The Beriev A-40 ''Albatros'' (

NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform man ...

: Mermaid) is a Soviet/Russian

jet engine A jet engine is a type of reaction engine discharging a fast-moving jet (fluid), jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition can include Rocket engine, rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and ...

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft (typically fixed-wing) that can take off and land on both solid ground and water, though amphibious helicopters do exist as well. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes ( flying boa ...

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typ ...

role. Intended as a replacement for the

Beriev Be-12 The Beriev Be-12 ''Chayka'' ("Seagull", NATO reporting name: Mail) is a Soviet turboprop-powered amphibious aircraft designed in the 1950s for anti-submarine and maritime patrol duties. Design and development The Beriev Be-12 was a successor to ...

amphibian and the land-based

Ilyushin Il-38 The Ilyushin Il-38 "Dolphin" ( NATO reporting name: May) is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. Design and development ...

,Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 49. the project was suspended after only one prototype had been manufactured, with the second one 70% completed, due to the breakup of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 66. The project was later revived as the A-42 and an order has been placed by the Russian Navy.

Development

The maiden flight in 1986 was unplanned; during a high-speed taxi test, the airplane became airborne and ran out of runway, with the crew being forced to continue the takeoff. The subsequent flight and landing went without further incident, but the test crew were downgraded from their duties afterwards, despite having saved the aircraft. By 1990 two variants were planned, with a search and rescue amphibian being designated the A-42, and a military patrol version designated as the A-44. The A-42 and A-44 versions were combined in 1993, but work on amphibians came to a halt in that year with an A-42 prototype 80% completed. In 2002, after renewed Russian Navy interest, the A-40 prototype was restored to airworthiness, and in 2006 the A-42 prototype was completed. The Defense Ministry signed an R&D agreement for $242 million rubles but pulled the plug in 2011. On 3 September 2019, the Russian Navy announced an order for three A-42 aircraft, which would probably use two Progress D-27 propfans as the powerplant and have increased range to 9300 km. This version would be upgraded to expand its combat capabilities, including a new radar comprising a viewing sight, heat seekers, piloting and navigational complex to measure sea waves, and new communications equipment. An estimated service entry date was not provided, though.

Design

The A-40 is a jet-engined

flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fuselag ...

patrol bomber A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles ...

of all-metal construction with the engines located above the wing roots, atop each of the main landing gear nacelles at the rear of each wing root. The

swept wing A swept wing is a wing that angles either backward or occasionally forward from its root rather than in a straight sideways direction. Swept wings have been flown since the pioneer days of aviation. Wing sweep at high speeds was first investiga ...

s had a marked anhedral angle, with balance floats attached by short pylons directly under each wingtip.

Operational history

Between 1989 and 1998, the Beriev A-40 set 140 world records.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, pp. 63–66.

Variants

;A-40: Initial ASW amphibian. 1 prototype built (second is 70% completed). ;A-40M :Projected upgrade to the initial version, utilising a new search and targeting system.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, pp. 66–67. ;A-40P :Initially a projected

aerial firefighting Aerial may refer to: Music * ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush * ''Aerials'' (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down Bands * Aerial (Canadian band) * Aerial (Scottish band) *Aerial (Swedish band) Performance art *Aerial silk ...

version, able to scoop 25 tonnes (28 tons) of water and transport a team of firefighters.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 69. Later the same designation was used for a projected

maritime patrol aircraft A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol ro ...

in direct competition with the

Tupolev Tu-204 The Tupolev Tu-204 (russian: Туполев Ту-204) is a twin-engined medium- range narrow-body jet airliner capable of carrying 210 passengers, designed by Tupolev and produced by Aviastar-SP and Kazan Aircraft Production Association. Fi ...

P.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 67. ;A-40PM/Be-40P: A projected civil version developed in 1994. Intended to carry 105 passengers, an export version with CFM engines was also offered. These studies led to the development of the

Beriev Be-200 The Beriev Be-200 ''Altair'' (russian: Бериев Бе-200) is a utility amphibious aircraft designed and built by the Beriev Aircraft Company. Marketed as being designed for fire fighting, search and rescue, maritime patrol, cargo, and pa ...

.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 70. ;Be-40PT: A projected cargo/passenger version designed to carry 70 passengers, 10 tonnes (11 tons) of cargo or 37 passengers and up to 6.5 tonnes of cargo. ;A-42/Be-42: A

Search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

version designed to replace the

PS, in response to the K-278 disaster. Construction of a prototype began, but was suspended in 1993. Studies are currently being made of a joint A-42/44 multi-role version, fitted with Progress D-27 propfans.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, pp. 70–73. ;A-44: Maritime patrol version designed in tandem with the A-42 before the projects were merged into a multi-role aircraft in 1993. ;A-42PE: Projected maritime patrol and SAR version intended for export. Powered by two Progress D-27 propfans.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, pp. 73–74.

Specifications (A-40)

References

Bibliography

* Yefim Gordon, Andrey Sal'nikov and Aleksandr Zabotskiy (2006) ''Beriev's Jet Flying Boats''. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing. * * {{Beriev aircraft A-40 Jet seaplanes and flying boats 1980s Soviet patrol aircraft Amphibious aircraft Engine-over-wing aircraft Flying boats High-wing aircraft T-tail aircraft Twinjets Aircraft first flown in 1986