The Beriev Be-12 Chayka (, 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 the Beriev Be-6 flying boat, whose primary roles were as an anti-submarine and maritime patrol bomber aircraft. Though tracing its origins to the Be-6, the Be-12 inherited little more than the gull wing and twin oval tailfin configuration of the older aircraft. The Be-12 has turboprop engines, which gave it an improved speed and range over the Be-6. The Be-12 also had retractable landing gear, which enabled it to land on normal land runways, as well as water.

The Be-12 was first flown on October 18, 1960, at Taganrog airfield, and made its first

According to figures released in 1993, the Russian Navy had 55 aircraft in service. By 2005 this had dropped to 12, This includes searching for Ukrainian Unmanned surface vehicles. The serviceability of the craft targeted is unclear with one of them appearing to be missing its propellers.

Russia has been using Be-12 in combat on the Black Sea during the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Variants

thumb|Be-12 during take-off on water

thumb|right|Be-12P-200 technology demonstrator

;Be-12

:Twin-engined maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare flying-boat. 2 prototypes and 130 production airframes built.

;Be-12EKO

:Projected ecological reconnaissance version. Not built.

;Be-12I

:Projected scientific research version designed in 1991. Not built.

;Be-12LL

:Conversion for testing the 3M-80 'Moskit' anti-shipping missile. Nose radar replaced with missile seeker head. One aircraft converted in 1980.

;Be-12N

:ASW version fitted with new sensors, avionics, MAD sensor and Nartsiss search/attack system. 27 aircraft converted.

;Be-12Nkh

:Utility transport, experimental passenger transport version. Military equipment removed, additional windows fitted. 2 built, both converted from Be-12.

;Be-12P

:Firefighting version. One 4,500 L tank and two 750 L tanks installed. Four aircraft converted in 1992.

;Be-12P-200

:Technology demonstrator for the Beriev Be-200. Fire-fighting configuration. One aircraft converted.

Former operators

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  • Azerbaijani Air Forces – inherited three aircraft from the Soviet Union. They were decommissioned around 2000, and scrapped in 2018.

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  • Egyptian Air Force – operated two or three Be-12s circa 1970, crewed by Soviet personnel, to maintain surveillance on the United States Navy's 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.

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  • Soviet Naval Aviation – passed its aircraft to successor countries: Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

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  • Syrian Air Force

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  • Vietnam People's Air Force – four aircraft in 1981.

Specifications (Be-12)

thumb|Be-12 at Monino [[Central Air Force Museum in Moscow, 2006]]

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Yefim Gordon, Andrey Sal'nikov and Aleksandr Zablotskiy (2006) Beriev's Jet Flying Boats. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing.