Beriev Be-200

Type (Muster)
Multipurpose amphibian aircraft (firefighting, passenger and cargo transport)

Country (Land)
Russia (Rußland)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Beta Air Joint-Stock Company
16 Shmidta Street
347922 Taganrog
Russia
Phone: 007-86344/627-34
Fax: 007-86344/41454

Beta Air combines the G.M. Beriev design bureau, the Irkutsk production plant, Ukrainian investment bank and ILTA Trade Finance S.A.

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2
Passengers (Passagiere): 64
Cargo capacity (Fracht): 6 tons (containerized) In cabin

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Progress D-436TP turbofans (BR715 engine would be possible for export)
Thrust (Schub): 2 x 7500 kp (74 kN)
Fuel consumption (Kraftstoffverbrauch): 1500 kg/h average

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 32,05 m
Height (Höhe): 8,90 m
Span (Spannweite): 32,78 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 117,4 sq m

Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 18,7 m
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 2,40
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 1,8 m
Floor area (Kabinenfläche): 39 sq m
Cabin volume (Kabinenvolumen): 80,8 cu m

Weights (Massen)
Water in tanks (Wasstertanks): 12 tons (after scooping from lake)
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 12260 kg
Max. take-off weight (Max. Startmasse): 37200 kg from land, 43000 kg after scooping water on the sea

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. speed (max. Geschwindigkeit):710 km/h
Economy cruise speed (wirtschaftliche Reisegeschwindigkeit): 550 - 610 km/h
Approach speed (Anfluggeschwindigkeit): 200 km/h
Max. rate of climb (Steigrate): 14 m/s
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 8000 m
Take-off distance (Startstrecke): 700 m from land, 1000 m from water
Landing distance (Landestrecke): 1050 m on land, 1300 m on water
Water depth needed (notwendige Wassertiefe): 2 m
Max. range (Reichweite): 3850 km without reserves, maximum fuel
Range with 7,5 tons payload (Reichweite mit 7,5 t Nutzlast): 1700 km

Costs (Kosten)
At a presentation a few weeks after the first flight, a price tag of 20 to 22 million US-Dollars was mentioned.

Customers (Kunden)
By the time of the first flight it was claimed that the Emercom (Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations) has placed a firm order for seven aircraft.
Interest is claimed from China and South Korea, which wants to use the Be-200 for its Maritime Police Force.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
No other jet-powered amphibium is offered at the moment. Bombardier is selling its turboprop powered CL-415.

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The Be-200 is mainly intended for fire-fighting and search and rescue missions, but it can also be fitted out as a passenger aircraft or for cargo transportation.
Design of the Be-200 started in 1989, under Alexander Yavkin. The Beriev engineers applied their experience with the A-40 Albatros as much as possible to save on wind- and water-tunnel tests. First news of the programme came in 1991, when a model was displayed at the Paris Air Show. Although the Be-200 did get the blessing of Soviet state authorities, this did not mean much in the early 90s as the USSR disintegrated. Chronic lack of money led to innumerable delays from the original first flight target of mid-1994.
The first prototype was structurally completed and rolled out on 11 September 1996, but there was no cash to buy the engines until August 1997, with a first flight then predicted for the spring of 1998.
The Be-200 finally made its maiden flight at Irkutsk on 24 September 1998 at 13.50 pm, with Konstantin Babich and Vladimir Dubensky at the controls. Flight engineer Alexander Ternovoy was also on board for the 30 min sortie. The first prototype was then transferred to Taganrog for further testing, due to the more favorable weather there. A second machine is nearing completion at Irkutsk.
The first Be-200 was shown at the Paris Air Show in June 1999 and at MAKS at Zhukovsky in August. Afterwards, high-speed water runs were begun on the Sea of Azow near Taganrog, leading to the first take-off from water on September 19, 1999 for a short 15 minute flight and water landing. Konstantin Babich and Gennadi Kalyushny were at the controls. Another seven water take-off tests followed by September 23 (see photo).
Marketing efforts have now intensified, and Beriev general designer Gennady Panatov is banking on western studies which predict a demand for 110 - 115 in Russia until 2011 as well as up to 390 in Asia and 70 in Europe.
It is expected that the Be-200 will receive its certification in 1999, with deliveries to Emercom also starting this year and continuing until 2002.

Last updated 6 October 1999

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