BERIEV SAYS THAt it has secured what amounts to launch orders for its Be-200 amphibian from Russia's Federal Forestry Service and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The Federal Forestry Service claims that it will need 50-60 fire fighting aircraft between 1996 and 2005. Its requirements, was spelt out in a letter by Vladimir Shubin, chief of the service. The service wants to receive five to six aircraft by 1997.
Beriev has used the Federal Forestry Service requirement, and a letter of intent to purchase ten to 15 aircraft from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, to secure development funding from financial institutions.
Alexander Yavkin, first deputy general designer with Beriev, confirms that both services have signaled their intention to purchase the Be-200.
In the case of the Federal Forestry Service, funding has been made available for a "state fire fighting programme" which could provide at least some of the finance necessary for the purchase.
Both procurements would need to begin to be funded from the Government's 1996 budget, a first draft of which has yet to be published.
According to Yavkin, the Be-200 will have its first flight in November 1995, with the aircraft to be formally rolled out in May.
The Be-200, says Yavkin, has drawn heavily on Beriev's A-40 Albatross (Mermaid) amphibious maritime-patrol-aircraft project.
Work on the A-40 began over 12 years ago for the Russian navy. While two or three prototype aircraft are known to have been built, funding for a production run of the aircraft, is not believed to have been made available.
Source: Flight International
