Celestial Centaur (3 photos) Bashny.Net

At the turn of the 60-70-ies in the Airborne Troops had sufficient experience relief BMD (airborne combat vehicles) on mnogokupolnyh parachute systems and special platforms. The most significant drawback of this method of landing was the fact that the crews jumped behind the machines. As a result, the paratroopers could dissipate at a distance of five kilometers from their BMD and spend much time looking machine. This problem is called into question the performance of combat missions and allow the enemy to destroy most of the assault immediately after landing.
Then the commander of the Airborne Forces General of the Army Vasily Margelov had an idea: to get the prize in time, increased mobility amphibious units must be landed right people in the art, and not separately. Pretty quickly from ideas found their supporters and the summer of 1971 a team of scientific and technical committee Airborne began work on a set of "parachute system - war machine - the man" who received code word "Centaur" (mechanic-driver of the vehicle on the march protruded from the hatch to the waist - hence the analogy). By the beginning of 1972, the complex was created.
Despite the successful test, for a long time could not get a permit to discharge people in BMD. Margelov several times trying to break the rigidity of Soviet Defense Minister Marshal Andrei Grechko, but the last argument unchanged - the means of salvation for the crew in case of failure of the system in BMD mnogokupolnoy no individual parachutes are not provided. During one discussion with the Minister of the riskiness of the project, General Margelov used his main argument: the question of who to put in the machine, the general said, "... first go my son Sasha! ...»
January 5, 1973 for the first time in the history of the last successful landing people in BMD.



By Alexander Margelov:
- The car swung smoothly through the bleed gruzolyuka - 800 meters to the ground. Like a giant pendulum swing around the center of the pilot chute, our "iron" first fell by 135 degrees from the horizontal, then rocked with gradually decreasing amplitude. Opened the brakes, and then the main parachute. Rolling the first time upside down, we experienced a few seconds a state of near weightlessness. In the air rose nowhere grafted stuff in the car ... The next moment all boomed loudly on the floor and then some more time there rolls until the machine "image" of the pendulum itself.
Radiocommunication failure. Had to be guided by personal feelings so on readings of instruments (altimeter after the disclosure mnogokupolnoy system uniformly approximated to the ground, and stood on the vario speed reduction of about 6 m / sec). "Second," I - "First"! - I heard a voice commander - accept the ready position, now this land! ". "First," I - "Second", understood to take the ready position. " And then followed by a sharp, rolls kick. Our heads instantly "knocked out Morse code" from the headrests, and everything froze. The sudden silence fell upon us the feeling that we are alone in the world. But this lasted only a moment. Without saying a word, began to be freed from tethers. Freeing the machine from the parachute system and platform, quickly took their places inside: Leonid - the lever, I - in the tower. While he would start the engine, I sought out by turning the tower for the purpose of fire. There Is! And immediately, with the beginning of the movement, blurted gun "Thunder" - of course, this was a simulation, and the subsequent firing of the gun was conducted blank, but in the first experiment, it was not important ...
The main thing was different. The experiment was a success as a whole, it confirmed the idea of ​​the commander, now Marines immediately after landing could join the fight.
Following Leonid Zuev and Alexander Margelov, the first in the world to accomplish a unique landing, went the other "reliable, proven Marines." Hundreds of soldiers, sergeants, officers Airborne repeated later throw "Centaur". And all the people landing was successful.



The next step was even more complex and demanding task - to learn landing of the crew inside the BMD-1 rocket parachute system (PRS) - without a platform. The next step was the "Reaktavr" ("Reactive Centaur"). The system instead of several used alone, more economical and lightweight parachute (dome area of ​​540 square meters). System assembled and transported directly to the BMD - unlike mnogokupolnoy, join a car at the airport before departure. It weighed about a ton. "Reaktavr" descended from the plane at a rate of four times greater than the "Centaur" (up to 25 meters per second), the moment of landing speed vertical drop to zero quenched due to the thrust of jet engines.
In preparation for the new experiment 26 August 1975 the first set of tested joint landing (RACs). Two men landed in BMD and four - side by side, in a special cabin mounted on the platform.

Repeat the project "Centaur", according to the Western press, the French tried, plant, just in case, a fighting machine man sentenced to death. Attempt, by the way, the only overseas, failed - the person died.
Program "Centaur" and "Reaktavr" - the legendary page in the history of the Russian Armed Forces. "Centaur" and "Reaktavr" - a courage paratroopers, heroism test, the highest intelligence of the creators of technology, unsurpassed latest Russian technology. And, of course, is vulkaniruyuschaya energy Vasily Margelov - the founder and creator of modern airborne troops. Throughout his life he was not afraid to take responsibility for themselves, and most importantly - believe in people. Believed in those he taught and brought up in the first place - by example. Some accuse him of lack of paternal qualities. It was not. As the commander of poruchenets when "saddled" "Centaur", Vasily Filippovich Margelov kept in the pocket of his greatcoat charged one cartridge gun.