AMCXXL Sun Sep 09, 2018 6:53 pm
hoom wrote: https://flot.com/2018/%D0%9E%D0%B0%D0%BA21/
Google Translate wrote:The United Aircraft Corporation is working on a project to resume production in Russia of the A-40 "Albatross" amphibian aircraft. About itRIA News reported the press service of the UAC on the eve of the opening of the exhibition "Gidroaviasalon-2018".
A-40 Albatross (Be-42, article "B") - Soviet multi-purpose amphibious aircraft, was developed to replace the Be-12. The project was stopped after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Its maximum takeoff weight is 90 tons, which can not boast of any aircraft of this class in the world.
In 2016, the head of the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, Gennady Zagonov, announced that the newest anti-submarine A-40 seaplanes would replace Be-12 amphibious aircraft as part of a complete renovation of the park.
I understand Be-200 is quite a bit smaller but its more modern & seems like a pretty obvious choice for a new maritime patrol plane if not building based on an existing airliner/transport like with P8/PC-130.
Restarting A-40 seems pretty unlikely.
Of course, A-40 is a soviet desing and it seems abandoned project since Be-200 is undreway
A-40 and Be-200 are very similar, only the size, A-40 is about 1/3 larger than Be-200
A-40 was designed for a cold war scenario with hundred of submarines operating in all the seas and oceans, today is no necesary a seaplane larger than Be-200
However ,if you compare Be-12 with Be-200 are very similar:
Plane: length winspang EW Max.TOW Range
Be-12: 30m 30m 24t. 36t. 3.300Km
Be-200: 32m 33m 27t. 38t. 3.300km
Be-200 can replace Be-12 of Black Sea Fleet
Is not reasonable to produce A-40 if you already have a good airplane like Be-200 in production and the number to produce are only one or two dozens
Ru.Navy will need only half a dozen or 10 as much for Black Sea Fleet, and after, perpahps could contract similar ammount for Baltic.
Also Pacific fleet could need PS variant (SAR)
A-40 was a soviet project for replace near 150 Be-12 in service in that years. Today has not sense two different seaplanes in production at the same time
In fact MoD already signed a contract for several Be-200 in the PS versión (SAR) but the contract was cancelled, and now could retake the program
This indicates MoD have interest in Be-200 and A-40 is just a vintage project from the 80s