Beriev Be-12 Chayka "Mail"

Beriev · Soviet Union · first flew 1960 · transport aircraft

The Beriev Be-12 Chayka (Seagull) is a Soviet twin-turboprop amphibious flying boat designed for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare. Its distinctive cranked gull wing keeps the engine nacelles clear of sea spray.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	32.9 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Gull-wing high-mounted wing over a boat hull
Twin turboprops with contra-rotating propellers
Twin retractable floats and a large nose radome

The cranked gull wing, large sponsons on the hull sides, twin turboprops with large spinners, and T-tail make the Be-12 unmistakable among maritime patrol aircraft.

Specifications

The Beriev Be-12 Chayka has a length of 32.9 m (108 ft).
It has a wingspan of 29.7 m (97 ft).
Its maximum speed is 550 km/h (342 mph).
Typical crew: 4-5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed as a replacement for the Be-6 flying boat, the Be-12 first flew in 1960 and entered Soviet Naval Aviation service in 1963. It set numerous world records for amphibious aircraft in the 1960s. The type conducted ASW patrols over the Black Sea, Baltic, and Pacific well into the post-Soviet era.

Variants

The baseline Be-12 was the primary production maritime patrol variant. A firefighting version, the Be-12P, equipped with water-dropping tanks, was developed for civil use and continues in service.

Where you'll see it

Operated by Soviet and Russian Naval Aviation; the firefighting Be-12P remains in Russian service for aerial firefighting in forested regions.

Related aircraft

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