Tamara Konstantinova

Tamara Fyodorovna Konstantinova (Russian: Тамара Фёдоровна Константинова; 7 November 1919 – 28 July 1999) was an Ilyushin Il-2 pilot and deputy squadron commander in the Soviet Air Force during the Second World War.

From January 1940 to December 1941, Konstantinova worked as a flight instructor at the Kalinin aeroclub, after which she moved to Baku because her husband was assigned to the Azerbaijan Civil Aviation Management Department at that time.

When she was nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 15 March 1945 for flying 66 sorties on the Il-2, she had risen to the position of deputy squadron commander in the 999th Assault Aviation Regiment.

By the end of the war, she flew 67 missions on the Il-2, contributing to significant destruction of enemy manpower and equipment, having taken out eight anti-aircraft guns, two tanks, five train cars, and various other military targets.

While still posted to the law school, she began working for the civil air fleet as a pilot in August 1947, but after a crash in poor weather conditions on 20 December 1947 left her with a serious leg injury, she was ruled unable to continue flying in April 1948.