Beriev is flying its twin-engined Be-200 firefighting amphibian at the show, complete with a new European Aviation Safety Agency restricted type certificate, granted to the Russian manufacturer in September. Eight of the high-wing aircraft are flying, seven with Russia's natural disaster forces and one with Azerbaijan's natural disaster bureau. The Be-200 has helped fight fires in Italy, Portugal, Greece and Indonesia.
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© Billypix |
Beriev Be-200 demonstrating its firefighting capabilities at Le Bourget
The jet features twin Ivchenko-Progress D-436TP three-spool turbofan engines mounted on pylons above the wing to prevent the ingestion of water on landing and take-off, says Beriev. The aircraft can scoop 12,000kg (26,000lb) of water from lakes or ocean sources with waves as high as 1.2m (3.92ft). Maximum flight speed is 286kt (530km/h).
- All the latest news, images and video from the 2011 Paris air show
Source: Flight Daily News
