Georgij Mikhailovich Beriev, Beriev Aircraft Company

Designer of amphibians and flying boats of all sizes and roles. Since 1934 - Designer General, head of design bureau based at Taganrog. His team created flying boats that served in Soviet Navy during The Great Patriotic War (MBR-2, KOR-1 and KOR-2). After WWII more advanced Be-6 entered service.

Since 1948, Taganrog has been the major center Soviet Seaplane development. Be-6 was followed by jet-engined R-1 (and later - Be-10). Those early jet flying boats remained experimental, while piston-engined Be-6 was replaced by Be-12 turboprop-driven aircraft. Today advanced jet amphibians A-40/42 (military/SAR) and Be-200 (civilian multirole) are designed and tested, as well as light utility Be-103.

Beriev is currently planning on building amphibious aircraft with takeoff weight between 200 and 600 tons for operation in the Pacific. Beriev recently entered into a joint venture with the Swiss finance company ILTA Trade Finance S.A. to develop the Be-200. The Be-200 will be the product of a joint venture between the Beriev TANTK, former Taganrog Aircraft Production Association and the Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (manufacturer of the Su-27Su-27 fighter). Beriev is also developing supersonic flying boats.

Recent status:

Brief: Beriev, located in Taganrog, (Rostov Oblast), is the center for Russian seaplane design and manufacturing. Beriev also designs and manufactures multiple role amphibious aircraft and supersonic flying boats.

Established: 1934

Employment: 5,500

Other names (official): OAO TANTK imeni G.M.Berieva, Beriev Aircraft Company

Also known as: Beriev OKB, Taganrog Aviation Development and Manufacturing Enterprise, G.M.Beriev Taganrog Aviation Scientific Engineering Complex.

Address: Beriev Aircraft Company Oblast (State): Rostov 1 Aviatorov Sq. 347923 Taganrog, Russia

Company News

Beriev (Beriashvili) Georgii Michailovich (1903-79)

Aircraft designer, doctor of technical scienes, major-general. Graduated from Leningrad polytechnical Institute (1930). Under his leadership in TsKB was designed amphibious aircraft MBR-2 (1932). In 1934-68 was chief designer of Taganrog OKB. Amphibious aircraft Mp-1, MDR-5, MBR-7, Be-6 and jet powered R-1 and Be-10, also hydroplanes Be-8, -12, -2, -4 and transport Be-30.

·A-50 - AWACS converted from Il-76 First flown in Dec'78 in Taganrog.

·A-60 - Il-76MD based experimental a/c with laser gun.

·An-30 - recce "verson" of An-26. First flown in 1967. 115 were built.

·14M-1P [7K] - Wing-in-ground effect aircraft. 1972. Tested in 1976 in Taganrog gulf of Azov sea.

·VVA-14-1 [5K] - (Vertikalno Vzletayuschiy Apparat) see Bartini. First flown in Sep'72.

·Tu-142MR - radio retransmitter version of maritime patrol Tu-142.

·Be-1 [13K] "Gidrolet" - Wing-in-ground effect aircraft, a single-engined two-seater. One was built. 1963. First flown from sea in 1964.

·Be-2 [31K]/KOR-1 [12K] Mote (Korablemij Razvedchik) - A small float biplane, the standard catapult aircraft for cruisers. First flown from sea in September 1936. In service until 1942.

·Be-4/KOR-2 [12K] - The KOR-2 was an elegant parasol-wing flying boat. A pylon on top of the fuselage carried an enormous radial engine, and the inverted gull wing. Production was interrupted by the German invasion of 1941, but later resumed. First flown from sea in October 1940.

·Be-6 [29K] Madge - Twin-engine long-range maritime reconnaissance flying boat. Two 2000 hp. Shvetsov ASh-73 radial engines. Patrol flying boat, closely resembling the U.S. PBM 'Mariner': a gull-winged aircraft with twin, oval tailfins on top of a deep fuselage. It stayed in service until the late 1960s. Predecessor for Be-12. First flown in Nov'47.

·Be-8 [17K] Mole (or Mode) [Type-33] - sometimes reported to have the name 'Mail' assigned (which was the Be-12) and being a jet-engined version of the Be-6 'Madge' (possibly referring to the R-1); first seen 1951 Soviet Aviation Day, Tushino.