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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2282.PDF
FLYING FISH BetaAir's new Beriev-designed twin-jet amphibian is generating interest for its maritime patrol and fire-fighting potential VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW Beriev's Be-200 twin jet amphib ian has completed the first stage of its test programme, proving the company's design targets for flight and sea-going perfor mance. The aircraft has logged 277 hours in 196 flights from runways and 74 from water. The only flying prototype is now being upgraded at Beriev's Taganrog exper imental aircraft factory, including the replacement of some analogue systems with digital units. The aircraft will resume flying on 25 June. e Be-200 The prototype has completed 277h prototype has during the certification programme with made 74 the aim of getting Russian AP-25 type certi- successful fication by the end of this year. It has also take-offs from logged over 30h in demonstration flights water at air shows. "This stage of the flight tests was uneventful. The aircraft represents a scaled-down variant of the A-40 Albatross that underwent state acceptation trials," says an official at BetaAir, a joint venture founded to manage the project. Major con cerns were the ZMKB Progress D-436TP digitally-controlled turbofans, the Aerosila TA12-60 auxiliary power units and the NIIAO/Honeywell ARIA-200 avionics suite, but these systems so far have performed well, the official says. Although manufacturer Motor Sich has production engines available (the power- plant was certified in December last year), the development engines will remain on the aircraft. These engines have so far per formed flawlessly during nearly 400h, including in-flight shut-down/start-up tri als made with Beriev and GosNII GA (state civil scientific-research institute of civil avi ation) pilots at the controls. "We only once had a temperature rise above the norm during ground runs, which was due to a malfunction in the control system, and never anything abnor mal in the air," the official says. Although more powerful derivatives of the basic 16,5001b-thrust (73kN) engine are offered - 80kN and 98kN - the BetaAir official sees 74 19-25 JUNE 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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