De Seversky, Alexander Procofieff << duh suh VEHR skee, ah lyih KSAN dur pruh KAWF yuhf >> (1894-1974), was a pilot, aircraft designer, and military authority. His fighter plane designs were among the most advanced of the 1930’s. He invented an automatic bombsight, amphibian landing gear, and hydraulic shock absorbers for aircraft. De Seversky’s theories about the use of air power drew wide attention.
De Seversky was born on June 7, 1894, in Tbilisi, Georgia, then part of Russia. He received his education at Russia’s Imperial Naval Academy. De Seversky lost a leg in aerial combat during World War I (1914-1918). He came to the United States in 1918, after the Russian Revolution, and became a citizen of the United States in 1927. In 1931, De Seversky established an aircraft manufacturing firm bearing his name in the United States. He died on Aug. 24, 1974.
