Constantin Rozanoff
| Constantin Wladimir Rozanoff | |
|---|---|
Kostia Rozanoff near Mystère IV
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Kostia |
| Born |
23 August 1905 Warsaw, Russian Empire |
| Died | 3 April 1954 Melun, France |
| Allegiance |
 France
|
| Years of service | 1940–1946 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | GC II/4, GC 2/5 «Lafayette», GC 2/3 «Dauphiné» |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Air Medal, Légion d'honneur |
Constantin Wladimir Rozanoff, also known as Kostia Rozanoff, (Russian: Розанов, Константин Владимирович) (August 23, 1905 – April 3, 1954) - was a French test pilot, Colonel of the French Air Force, and one of the pioneers of jet aviation. He was chief-pilot at Dassault Aviation. He flew 201 types of planes and helicopters, and accumulated 5,000 flying hours, including 3,865 combat hours, and breaking the sound barrier 104 times.
Constantin Rozanoff was born to a Russian family in Warsaw. He and his mother emigrated to France in 1917 because of the Revolution, and in 1927 obtained French citizenship. Constantin Rozanoff entered the prestigious engineering school École Centrale Paris, where he graduated in 1928. Called into military service the same year, he completed his service with the 34th Aviation Regiment of observation at Le Bourget and as a reserve officer at Avord.
He attended the SUPAERO National Aircraft School (L'École nationale supérieure de l'aéronautique et de l'espace) in 1933, and after completing studies he became a licensed pilot. In 1935 he became a pilot with the Center of Aeronautics in Vélizy-Villacoublay (Centre d'Essais des Matériels Aéronautiques - CEMA) and took part in flight testing of the Morane-Saulnier MS.406, Dewoitine D.520 and Bloch MB.152. In October 1937, Rozanoff was almost killed when losing control of a Hanriot while testing its spin characteristics. He could not recover in time, but he bailed out safely.
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