Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail)

Maritime Patrol / Reconnaissance Flying Boat

Soviet Union | 1961

"The Be-12 was a very capable floatplane for its time, achieving several world records for an aircraft of this type."

Image from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail) Maritime Patrol / Reconnaissance Flying Boat.

2 x Ivchenko Progress AI-20D turboprop engines developing 5,180 horsepower each driving four-bladed propeller units.
Propulsion

329 mph
530 kph | 286 kts
Max Speed

26,247 ft
8,000 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling

2,051 miles
3,300 km | 1,782 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail) Maritime Patrol / Reconnaissance Flying Boat.

6
(MANNED)
Crew

98.8 ft
30.11 m
O/A Length

97.9 ft
(29.84 m)
O/A Width

26.0 ft
(7.94 m)
O/A Height

52,911 lb
(24,000 kg)
Empty Weight

79,366 lb
(36,000 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail) Maritime Patrol / Reconnaissance Flying Boat provided across 2 hardpoints.

Up to 3,300lb of externally-held drop-ordnance including torpedoes, depth charges, mines, and/or conventional drop bombs.

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail) family line.

Be-12 - Base Series Designation; standard production models.

Be-12EKO - Proposed ecological reconnaissance platform.

Be-12I - Proposed flying laboratory

Be-12LL - Cruise missile carrier test airframe

Be-12N - Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) variant with MAD and other applicable sensory equipment.

Be-12Nkh - Stripped utility transport; two converted from standard Be-12.

Be-12P - Firefighting variant

Be-12P-200 - Developmental firefighting variant

Be-12PS - Search and Rescue variant; four converted from base Be-12s.

Be-12SK - Test airframe for nuclear depth charges

Be-14 - All-weather, day-night Search and Rescue variant; single example completed.

M-12 - Stripped variant for record attempts.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/03/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Beriev Be-12 "Mail" was a successful flying boat aircraft developed for the Soviet Navy as a replacement for its troublesome Be-10 "Mallow" series during the Cold War. It fulfilled the role of maritime patrol and reconnaissance and showcased a turboprop design over the former's turbojet arrangement. Like the Be-10 before it, the Be-12 went on to set several world aircraft records for an aircraft of this type. The series was available in prototype form in 1960, first unveiled to the public during 1961 and entered production soon afterwards. 143 of the type were produced in all with some still flying today (2014).

The Be-12 was powered by 2 x Ivchenko Progress AI-20D turboprop engines mounted high on a high-wing monoplane assembly. The wings were notably cranked upwards from the fuselage in a "gull-wing" type arrangement. As with other flying boat designs, the use of high-mounted wings aided in lift as well as clearing the engines from the surface of the water. To prevent tipping, pontoon floats were affixed under each wing. The Be-12 was typically crewed by four to six personnel. Beyond its water-based landing and take-off, it also held an inherent amphibious quality thanks to its wheeled undercarriage - a feature retained from the preceding Be-10 design. As such, it could function as a traditional land-based aircraft from prepared runways. Beyond that, the Be-12 accommodated a MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detection) system in the tail, a radar housed in the nose section and a glazed observation position also in the nose.

Dimensions included a length of 98.8 feet, a wingspan of 98 feet, and a height of 26 feet. Empty weight was listed at 52,800lb with a Maximum Take-Off Weight of 79,200lb. Performance from the twin-turboprop engines included a maximum speed of 330 miles per hour, a range out to 2,100 miles and a service ceiling of 26,250 feet.

The Be-12 bettered the outgoing Be-10 - which it succeeded in Soviet Naval Aviation service - by improving its operational ranges. Its payload included up to 3,300lbs of externally-held stores in the form of torpedoes, depth charges, mines, or conventional drop bombs.

The series was exported to Egypt, Syria, and Vietnam while ex-Soviet stocks fell to the Ukrainians. Additionally, ex-Soviet Navy models were reconstituted into the reborn Russian Navy after the fall of the Soviet Empire in the early 1990s.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

October 2023 - It was reported that Russian Naval forces would begin active operations involving BE-12 aircraft in conjunction with Fencer and Flanker jet aircraft to counter the threat posed by Ukrainian unmanned underwater vehicles.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 143 Units
Contractor(s): Beriev - Soviet Union

[ Egypt; Russia; Soviet Union; Syria; Ukraine; Vietnam ]

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Image of the Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (Mail)

Image from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

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