Beriev Be-8
| Beriev Be-8 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Amphibian - flying boat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
December 3, 1947 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
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The Beriev Be-8 ( Russian Бериев Бе-8 , NATO code name Mole ) was a Soviet amphibious aircraft .
history
The decision to build this multi-purpose aircraft was made on March 11, 1947. The intended use was to transport passengers, freight and the wounded. It was possible to mount cameras to document ice movements and to look for schools of fish. Ultimately, the machine should be so easy to fly that it could be used as a training aircraft . Just three months later, a dummy existed.
The machine was designed as a Parasol high- wing aircraft, with the wing attached to the fuselage via a central support and a few struts. It had a retractable rear wheel landing gear . The main landing gear could be retracted laterally into the fuselage.
The tail unit was designed conventionally, but the horizontal tail unit is attached roughly in the middle of the vertical tail unit to keep it out of the spray area. The engine is centrally located in the high wing. Support floats are attached to the side of the wing. The plane is made entirely of metal. An armament was not provided.
The closed pilot's cabin, which had a double steering wheel, and the passenger compartment could be heated by exhaust air from the engine. The warm air was also used to feed the de-icing system . All rudders were operated by a cable, except for the landing flaps . They were moved electrically in the first prototype and hydraulically in the second.
The first attempts at swimming took place in November 1947 and required minor changes to the hull structure.
The first flight took place on December 3, 1947 from the water, on February 11, 1948 the machine took off for the first time from land. The machine performed well and was found to be easy to fly and operate.
The aircraft was presented to the public as part of the flight demonstration in Tuschino in 1951 . However, there was no series production, as the Soviet air force at the time was primarily interested in fighter aircraft and therefore showed no interest in the project. So only two copies were made for test purposes.
One of the prototypes was experimentally equipped with underwater wings like a hydrofoil as part of a series of tests by the ZAGI . This shortened the take-off distance in the water considerably and also significantly reduced the load on the hull. However, since it was not possible to find an effective mechanism that would allow the underwater wings to be folded in, these attempts were not pursued further. The additional surfaces had greatly increased the air resistance .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1-2 |
| Passengers | 4-6 |
| length | 13.00 m |
| span | 19.00 m |
| height | 4.48 m |
| Wing area | 40.00 m² |
| Empty mass | 2815 kg |
| Takeoff mass | Max. 3800 kg |
| Top speed | 266 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 165 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 5550 m |
| Max. Range | 1205 km |
| Range with max. Payload | 810 km |
| Engine | 1 × Schwezow ASch-21 with 515 kW (700 PS) |
literature
- Karl-Heinz Eyermann : Flying Boats after the Second World War . In: Wolfgang Sellenthin (Ed.): German Fliegerkalender 1972 . German Military Publishing House, Berlin 1971, p. 180/181 .
Web links
- Picture of the first prototype of the Beriev Be-8 shortly before take-off ; Image linked from this website (accessed January 20, 2011)
- Photo of the Be-8
