IRBITIS, KARLIS

• 1904, Oct.14 - Born: near Valmiera, Latvia
• 1925 - Graduated from the National Technology Institute in Riga
• 1925 - Designed the P-2 (I-1) "Spriditis"
• 1926 - 1930 - employed by A.S.Christine Backman, Riga
• 1926 - Designed the P-3 (I-2) "Ikars"
• 1930 - 1942 - employed by VEF, Riga
• 1930 - Designed the I-5 "Ikars II"
• 1933 - Designed the I-6 "Gambija"
• 1933 - Designed the I-7 "Zilais Putns"
• 1934 - designs the logo for VEF, still in use today
• 1934 - Designed the I-8 "Zilais Putns II"
• 1936 - Designed the I-11
• 1937 - Designed the I-12
• 1937 - Designed the I-14
• 1938 - Bronze medal from the Latvian Aeroclub
• 1939 - Designed the I-15a and I-15b
• 1939 - Involved in building Akerman's JDA-10M
• 1939 - Overseas member of the American Aeronautical and Astronomical Institute
• 1940 - Designed the I-16
• 1941 - Designed the I-17
• 1942 - 1948 - administrator, Messerschmidt Bavaria, Germany
• 1950 - developed system of control devices for the vertical take-off airplane CL-84
• 1950 - 1971 - Engineer, Canadair Ltd, Montreal
• 1954 - membership in the Canadian Aeronautical Institute
• 1963 - Canadian patent (# 822575) for a control system for aircraft
• 1964 - Canadian patents (# 683335, 683336) for pneumatic propeller drive systems
• 1970 - McCurdy Award for the VSTOL CL-84 project
• 1971 - 1973 - Consultant, Canadair Ltd, Montreal
• 1976 - 1978 - Constulant, McGill University, Montreal
• 1986 - Publishes "Of Struggle and Flight"
• 1986 - Tom Fairley Award for book design (for "Of Struggle and Flight")
• 1992 - Honorary Doctorate of Engineering bestowed by the Latvian Academy of Science
• 1997 - Latvian translation of "Of Struggle and Flight" is published
• 1997, Oct.13 - Died: Ville St.Laurent, Quebec, Canada

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