Beriev is preparing its Be-103 light-utility amphibian for a maiden flight in March. The six-seat aircraft was first shown at Ghelendjik hydro-aviation show in September 1996.
Sergey Drobyshev, chief of marketing at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur KNAAPO series-production plant, says that four airframes have been built (two for flight tests, one for static and one for cyclic structural-loads testing). The first is now being fitted with flight-test instrumentation at the Beriev site in Ghelendjik.
The second flying prototype is also close to completion, and is expected to join the test programme soon. KNAAPO has prepared all manufacturing tooling for series production of the amphibian and plans to build three more aircraft this year.
The plant has invested about 20 billion roubles ($3.6 million) in the development of the Be-103. The aircraft is expected to be displayed at the Abbotsford International Air Show in British Columbia, Canada, in August.
By using Western components such as the Teledyne Continental IO-360 engines rated at 155kW (210hp) and AlliedSignal/Bendix King avionics, Drobyshev is hoping to smooth the certification process and ease support problems. The basic configuration is expected to cost $600,000-700,000.
For Russian operators, a less expensive version is under consideration, using a single Voronezh OKBM M-14 engine, rated at 268kW, on a vertical pylon above the fuselage.
Source: Flight International
