"Kostia" left, talking with major
Destaillac (seen from the back), watched attentively by Pierre Le Gloan
(centre), lieutenant Legrand, and Chief Sergeant Queguiner (right) at Alger
Maison Blanche January 8th 1943.
Constantin Rozanoff, nicknamed "Kostia", was more than an icon in
the French Air Force fighter arm, he was a true aviation legend.
A descendant of a noble Russian family, he was born on August 23rd
1905 in Varsovie (Poland). With his parents he immigrated to
France a few years later, and he became a French citizen in 1927.
The Sioux Indian head is the
official emblem of the Lafayette escadrille. This prestigious escadrille
born in 1916 during the arrival of the American volunteers became renown
in World war one with pilots such as Raoul Luftbery, Victor Chapman,
Norman Price, and even for a while, Charles Nungesser.
He studied engineering at the central and superior schools of
aeronautics where he graduated with top honours. Called in the
military service in 1928, he completed his obligations with the 34th
aviation regiment of observation at Le Bourget, and as a reserve
officer at Avord. He continued his military aviation career,
graduated as a pilot, and was attached to the 12th
aviation regiment in Reims in 1930. Desiring to continue his
career in the French Air Force, he opted for technical and
administrative positions, rather than operational positions.
In April 1935, he was attached to the Villacoublay flight test
centre and promoted to captain in June. He pursued his test pilot
career until the beginning of world war two. However, in October
of 1937, it almost came to an end. While testing the spin
characteristics of a Hanriot, he could not recover and bailed out
just in time.
On November 28 1939, he was selected to ferry a captured Bf 109,
but the flight ended with another bail out and the destruction of
the airplane. Desiring to take a more active part in the war, he
requested to be transferred to the front, and in February of 1940
he became second in command of GC (Groupe de chasse) II/4.
Staying with the "armistice" Air Force, he was assigned several
positions at the command headquarters. On November 21st
1942, he took command of GC II/5 Lafayette, re-equipped with
Curtiss P-40s and saw combat in Tunisia. At the end of the
Tunisian campaign, he was named assistant to the director of all
the flight schools in North Africa. On July 16th 1943
he took command of GC II/3.
Promoted to lieutenant colonel in December, he left for Great
Britain to occupy several posts, and to attend two additional test
pilot courses, including one at the Empire Central Flying School
where his instructors noticed his high sense of duty, a strong
personality, and a great sense of humour. His raw sense of humour
however was not always appreciated.
In July 1945, he flew his first Jet in the united States. At the
end of 1945, he was assigned as director of the CEAM at the flight
test centre of Mont-de-Marsan with the rank of colonel. He quit
the French Air Force in October of 1946.
After his release from the French Air Force, he was hired right
away as director of flight test with Dassault and put in charge of
testing, and "fine tuning" the Marcel Dassault MD.450 Ouragan, as
well as the Mystere serie. On February 24th 1954, at
the controls of a Mystere IV, he was the first French pilot to
break the sound barrier with a French built airplane. It was the
same airplane that ended his life tragically on the 3rd
of April 1954. After performing a brilliant demonstration of the
airplane in front of a delegation of French and British
personalities, Kostia decided to break the sound barrier for the
first time at ground level. Unfortunately, following an electrical
failure of the stabilizer motor, the control surface deflected to
nose down position as the airplane was entering the initial low
altitude presentation. The aircraft hit the ground and exploded in
a gigantic fire ball.
Rozanoff Constantin
Squadron Leader / Major
GC II/4
16.05.40 (2) Ju 86 Fismes [51]
18.05.40 (4) Hs 126 Rethel [08]