Beriev Be-200
Encyclopedia
The Beriev Be-200 Altair is a multipurpose amphibious aircraft
Amphibious aircraft
An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes that are equipped with retractable wheels, at the expense of extra weight and complexity, plus diminished range and fuel economy compared to planes...
designed by the Beriev Aircraft Company
Beriev Aircraft Company
The Beriev Aircraft Company, formerly Beriev Design Bureau, is a Russian aircraft manufacturer , specializing in amphibious aircraft...
and manufactured by Irkut. Marketed as being designed for fire fighting
Aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
, search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
, maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
, cargo, and passenger transportation, it has a capacity of 12 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s (12,000 litres, 3,170 US gallons) of water, or up to 72 passengers.
The name Altair was chosen after a competition amongst Beriev and Irkut staff in 2002/2003. The name Altair was chosen as it is not only the name of the alpha star in the Eagle constellation
Aquila (constellation)
Aquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him....
, but also because "Al" is the first part of the name of the A-40 Albatross
Beriev A-40
This article is about the amphibious jet. For Soviet tank airlift project, see Antonov A-40.This article is about the amphibious jet. For Soviet tank airlift project, see Antonov A-40.This article is about the amphibious jet...
amphibious aircraft, whose layout was the development basis for the creation of the Be-200, "ta" stands for Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
, and "ir" stands for Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
.
Development
The Be-200 was designed by the Beriev Aviation Company, with the Russian IrkutskIrkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
Aircraft Production Association (now part of the Irkut Corporation). Beriev are responsible for development, design and documentation; systems-, static-, flight- and fatigue-testing of prototypes; certification and support of the production models. Irkut's duties comprise production preparation; manufacture of tooling; production of four prototypes and production aircraft; and spare parts manufacture. Both companies now fall under the umbrella of the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation
United Aircraft Corporation
United Aircraft Corporation may refer to one of the following:* United Aircraft Corporation, formerly United Aircraft and Transport Corporation; now known as United Technologies Corporation....
.
Initiated in 1989 under the design leadership of Alexander Yavkin, Russian government approval for a purpose-designed water bomber was granted on 8 December 1990. Details of the project were announced, and a model displayed at the 1991 Paris Air Show.
Beriev developed unique fire-fighting equipment for the Be-200, allowing it to scoop water while skimming the water surface at 90-95% of takeoff speed. This system was developed using a specially modified Be-12P, coded '12 Yellow'. After installation of the fire-fighting system, the aircraft was registered RA-00046 and given the designation Be-12P-200. This modified Be-12 was used to develop both the fire-fighting system and methods of operation.
The Be-200's first flight from land was scheduled for 1997, but was eventually achieved by the first prototype aircraft on 24 September 1998. The aircraft was then transferred from Irkutsk to Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
after 26½ flying hours, and the first take off from water was conducted on 10 September 1999 in Taganrog. The second Be-200 flew on August 27, 2002. This aircraft was built as a Be-200ES, being fitted to the specifications of the launch customer, EMERCOM, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
In 2001, as part of a marketing program, the Be-200 was displayed at two large exhibitions in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
region; the International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition LIMA'01 in Malaysia and the Korean Aerospace and Defence Exhibition KADE'01 in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
In 2002, the Be-200 participated in international aviation exhibitions, successfully demonstrating its capabilities to potential customers in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
with 15 demonstration flights made from land, eight from water. A total of over 7,600 km was flown across Europe.
Irkut and EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2002 to jointly carry out a market study and to define the conditions and costs of international certification and the logistics of setting up a worldwide after-sales service. The study was completed in July 2003, revealing a potential market for up to 320 aircraft over 20 years. The two companies, with Rolls-Royce Deutschland
Rolls-Royce Deutschland
Rolls-Royce Deutschland is a subsidiary of aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce plc with facilities at Dahlewitz outside Berlin and at Oberursel near Frankfurt am Main...
, plan to obtain Western certification during 2008/9 and offer a Rolls-Royce BR715
Rolls-Royce BR700
-External links:* * *...
powered aircraft for Western markets. This version is to be given the designation Be-200RR. The original Be-200 prototype (RF-21511) has been earmarked to be converted into the Be-200RR prototype.
The first production aircraft, a Be-200ES flew on June 17, 2003. It was delivered to EMERCOM on On July 31, 2003. Seven aircraft have been ordered by EMERCOM, five have been delivered. The fifth airframe is being used for the European certification process which is expected to be completed in 2008. The remaining two are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2008. EMERCOM has an option to buy a further 8 Be-200s, with a decision expected during the latter part of 2008.
In 2010, production of the Be-200 is due to switch to the Centre of competence for amphibian aircraft and flying boats in Taganrog. An assembly line is being set up using tooling and equipment received from Irkut's main manufacturing site in Irkutsk, Siberia. This will allow the Irkut Corporation to concentrate on other more lucrative projects. Production of the Be-200 will remain under the umbrella of the United Aircraft Corporation.
Design
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
, the aircraft can carry up to 30 stretcher patients and seven seated patients or medical crew. In the search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
role, the aircraft can be equipped with searchlights and sensors, an inflatable boat, thermal and optical surveillance systems, and medical equipment. The search and rescue variant can accommodate up to 45 persons. The aircraft is also capable of being configured for anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
duties.
The Be-200 fire-fighter suppresses fires by dropping water and/or chemical retardants. Eight ferric aluminium alloy water tanks are located under the cabin floor in the centre fuselage section. Four retractable water scoops, two forward and two aft of the fuselage step can be used to scoop a total of 12 tonnes of water in 14 seconds. Alternatively, the tanks can be filled from a hydrant or a water cistern on the ground. The water tanks can be removed quickly for carrying cargo. Water can be dropped in a single salvo, or in up to eight consecutive drops. The aircraft also carries six auxiliary tanks for fire-retarding chemical agents, with a total capacity of 1.2 m³. The aircraft can empty its water tanks over the site of a fire in 0.8 to 1.0 seconds when flying above the minimum drop speed of 220 km/h (135 mph, 120 kn)
The aircraft is powered by two pylon-mounted D-436TP
Progress D-436
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Ivchenko-Progress D-436 , Aero-engines - Turbofan.Jane's. http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Aero-Engines/Ivchenko-Progress-D-436-Ukraine.html. Retrieved Aug 12 2009....
engines. The D-436TP is a specific "maritime" corrosion-resistant version of the D-436
Progress D-436
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Ivchenko-Progress D-436 , Aero-engines - Turbofan.Jane's. http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Aero-Engines/Ivchenko-Progress-D-436-Ukraine.html. Retrieved Aug 12 2009....
three shaft turbofan engine, designed especially for the Be-200 amphibian, by Ivchenko Progress
Ivchenko Progress
Ivchenko-Progress ZMKB , formerly OKB-478 and Ivchenko Lotarev, is a Ukrainian design house for aircraft engines whose products are widely used in both civil and military aircraft, most notably by Antonov, Ilyushin, Tupolev, Mil and Yakovlev. Also PZL-Mielec has used a Progress engine in one of...
ZMKB and manufactured by "Motor Sich
Motor-Sich
The Motor Sich Public Joint Stock Company in Zaporizhia is among the largest engine manufactures for airplanes and helicopters worldwide. It also is the only enterprise in Ukraine manufacturing engines for airplanes and helicopters as well as industrial gas turbine installations...
" in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. These are mounted above the wingroot pods on the landing gear fairings to prevent water spraying into the engines during take-off and landing.
The Digital Flight Control (Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
) cockpit is fitted with modern navigation systems such as satellite navigation (GPS), FMS
FMS
-Government agencies:* Federal Magistrates Service, the former name of the Federal Magistrates' Court of Australia* Federated Malay States , historical British protectorate in then British Malaya...
, autopilot
Autopilot
An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
and weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
. The ARIA 200-M all-weather integrated avionics system developed by Honeywell with the Moscow Research Institute of Aircraft Equipment, uses six 152 x 203 mm (6 x 8 in) LCDs to display information
Glass cockpit
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, as opposed to the traditional style of analog dials and gauges...
to the two-man crew.
The Be-200 is a high-wing T-tail
T-tail
thumb|right|Grob motor gliderA T-tail is an aircraft tail stabilizer configuration in which the horizontal surfaces are mounted to the top of the vertical stabilizer. Traditionally, the horizontal control surfaces are mounted to the fuselage at the base of the vertical stabilizer...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
. the hull is of single step design with a high length-to-beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
ratio, which contributes to stability and controllability in water. The Be-200 airframe is constructed of aluminium alloys with corrosion-protection treatments. Selective use is made of titanium, composites and other corrosion-free materials. The wings are fitted with underwing stabiliser floats. The hydraulically operated retractable landing gear units all retract rearward, and each unit is twin-wheeled. A water rudder provides steering in the water.
The Be-200 can operate from either a 1,800 m long runway or an area of open water not less than 2,300 m long and 2.5 m deep, with waves of up to 1.3 m high.
Operational history
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) by SOREM, the official operator of fire-fighting equipment of Italian Civil Defense Department (Protezione Civile
Protezione Civile
The "Protezione Civile" department is the national body in Italy that deals with the prediction, prevention and management of exceptional events....
). The aircraft, flown by joint Russian-Italian flight crew performed more than 100 flights with about 90 hours flown. During seven hours of operational flights, the aircraft participated in the extinguishing of four forest fires and dropped 324 tons of water.
The partnership was renewed in 2005, with Be-200ES (Reg. RF-21512) based at Sardinia between July and September. The aircraft flew 150 hours covering 63 missions, including ferry flights, and 435 scoops and drops of water, the total mass of which exceeded 3,175 tonnes (3,500 tons).
In 2006 RF-21512 was leased by the Portuguese Fire Fighting Services (SNBPC – Serviço Nacional de Bombeiros e Protecção Civil) for evaluation during the forest fire season. On 6 July 2006, the Russian crew of the Be-200 leased by Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
were carrying out a water pick-up from the Aguieira dam Aguieira dam near Santa Comba Dão
Santa Comba Dão
Santa Comba Dão is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 112.0 km² and a total municipal population of 12,393 inhabitants...
, when on climbing away they clipped treetops and at least one of the Progress D-436TP engines suffered ingestion damage and had to be shut down. The aircraft recovered safely to land at Monte Real
Monte Real
Monte Real is a town and a parish in the municipality and District of Leiria. It covers an area of 12.23 km² and has a population of 2,778 people. Monte Real, which in English means Royal Mount, was once a municipality , before being anexed to Leiria municipality.Monte Real hosts an air base ....
air force base, from which it had been operating. After repairs, the aircraft completed the season in Portugal. In total, 42 flights were performed during operations in Portugal, with a total flying time of 119 hours. The aircraft performed 301 water scooping operations and dropped 2,167 tonnes (2,389 tons) of water on fires.
In October 2006, two Be-200ES (RF-32765 and RF-32768) were leased to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
by EMERCOM, fighting fires for 45 days. This reportedly cost Indonesia around US$5.2 million. These operations prompted press reports that the Indonesian government had agreed to purchase two Be-200s, each with a projected price of US$40 million. Beriev, however has not confirmed these reports.
Such was the success of the first campaign that two Be-200ES were again leased by Portugal from July 10 to September 30, 2007. During this period 58 fire-fighting flights were conducted with a total flying time of over 167 hours. 2,322 tonnes (2,560 tons) of water was dropped. Beriev claims that representatives of the newly formed Portuguese government enterprise EMA (Empresa de Meios Aéreos) have expressed their interest in a long-term cooperation with Beriev and the Be-200 in Portugal.
Two Be-200ES also operated in Greece, RF-32768 fighting the 2007 forest fires
2007 Greek forest fires
The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on August 23, expanded rapidly and raged out of control until August 27, until they were put out in early...
for the whole season and RF-21512 from August 30 to September 13.
In April 2008, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
became the first foreign customer for the Be-200, purchasing one Be-200ES from Russia. The aircraft (reg. FHN-10201 ex RF-32769) will be operated by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Emergencies and can be operated as a fire-fighting, cargo and 43-seater passenger aircraft.
In July/August 2010 it was used in Russia during the wildfires that spread across the country.
In early December 2010, two Be-200ES aircraft were used to fight the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire near Haifa, Israel.
Variants
- Be-200 — Basic multirole model
- Be-200ChS (as it is more often known, a transcription of the Russian Бе-200ЧС) or Be-200ES (Emergency Services) — Multirole model fitted to the requirements of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations
- Be-200E — English cockpit version of the Be-200ES
- Be-200RR — Designation of projected Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce plcRolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
engined variant. - Be-210 — Projected Passenger only model
- Be-220 — Projected maritime patrol variant.
Operators
- Ministry of Emergency Situations — 5 Be-200ES delivered, 10 on order (8 of 10 purchased on 9th Sep 2010)
- Ministry of Emergencies — 1 Be-200ES
Specifications (Be-200)
See also
External links
- Beriev (Aircraft Designer) Official Site
- Irkut (Aircraft Manufacturer) Official Site
- EADS-Irkut Seaplane (Aircraft Sales & Marketing Partners) Official Site
- RussiaToday: Spotlight - Be-200 – Russia’s aviation breakthrough - An interview with Oleg Demchenko, President of the Irkut Aviation Corporation, about the Be-200, its lack of European sales, and the state of the Russian aviation industry.
- Be-200 Multipurpose amphibian aircraft
- Five second Youtube clip of an extra-low level drop