Beriev A-40

A-40 Albatros (Be-42)
Beriev A-40 at Gelendzhik, 2004
General information
TypeASW amphibious aircraft
Designer
StatusIn development[1]
Primary userRussian Naval Aviation
Number built2 (A-40 and A-42 prototypes)
History
First flight8 December 1986[2]
Developed intoBeriev Be-200

The Beriev A-40 Albatros (Russian: Бериева А-40 Альбатрос, romanizedAlbatros, lit.'Albatross', NATO reporting name: Mermaid) is a Soviet/Russian jet-powered amphibious flying boat designed by the Beriev Aircraft Company for an anti-submarine warfare role. Intended as a replacement for the amphibious turboprop Beriev Be-12 and the land-based Ilyushin Il-38,[3] 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.[4][5] The project was later revived as the A-42 and an order has been placed by the Russian Navy,[1] though as of 2023, no more has been said of this order, and no other customer has placed orders on the A-40; its successor design, the civilian Be-200, has been marketed more successful both domestically and in the international market.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference RussiaResumeA42 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Although the aircraft first flew on 8 December 1986, the official first flight was conducted during April 1987. (See development section)
  3. ^ Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 49.
  4. ^ "Russian naval aviation can lose hydroplanes – a general". rusnavy.com. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  5. ^ Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 66.