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| Beriev Be-200 |
Militarymedia.net - The Beriev Be-200 was designed in the early 1990s by the Beriev Aircraft Company. Development began in 1992. It evolved from the Beriev A-40 amphibious anti-submarine warplane. The Be-200 is basically a smaller version of the A-40 aircraft carrier.
The multi-role seaplane made its first flight in 1998. It was adopted by Russia in 2003. The Be-200 is manufactured at Irkut Corporation, a major Russian aircraft manufacturer that is also responsible for the production of Sukhoi fighter jets. Production of the Beriev Be-200 is underway. Eight Be-200 aircraft were used by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Russian Defense Ministry. It was reported that the Russian Emergency Ministry ordered 10 more aircraft, while the Defense Ministry plans to buy 4 more in the near future.
One Be-200 aircraft has been exported to Azerbaijan. It was used by the Air Fleet of azerbaijan's Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The Beriev Be-200 is a versatile aircraft. Can be used to transport passengers and various cargo. Maximum passenger capacity up to 72 people. The maximum payload capacity is 7.5 t. It can land at ground level and on water. The Be-200 can operate at Sea State 3. The Be-200 can be used for search and rescue. It can also be used as a firefighting aircraft that drops water. Once configured as a fireman, the Be-200 carries 8 water tanks with a total capacity of 12,000 liters in the cargo compartment. Its internal cavity can be reconfigured as an air ambulance. In this role can carry 30 stretcher patients and 7 medical crew. It can also be configured for other special missions. In addition, this seaplane can be used for military purposes. It can even be configured for anti-submarine warfare tasks.
The seaplane is powered by two Progress D-436TP turbofans, with a thrust of 73.6 kN each. The machine is manufactured by ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. The engine is placed on top of the aircraft, above the wing root pod on the landing wheel fairing and made of corrosion-resistant material. There are plans to equip future versions of the aircraft with Rolls-Royce engines. The Be-200 has a long range for its aircraft class.
The Be-200 is equipped with the ARIA 200-M integrated avionics system, developed by the Moscow Research Institute of Aircraft Equipment. The cockpit is equipped with modern equipment, from GPS and autopilot to weather radar.
So far, Beriev Be-200 aircraft are mostly used to extinguish forest fires. They are employed all over the world, but most often in Southern Europe - Portugal, Italy, Spain, etc. In January 2015, the Beriev B-200 was used in the search for Indonesia Air Asia Flight 8501 in the Java Sea.
Variant
Be-200ChS, a version used by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. Sometimes referred to as Be-200ES. One plane has been exported to Azerbaijan.
Be-200PS, search and rescue version. A total of 4 aircraft were ordered by the Russian Defense Ministry
