Constantin Rozanoff French military pilot, test pilot Date of Birth: 23.08.1905 Country: France

Biography of Konstantin Rozanov

Konstantin Rozanov was born into a wealthy Russian family. He emigrated with his mother to France in 1917 and obtained French citizenship in 1927. In 1933, he received a diploma from the National School of Aviation SUPAERO and became a licensed pilot during his studies. In 1935, Rozanov became a test pilot at the Aeronautics Center in Velizy-Villacoublay, where he participated in flight tests of various aircraft models.

In the early 1938, Rozanov took part in the evaluation of the captured Messerschmitt Bf.109 B1 in Spain, which was later handed over to the Soviet Union. During World War II, he served as a fighter pilot in the French Air Force and shot down two Luftwaffe planes in May 1940.

After being captured, Rozanov ended up in North Africa (Morocco) in 1942, where he participated in allied combat operations in Tunisia and Algeria. He also commanded the squadrons GC 2/5 (Lafayette) and GC 2/3 (Dauphiné) during convoy operations over the Mediterranean Sea. In December 1943, he went to the United Kingdom for retraining and became proficient in the first military jet aircraft (Gloster G-41). He later participated in tests of the P-59 Airacomet and Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star in the United States.

Upon his return in December 1945, Rozanov became the commander of the French Air Force base 118 in Mont-de-Marsan, which was later named after him. He retired in October 1946 and became the chief pilot of the test unit at Dassault Aviation, a leading aerospace company. He piloted the MD-450 Ouragan prototype and production models, as well as participated in tests of military transport aircraft Dassault MD.315 Flamant and all Mystère series fighter-bombers (I-IV).

On February 24, 1954, Rozanov became the first French pilot to break the sound barrier in horizontal flight on the Mystère IV A. In 1954, he published his autobiography "Double Bang - Ma Vie de Pilote d'Essai." Sadly, Rozanov died while piloting a Mystère IV B during a low-level supersonic flight demonstration at Melun-Villaroche airfield. He was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. In 1971, a street in Paris was named after him. Rozanov was awarded the Air Medal by the United States and the Legion of Honor by France.