Beriev Be-42 / A-40 Albatros / MERMAID
The largest amphibian plane in the world, the A-40 Albatros military maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft, first flew in 1986 and entered service in limited numbers in 1990. Designed to replace old the Beriev Be-12 and Ilyushin Il-38 in Russian Navy aviation anti-submarine service, the A-40 was developed to provide access to remote areas in the east of the Soviet Union, transporting replacement maritime crews, anti-submarine operations, and SAR work. This product of the G.M.Beriev Taganrog Aviation Scientific-Engineering Complex, was detected by US intelligence in 1988 and designated MERMAID by NATO. The A-40 aircraft was publicly revealed at the Tushino airshow in August 1989. The Be-42 is a unique aircraft, with its high-aspect ratio, slightly swept wings, slender fuselage, and booster engines faired in beneath the main engines. The unmistakable shape features a high wing with two large motors placed over the wing, a “T” tail and a probe for the in-flight refueling. Despite a lack of production orders the Beriev A-40 Albatros has accumulated a number of world-wide performance records from its first flight in 1986. [LINK]
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