Alexander Kartveli (Kartvelishvili) 1896 – 1974 – One of the pioneers of the US aviation, an American aircraft designer. He was born in Tbilisi. In 1914 Alexander Kartveli graduated from an artillery school. During the years he spent participating in WW I Alexander Kartveli took an interest in aviation.
In 1919 he left for France to go on with his studies. When his fatherland was annexed in 1921, Kartveli decided to stay away from the Communist Georgia. In 1922 he graduated from the Aviation Academy of France. For a short haul he served as a test pilot but owing to the traumas caused by the plane crash, he had to abandon the career of a pilot. He worked at Aircraft Designer Company Societe Industrielle where Kartveli contributed to the creation of Bernard and Ferbois planes. The aircraft built in 1924 with his participation, beat the speed record.
In 1927 American millionaire Charles Levine invited Alexander Kartveli to New York. Since 1928 Kartveli was employed by Fokker American Company. In 1928 American aircraft designer Alexander Seversky offered him a position of chief engineer at Seversky Aircraft Corporation (since 1939 – Republic Aviation Company).
During WW II A. Kartveli designed fighter aircraft P-47 Thunderbolt, which had been widely used be the Air Force of the USA as well as the US allies. After WW II A. Kartveli created F – 84 Thunderjet and F-1057 Thunderchief aircrafts.
Alexander Kartveli died in New York.
“100 Georgian abroad”