bomber, Tu-124, Tu-134, Tu-154 passenger aircraft and their modifications. For the courage and heroism shown during the testing of new aircraft, Colonel Eduard Vaganovich Yelyan was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 26, 1971, with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal (No. 11395). Since 1982, Colonel E.V. Yelyan was in reserve. Until 1996, he worked as an engineer at the Mikoyan Design Bureau.
Address: Moscow, Prostornaya str., 14, bldg. 1
