Alexander Bereznyak

Alexander Yakovlevich Bereznyak (Александр Яковлевич Березняк) (December 29 1912–July 7, 1974) was a Soviet aircraft and missile designer. He was the Chief Designer of MKB "Raduga", from March 1957.

He was born on 29 December 1912 in Boyarkino, Ozerski District, Moscow Region. Alexander Bereznyak was a Soviet aircraft designer, a doctor of technical science (1968), and an honoured worker of science and technology in the RSFSR (1973). He became a member of the CPSU in 1932. He was employed in aviation industries since 1931. Bereznyak was a Graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute named after Ordzhonikidze (1938). He was an engineer in the experimental design bureau of V.F.Bolkhovitinov While working in the bureau, he designed the first soviet jet, the BI-1, which was equipped with liquid fuel to power a rocket engine. The BI-1 was created in 1942 in co-operation with A.M.Isayev). He became Vice-chief designer of OKB-2 in 1946, later to become The chief designer in 1957. Bereznyak was later awarded with the Lenin Prize,the USSR State Prize, the Order of Lenin,the Order of October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, and numerous medals. He died on 7 July 1974 in Dubna, Moscow region.

Aircraft (conventional)

 * BI — an early rocket-powered aircraft and the world's first rocket fighter developed by Bereznyak and Isaev in 1940-1944. It flew after German's experimental He-176, but still was the first Soviet rocket plane. Eight test planes (usually referred as BI-1 — BI-8) were built.
 * 302P
 * 346 — experimental, trans-sonic speed, 1946.
 * 468 — jet, project, 1948..1949.