Beriev Be-6 "Madge"

Beriev · Soviet Union · first flew 1949 · transport aircraft

The Beriev Be-6 (NATO: Madge) was a Soviet twin-engine maritime patrol flying boat that served as the primary Soviet naval aviation patrol aircraft in the early Cold War period.

Recognition (WEFT)

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

Spot it by:

• Soviet post-WWII gull-wing maritime patrol flying boat
• Twin radial engines on cranked parasol wing
• Twin-tail configuration with dorsal and tail gun turrets

High gull-wing monoplane flying boat with two large radial engines mounted above the wing kink, a boat hull, twin fins and rudders, and multiple gun turrets; the gull-wing is the most distinctive recognition feature.

Specifications

• The Beriev Be-6 has a length of 21 m (69 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 33 m (108 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 415 km/h (258 mph).
• Typical crew: 8.

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

History

Entering service in 1951, the Be-6 conducted long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols over Soviet coastal waters and the open ocean. It remained the primary Soviet maritime patrol aircraft until replaced by jet-powered types in the late 1950s and turboprop-powered Il-38s.

Variants

Be-6 standard maritime patrol; modified ASW variants with MAD boom and sonobuoy equipment; some converted for ice reconnaissance.

Where you'll see it

Served with Soviet Naval Aviation from 1951 to the late 1960s; a small number were exported to China (as Qing-6), which used them into the 1980s.

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