Be-200 Altair
Beriev · Russia · first flew 1998 · transport aircraft
The Be-200 Altair is a twin-turbofan amphibious aircraft optimised for aerial firefighting, able to scoop tonnes of water while planing across a lake.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 32 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Firefighting amphibian jet
- Turbofans above the hull waterline
- High swept wing with T-tail
Look for the boat-hulled fuselage, the high swept wing carrying two turbofans mounted well above the waterline, and the T-tail, on an airframe noticeably smaller than the A-40.
Specifications
- The Be-200 Altair has a length of 32 m (105 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 32.78 m (108 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 700 km/h (435 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Derived from Beriev's larger A-40, the Be-200 first flew on 24 September 1998 and was built by Irkut before production moved to Taganrog. It was aimed squarely at the water-bomber market alongside utility and passenger roles.
Variants
The baseline Be-200ChS firefighter can be re-roled for passengers, cargo, medevac or patrol, and later examples adopted Western SaM146 engines in place of the original Progress D-436 turbofans. Search-and-rescue configurations have also been offered.
Where you'll see it
The Altair has fought fires across Russia and been leased to countries around the Mediterranean, but has not entered UK service; it is best known for European firefighting deployments during severe wildfire seasons.
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- Avia Accord-201
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