At the Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex named after V. I. G. M. Beriev in the spring of this year, the production of the first serial Be-200ES amphibious aircraft began. Recall that until now, all serial and prototype aircraft of this type were produced in Irkutsk. The principal decision to move the serial production of Be-200 aircraft from the Irkutsk aircraft plant, which is part of the Irkut corporation, to Taganrog was made back in 2006. After that, part of the existing equipment was transported to Taganrog, new slipways for aircraft assembly were built, the latest machining centers and a number of other high-tech equipment were purchased abroad.
The long-announced start of construction of serial Be-200 at the Aircraft Company im. G. M. Beriev was hampered for a long time by the lack of stable contracts. Even the initial contract for seven Be-200ES, which was signed by the Russian Emergencies Ministry with the Irkut corporation in the early 2000s, was in a "dangling" state. In accordance with this contract, the Irkut corporation in 2003-2006. manufactured and delivered to the customer 4 serial amphibious aircraft. Of these aircraft, three are currently in flight operation. The fifth aircraft, which was built in 2007, was sold to Azerbaijan in 2008.
The situation changed dramatically only in 2010. The government of the Russian Federation, after the forest fires raging throughout the country last summer, adopted a resolution on the need to replenish the aviation group of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations with new Be-200 aircraft.
Along with this, in September last year, the Be-200ChS-E amphibious aircraft acquired the long-awaited type certificate of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which opened the way for the aircraft to Western markets.
In September 2010, at the "Gidroaviasalon-2010" in Gelendzhik, an agreement was solemnly signed to supply the Russian Emergencies Ministry with 8 new Be-200ES.
At the same time it was envisaged that TANTK them. G. M. At the first stage, Beriev will complete the construction in full accordance with the requirements of the terms of reference and will hand over the last two aircraft to the EMERCOM of Russia in 2011, provided for by the starting order of seven amphibians, the construction of which was started back in Irkutsk.
After that, the enterprise will start delivering new Be-200ES already manufactured at the plant to the customer.
In July 2010, the sixth serial Be-200ES with side number 301 was flown in Irkutsk. In August last year, the plane arrived in Taganrog. At present, the amphibious aircraft is in the workshops of the Aircraft Company, and it is undergoing modifications agreed with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, which, after the start of operation of the aircraft, were already implemented on the previous aircraft of the customer during scheduled repairs. The last seventh serial Be-200ES (side number 302), the production of which began in Irkutsk, was completed this spring. Its maiden flight took place on April 3 in Irkutsk, and in the same month the plane was delivered to Taganrog. Following aircraft # 301, the aircraft will undergo a similar revision before being delivered to the customer. According to the results of an open auction, which took place on November 17, 2010, TANTK im. G. M. Berieva. A state contract with a total amount of RUB 2.908 billion was signed with the same enterprise. (about $ 48 million per plane). The delivery time specified in the contract is 30.11.2011.
Until recently, despite the fact that assemblies and parts are being manufactured, the situation with orders for new Be-200 assemblies of TANTK im. G. M. Berieva. In the end, on May 26, 2011, Vladimir Putin signed Order No. 902-r "On the conclusion of a long-term state contract for the purchase of six Be-200ES aircraft for the needs of the Russian Emergencies Ministry." In accordance with the above order, the contract must be completed by 2014. He also determined the volume of state financing of this order for the period 2012–2015 in the total amount of 8, 724 billion rubles. The amphibious aircraft will be supplied to the aviation units of the Far Eastern, Siberian and Central regional centers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
According to Alexander Gorin, the first deputy general director - production director of TANTK im. G. M. Beriev, the head aircraft of the Taganrog assembly should be ready in April-June 2013. In general, according to Viktor Kobzev, general director - general designer of TANTK, in 2013 the plant plans to produce three Be-200ES. The remaining 3 aircraft will have to be built in 2014. In the same 2014, the production of the first export Be-200ChS-E is planned. V. Kobzev said that the current plans envisage the production in Taganrog of up to 6 Be-200 aircraft per year, with a potential subsequent increase to 10–12 aircraft. According to Kobzev's estimates, Europe alone can demand 30–35 vehicles of this type. Viktor Kobzev included France, Greece and Spain among potential consumers. He also pins great hopes on the Asian markets, in particular, with India, where the Be-200 is currently taking part in several tenders at once. In the Russian Federation, the biggest customer for the Be-200 could be Avialesokhrana, whose direct responsibilities, unlike the Emergencies Ministry, include fighting forest fires. But to date, no specific decisions have been made on the issue of re-equipping the aircraft fleet of this department.
It is also important that the assembly of "land" versions of the Be-300 aircraft is also possible on the stocks already mounted in the TANTK workshops for the production of Be-200 amphibians. According to V. Kobzev, both aircraft, by and large, are 75-85% unified: the Be-300 differs from the Be-200 amphibian exclusively by the contours of the lower fuselage, which is no longer similar to a boat, but has a familiar “aircraft” configuration. Inherited from the Be-200, the top-mounted engine scheme allows the Be-300 to be successfully operated from unpaved airfields, making it possible to solve a wide range of tasks in regions where the airfield infrastructure is poorly developed.
In the laboratory of static tests of TANTK them. G. M. Beriev is currently undergoing various tests at once two copies of the Be-200 - resource and static. In addition, the journalists were shown the only Be-200ES crew flight simulator in Russia. This simulator was developed and manufactured by TANTK specialists in cooperation with the "Transas" company. The simulator is equipped with a modern projection system for visualization of the situation behind the cockpit. In addition, it most faithfully simulates the operation of aircraft controls in flight and when solving fire extinguishing tasks. This simulator is used for training and training of all aviation pilots of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia and Azerbaijan, who fly on Be-200ES amphibious aircraft.
