Alexander Kartveli
| Alexander Kartveli ალექსანდრე ქართველი |
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| Born |
9 September 1896 Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Died | 20 June 1974 (aged 77) New York, United States |
| Nationality | Georgian |
| Occupation | aircraft engineer aeronautical innovator inventor |
Alexander Kartveli, born Alexander Kartvelishvili, (Georgian: ალექსანდრე ქართველიშვილი) (September 9, 1896 – June 20, 1974) was an influential aircraft engineer and a pioneer in American aviation history. Kartveli achieved important breakthroughs in military aviation in the time of turbojet fighters. He is considered to be one of the most important and innovative aircraft designers in US history and the world.
Alexander Kartvelishvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, into a noble Georgian family. (Georgians call themselves "kartvelebi", and his surname derives from "Kartveli", or Georgian). He graduated from the grammar school in Tbilisi in 1914. Later on, he decided to move to France, as one of several aviation engineer aspirants of Georgian origin, such as Michael Gregor.
Kartvelishvili graduated in 1922 from the Highest School of Aviation in Paris. He began working as test pilot but was seriously injured during a test flight which ended the short-lived career. In 1922–1927, he worked for a while at the Louis Blériot company and designed the Bernard and Ferbois aircraft. In 1924, one of his aircraft established a world speed record.
In 1927, the American millionaire Charles Levine invited Kartvelishvili to New York, to join the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation in 1928 and in 1931 Kartvelishvili met the prominent engineer Alexander de Seversky, who was born in Georgia but was of Russian descent. In his little company which later was renamed to Seversky Aircraft Corporation, Kartvelishvili worked as chief engineer. In 1939 the company again changed its name to "Republic Aviation Company".
Kartvelishvili and Seversky worked on a series of new designs. During World War II the first projects resulted in the P-35 and one of the most effective US fighter aircraft, the Republic P-47. The new fighter aircraft was a clear improvement over the comparatively lightly armed Seversky P-35.
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