Dancing with Wings: The Story of Alexander Kartveli
After talking about George Balanchine, the Georgian who taught America to dance, let me introduce you to another remarkable Georgian — a man who didn’t choreograph movements on stage, but in the sky. His name was Alexander Kartveli, one of the greatest aircraft designers in history, yet another Georgian whose brilliance became part of America’s story.
Aleksandre Kartvelishvili was born on September 9, 1896, in Tblisi, Georgia. From a young age, he was fascinated by flight. When he watched birds gliding freely over the Caucasus mountains, he dreamed that one day humans would fly just as gracefully.
He studied engineering in Paris, at the École Supérieure d’Aéronautique, where he learned the science of aircraft design. When the Bolsheviks invaded Georgia and the country lost its independence, Kartveli, like many talented Georgians of his generation, could not return home. He remained in Europe, where his skill and imagination soon attracted international attention.
In the 1920s, Kartveli moved to the United States, where his true genius found a home. He joined the Seversky Aircraft Company, which later became Republic Aviation, and began designing airplanes that would change the course of aviation history.
Kartveli created some of the most legendary fighter aircraft ever built — the P-47 Thunderbolt, the F-84 Thunderjet, and the F-105 Thunderchief. The P-47, in particular, became one of the most powerful and successful American planes of World War II, known for its strength, speed, and ability to bring pilots safely home. American airmen affectionately called it “The Jug.”
Though he spent most of his life in the United States, Kartveli never forgot his Georgian homeland. His name, which means “the Georgian,” remained his proud identity wherever he went. In a time when Georgia was hidden behind the Iron Curtain, his achievements shone brightly in the free world, reminding everyone that genius knows no borders.
Alexander Kartveli passed away in 1974 in New York. He was buried in Long Island, far from his native Tbilisi, but close to the skies he helped conquer.