Be-200: flying boat from Taganrog
The younger brother of "Albatross"
In the middle of 80-s, the Beriev Design Bureau worked on the world's largest reactive anti-submarine amphibian A-40 "Albatross" (product "B"). The possibility of creating a conversion version for passenger traffic, fighting forest fires, patrolling the coastal zone, and fishing and ice reconnaissance was considered. However, the impressive size and take-off weight of the Albatross in 55 tons did not allow it to be effectively operated in the civilian sector: the car did not have market prospects. So the project of the younger brother “Albatross”, which received the name A-100 (not to be confused with the DRLO A-100 “Premier” aircraft based on IL-76MD-90А, which is also being developed in Taganrog), appeared. The plans for A-100 were take-off weight in 21-22 tons and advanced turboprop engines TV-117С, each of which developed 2500 hp. Also, the IL-114 aircraft that was fresh at that time was borrowed by the six-blade propellers CB-34, which are notable for low noise levels. Actually, A-100 itself was largely based on IL-114 units and aggregates. At the stage of developing the layout of the aircraft, it turned out that the future amphibian was very similar in tactical and technical parameters to the honored old fireman Canadair CL-215 (now it is a modernized Bombardier CL 415), and this raised questions about the feasibility of creating a new product. On the other hand, if A-100 were brought to a logical end at the end of 80, now Russia would have a plane in the ranks that would create real competition for the CL 415. This machine currently reigns supreme in its segment and on the horizon, no replacement or a worthy competitor is foreseen.
As a result, Aleksey Kirillovich Konstantinov, chief designer of the design bureau, made a decision to increase the take-off weight of the new machine to 40 tons and to install water tanks by 13 tons. Major Amphibian Customers, Ministry of Civil aviation, The Ministry of Aviation Industry and the State Forestry Committee approved the idea. The new amphibian was already developed under the A-200 code, which subsequently transformed into the familiar Be-200. The baton for the development of a flying boat in 1990 from the hands of Konstantinov was taken by the new chief designer of the TANTK Gennady Sergeyevich Panatov. It was he who made the important decision to build the first full-scale model of the winged car. On December 9, 1990, the USSR Council of Ministers decided in 1991-1995 to assemble four prototypes (two for static tests and two for flight) with Zaporizhzhya D-436T turbofan engines, and in 1996 put the aircraft into serial production at the Irkutsk Aviation Production Association - IAPO. A little later, the Russian Federation was interested in multipurpose amphibians, and on July 17, 1992, by a government decree, confirmed the plans of the Council of Ministers.
Bombardier CL 415 - a direct competitor to the promising A-100 project
Chief Designer Alexey Konstantinov, ideological inspirer Be-200
Gennady Sergeevich Panatov, the man who embodied the Be-200 in metal
The most interesting thing is that already in 1991, an international consortium was created under the name of BETA IR for the development of the Be-200, which could be referred to as “Beriev-Taganrog-Irkutsk”. The plant in Irkutsk had a stake in 35%, the GM Beriev Design Bureau - 20%, the Swiss financial group Ilta Trade Finanse SA - 20%, Prominvest from Ukraine - 5% and Taganrog Aviation Plant - 25%. Victor Anatolyevich Kobzev became the general director of the company in 1992, who would later become the general designer of the TANTK named after G.M. Beriev. In many ways, the creation of such a collaboration was a necessary measure - there was no money, everyone looked to the West with hope. Directly to introduce foreign investors to the defense company was impossible. Of great importance was the work with TsAGI specialists who helped create the fuselage with a frontal resistance low enough for its class. The Be-200 also boasts takeoff and landing characteristics - the machine is capable of running on runways with a length of 1800 meters.
The development of the car in Russia was in accordance with the airworthiness standards of FAR-25 (Be-200 was here one of the first), which allowed us to certify the aircraft according to the standards of the American and European aviation registers. It was already then that everyone understood that in order to release such a specific Be-200 into the series, access to the international market is necessary - domestic consumption will not be enough.
Be-200 prepares to fly
The flying boat Be-200 has absorbed many innovations, both domestic and world-class hydroplane. The glider of the aircraft in parts of the nose and tail sections of the wing, rudders, ailerons, flaps, spoilers, tail compartments of the keel and stabilizers, hydraulics, floats received a compositional execution. In many ways, it was a measure to combat corrosion - the main enemy of hydroaviation. Basically, the fuselage is made of anticorrosive aluminum-lithium alloys. Additionally, components and elements of the amphibian structure are subject to anti-corrosion treatment and coating. Eight huge water tanks were placed under the cabin floor, which was a unique decision at that time. Also for the first time for the domestic amphibians, the cabin was sealed - this provided the opportunity to fly at altitudes up to 12 thousands of meters. The boat-fuselage Be-200 for the first time in world practice received two redans.
The development of motors for the Be-200 was the responsibility of the Ukrainian design bureau Progress, and Motor Sich was responsible for production and assembly. The result was a marine version of the gas turbine three-shaft turbofan D-436 with take-off load in 7500 kgf, to which the TP index was added and the anti-corrosion properties of the components were improved. The motor was only ready for the 1995 year, and on the Be-200 got up at all in the 1998 year. The type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Committee D-436TP received in 2000 year, and the noise in the 2003 year. The engine also received the approval of the European Aviation Safety Agency, which in many ways ensured the exit of the aircraft to the international market. D-436TP is installed on short pylons above the root of the wing of the aircraft, which forms the characteristic recognizable profile Be-200.
Ukrainian motor series D-436
For the first time on the Be-200 family of machines of the Beriev family, a three-channel electromotive control system EDSU-200 was used, which was created in Moscow in the Avionika Scientific and Production Association. It is noteworthy that in the cockpit they abandoned the steering wheels and equipped them with modern at that time control knobs from the Su-27 fighter. The latest peep of technology at the beginning of 90's was the ARIA-200 flight and navigation complex, which was the product of the joint work of the Russian design bureau and Allied Signal Aerospace. The complex was based on the Intel 486 processor, all information for the pilots was displayed on liquid crystal displays, and the open architecture made it possible to flexibly adjust the equipment to the customer. "ARIA-200" provided the crew of only two people with the opportunity not only to control the machine, but also allowed to automate the flight from the base point to the fire.
Modern Be-200ES crew cabin
The car in the fire-fighting variant could immediately take on 12 tons of water from an open reservoir in just 14 seconds. According to the design requirements, an aircraft for water abstraction must glide over the water surface at speeds of 0,9-0,95 from take-off speed. In this case, the load on the fuselage-boat will be minimal. At the same time, the reduction of the speed of gliding to 0,6-0,85 from take-off threatens to be a disaster from the destruction of the glider. If we imagine that a forest fire broke out in 10 kilometers from a reservoir suitable for the Be-200, then a fire amphibian at one refueling would be able to dump 320 tons of water to fire. Tests of the future water intake system for the Be-200 were performed on the Be-12-200 flying laboratory. The transport version of the reactive amphibian due to the large cargo door (2050х1760 mm) is able to quickly unload and load standard containers and cargo on pallets. The passenger version of the Be-200 on the 64 of the person and the sanitary on the 40 of the injured on stretchers were also provided.
The first copy of the Be-200 under factory number 7682000002 in the version for extinguishing fires was laid in Irkutsk in 1992 year. And three years later, it was planned to begin flight tests of the amphibian, but the chronic lack of funding pushed aside these optimistic deadlines.
To be continued ...
Based on:
Yakubovich N. All aircraft G.M. Beriev.
Valuev N. Track in the sky. History Irkutsk Aviation Plant from Antonov to Yakovlev.
Zabolotsky A.N., Salnikov A.I. 75 years TANTK them. G. M. Beriev.
- Evgeny Fedorov
- skyships.ru, liveinternet.ru, beriev.com
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