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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2283.PDF
no need for higher power for the basic model, but says an increase in thrust might be handy for higher-weight (43,000kg/ 94,7001b) passenger variants. In April and May, Motor-Sich delivered two production D-436TPs to the Be-200 production line at the IAPO "factory in Irkutsk. These will power the second proto type, intended for the Be-200ChS fire-fight ing and search-and-rescue version for Russia's ministry for emergencies (MChS). Completion of this version is set for Sep tember. After certification trials, the first and second prototypes will remain with BetaAir for use as fleet leaders, demonstra tors and for customer training. After a four-year break, BetaAir re-started talks with BMW on its BR715 engines earlier this month, as unnamed Japanese and Indonesian companies expressed an interest in a Westernised passenger variant with 72 seats. BetaAir says that the engine attachment points were made with the BR715 in view, so only software changes in the Be-200's integrated flight management system will be necessary. BetaAir is also talking to foreign in vestors, including Scorpion of Greece, in an effort to launch this version, while see ing no need to attract any outside invest ment in development and certification of the Be-200ChS. The effort is funded by BetaAir founders Beriev, IAPO, a Ukrainian bank and ILTA Trade Finance of Switzer land. With governmental funding accounting for less than 20%, the total investment so far has reached $190 mil lion. BetaAir estimates that research and development and certification costs will come to $250 million. In January BetaAir signed a long-term agreement with Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, on a credit line worth $43 million. This credit was taken on favourable terms, the official says, to speed up work on the first batch of seven aircraft for MChS. The launch cus tomer is to receive three Be-200s in 2002 and four in 2003. Growing interest China, France, Greece, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan have expressed interest in the Be-200, the official says. South Korea and China are looking at a maritime patrol version for surveillance of water borders, fishing and, possibly, anti-submarine war fare. France and Greece are studying a fire- fighting version. BetaAir is also talking to Russia's forestry service which needs a fire-fighting aircraft. Beriev is studying the possibility of using some Russian-made avionics items, such as multifunction displays, to reduce its cost. With component prices rising, BetaAir says the target price, originally $18- 25 million is now set at $25-30 million. The Be-200 was tested on waters as high as 0.8m. More sea tests are planned to con firm the aircraft's ability to withstand 1.2m high waves. In a scooping run, the fire- fighting version took 12t of Water in 14s. Scooping and precise water dropping tech nologies were developed on several Be-12 flying boats converted into the Be-12P-200 fire-fighting version. These were used in fire-fighting operations in forested areas of Siberia, where the aircraft demonstrated higher efficiency than land-based aircraft. Beriev general designer Gennady Pan- atov hopes the Be-200 will restore hydro aviation's popularity with the travelling public. The passenger version of the Be-200 is expected to be able to carry up to 70 pas sengers, and Panatov says it will offer the same level of comfort as "a typical land- based passenger jet, while having similar fuel efficiency". If the market lives up to Panatov's hopes, IAPO can deliver five to seven airframes a year, with the capacity to raise the rate to 10-12 units. • www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 19-25 JUNE 2001 75
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