Beriev Be-6

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriev_Be-6

The Beriev Be-6 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 34", NATO reporting name "Madge")
was a flying boat produced by the Soviet Beriev OKB. It was capable of
accomplishing a wide variety of missions, such as long-range maritime
reconnaissance, coastal and supply line patrols, torpedo/bombing strikes,
mine-laying, and transport operations.

Design and development

The Be-6 was a gull-winged aircraft with twin oval vertical stabilizers on top
of a deep fuselage. The aircraft was of all-metal construction except for fabric
covering the rudders and ailerons. The fuselage was divided into eight
watertight compartments to improve survivability. The engines were installed in
the bends of the wings, with the floats on an underwing cantilever rack. Each
float was divided into four watertight compartments.


Role
Maritime reconnaissance and patrol aircraft

Manufacturer
Beriev OKB

First flight
1949

Retired
Late 1960s

Primary users
Soviet Navy
People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force

Produced
1949–57

Number built
123

Developed into
Beriev Be-12

Operational history

The Be-6 was built from 1949 to 1957 at the Beriev plant in Taganrog. The
aircraft had 19 variants through its production cycle, and 123 aircraft were
eventually built. Since requirements of Soviet naval aircraft did not change
rapidly, the reliable Be-6 remained in service until the late 1960s. Some
aircraft ended service as civilian unarmed transports in Arctic regions. One
survivor is preserved at the Ukraine State Aviation Museum in Kiev, Ukraine.
Beriev Be-6s operated by the People's Republic of China PLANAF proved useful in
patrolling the long coastline and huge territorial waters off China's coast.
During the 1970s the original Shvetsov radial engines began to wear out with no
replacements available, so several aircraft were re-engined with Wopen WJ-6
turboprop engines, in new nacelles, for a new lease of life and were
redesignated Qing-6.

Specifications (Be-6)

General characteristics
Length: 23.5 m (77 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 33 m (110 ft)
Height: 7.64 m (25 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 120 m² (1,292 ft²)
Empty weight: 18,827 kg (41,506 lb)
Loaded weight: 23,456 kg (51,711 lb)
Landing weight: 20,928 kg (46,138 lb))
Max. takeoff weight: 29,000 kg (64,000 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Shvetsov ASh-73TK radial engines, 1,800 kW (2,400 hp) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 414 km/h (218 kn, 257 mph) at 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Cruise speed: 280 km/h (173 mph) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Landing speed: 147 km/h (105 kn, 91 mph)
Range: 5,000 km (2,700 kn, 3,100 mi)
Service ceiling: 6,100 m (20,013 ft)

Armament

Guns: 5 × 23 mm (0.91 in) Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 cannon in 3 remotely controlled
turrets
Bombs:
General ordnance, or
2×1,000 kg (2,205 lb) torpedoes, or
8 mines




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