| A-40 Albatros (Be-42) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Beriev A-40 at Gelendzhik, 2004 | |
| Role | ASW amphibious aircraft |
| Designer | Beriev Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 8 December 1986[1] |
| Status | In development[2] |
| Primary user | Russian Naval Aviation |
| Number built | 2 (A-40 and A-42 prototypes) |
| Developed into | Beriev Be-200 |
The Beriev A-40 Albatros (Russian: Бериева А-40 Альбатрос, romanized: Albatros, 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,[2] 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.
- ^ Although the aircraft first flew on 8 December 1986, the official first flight was conducted during April 1987. (See development section)
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
RussiaResumeA42was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 49.
- ^ "Russian naval aviation can lose hydroplanes – a general". rusnavy.com. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, p. 66.