Beriev Be-42 Albatros (Mermaid) (A-40)

History

During the Cold War years, the Soviets developed amphibious jets more than any other world power. Beriev has many years of experience in airship design, developing the Beriev A-40 "Albatross" (NATO codename: "Mermaid") in the mid-1980s. The aircraft is primarily designed as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platform, and its amphibious capabilities allow it to take off and land as needed from viable water sources or traditional airstrips. Beriev had already sold his Be-12 Seagulls to the Soviet Navy in the 1960s, and planned the A-40 as a successor.

It will also replace the Ilyushin IL-38 ASW land-based patrol platform that entered service in 1967. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the program was shelved after only one prototype was completed and the second was nearly complete.

Design work on the aircraft began in 1983, and the aircraft first flew on 8 December 1986. The first flight happened by accident, when taxiing at high speed found the crew to stop without runway clearance. Force them to fly into the air. The flight was accepted and significant data collection took place.

The plane surprised Western observers in 1988 when it was identified by satellite photography as a brand new type. It made its first public appearance in 1989 during the Soviet Aviation Day event in Tushino, Moscow.

Actively seeking a "sub hunter", the A-40 has been approved for use in a variety of naval weapons, including the Kh-35 ("AS-20 "Kayak") anti-ship missile, Orlan ("Seahawk")) torpedoes and Colshun ("Kite") missiles. Also supports the delivery of depth charges and mines as well as sonar cloths.

Artillery is managed through external underwing hardpoints or internal bomb bays.

In addition to the basic A-40 designation (covering two prototypes), it will be further developed with several notable variants. The A-40M is intended to be used in a modernized version with updated systems, while the A-40P is intended to be a dedicated firefighting platform. The A-40PM is a proposed passenger aircraft model and the Be-40PT will be used in a modular passenger/freight transport mode.

The A-42 will be the planned search and rescue (SAR) version, while the A-44 is intended to be a stand-alone maritime patrol platform. The A-42E is another proposed form, intended as an export variant for maritime patrol and SAR models.

Although the testing phase had not yet been completed in the late 1980s, coupled with a revival of Russian military spending, it was noted that the Beriev A-40 was again being considered to replace the fully aging Be-12 and IL-38 lines of the modern Russian Navy. The Navy expects to use at least four types in its ASW and SAR configurations.

The original request of the Soviet Navy was for twenty aircraft before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Beriev Be-200 was a related A-40 development, using the same basic configuration, and was considered a more modern and refined product. The Be-200 first flew in 1998 and entered service in 2003, with nine series completed in December 2013.

The aircraft is available in several variants, but only Azerbaijan and Russia are its official operators. Beriyev was an aircraft designer, while Irkut was a major manufacturer of new aircraft.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Performance

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Changes