View source for Rafael Kaprelyan

{{Short description|Soviet Armenian test pilot (1909–1984)}}
{{Expand Russian|topic=bio|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Rafael Kaprelyan
| birth_date    = {{OldStyleDate|5 May|1909|22 April}}
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1984|7|12|1909|5|5}}
| image         = 
| birth_place   = [[Baku]], [[Russian Empire]]
| death_place   = [[Moscow]], [[Soviet Union]]
| birth_name    = Rafael Ivanovich Kaprelyan
| allegiance    = {{USSR}}
| branch        = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Soviet Air Force.svg}} [[Soviet Air Forces|Soviet Air Force]]
| serviceyears  = 1941–1945
| rank          = [[podpolkovnik]] (1975)
| unit          = 
| commands      = 
| battles       = [[World War II]]
| awards        = [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]
| laterwork     = 
}}
'''Rafael Ivanovich Kaprelyan''' ({{langx|hy|Ռաֆաել Իվանի Կապրելյան}}; {{OldStyleDate|5 May|1909|22 April}} in [[Baku]] – 12 July 1984 in [[Moscow]]) was a decorated Armenian-Soviet test pilot who received the title [[Hero of the Soviet Union]] in 1975.

== Early life ==
Kaprelyan was born on 5 May 1909 in Baku to the family of Armenian doctor Hovnan Kaprelyan. He graduated from [[Saint Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation|Leningrad Institute of Civil Air Fleet Engineers]] in 1932, and [[Krasnodar Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots|Bataysk Military Aviation School of Pilots]] in 1934. He worked as an airline pilot before [[World War II]], mastering various Soviet transport aircraft of that era. During the war, he was the second-in-command of a special forces airgroup, fulfilling tasks of the General Staff. During one such flight, he landed poorly as a result of acute icing and was taken as a [[Prisoner of war|POW]] by the [[Nazism|Nazis]], but he managed to escape and found himself among partisans. He was later appointed commander of the 89th bomber regiment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://persona.rin.ru/eng/view/f/0/30565/kaprelyan-raphael-ivanovich|title=KAPRELYAN Raphael Ivanovich, photo, biography|website=persona.rin.ru|access-date=2018-12-28}}</ref>

== Test pilot career ==
Starting in 1947 he worked as a test pilot at the [[Gromov Flight Research Institute|Flight Research Institute]], where he flew various weather condition tests on the [[Tupolev Tu-4|Tu-4]] and conducted various other tests on [[North American B-25 Mitchell|B-25]], [[Lisunov Li-2|Li-2]], and [[Tupolev Tu-2|Tu-2]] aircraft. From 1950 to 1952 he worked as a test pilot at an aircraft factory in [[Tushino]], but switched to test-driving buses after that aircraft factory converted to a bus factory in 1952. The next year he transferred to the [[Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant|Mil Helicopter Design Bureau]], where he worked as a senior test pilot. There, he carried out the maiden flights of the [[Mil Mi-6|Mi-6]], [[Mil Mi-10|Mi-10]], and Mi-10K helicopters. He also set several aviation records, including payload records on the Mi-6 in 1956 and again in 1962. He also participated in tests of the Mi-2, Mi-4, and [[Mil Mi-8|Mi-8]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simonov |first=Andrey |author-link=Andrey Simonov |title=Капрэлян Рафаил Иванович |url=https://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=635 |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=www.warheroes.ru}}</ref>

== Awards ==
* [[Hero of the Soviet Union]] (15 May 1975)
* Two [[Order of Lenin|Orders of Lenin]] (6 December 1949 and 15 May 1975)
* [[Order of the Red Banner]] (2 April 1943)
* [[Order of the Patriotic War]] 1st class (22 September 1944)
* Two [[Order of the Red Banner of Labour|Orders of the Red Banner of Labour]] (31 July 1948 and 12 July 1957)
* Two [[Order of the Red Star|Orders of the Red Star]] (26 November 1941, 1 December 1943)
* [[Order of the Badge of Honour]] (31 July 1961)
* [[Medal "For Battle Merit"]] (3 November 1944)
* campaign and jubilee medals

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaprelyan, Rafael Ivanovich}}
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Baku]]
[[Category:People from Baku Governorate]]
[[Category:Gromov Flight Research Institute employees]]
[[Category:Heroes of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Lenin]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Star]]
[[Category:Soviet prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Escapees from German detention]]
[[Category:Soviet Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Soviet test pilots]]
[[Category:Soviet World War II pilots]]
[[Category:Soviet aviation record holders]]
[[Category:Rotorcraft flight record holders]]
[[Category:Flight instructors]]
[[Category:Burials at Kuntsevo Cemetery]]

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