Beriev Be-10 Mallow

The Be-10 was a marine reconnaisance-bomber hydroplane. The aircraft Beriev Be-10 "Mallow" was the world's only production flying boat with turbojet engines. This jet-engined flying boat was the only one its class to enter operation service. Yet few Be-10s were built, and the Be-12 was preferred because of its endurance and better rough sea capability. The Be-10 had highly swept wings, with strong anhedral and floats attached to the tips. The engines were placed in the enlarged wing roots.

Designed on the basis of seaplanes R-1, it was first presented in 1961. Under the designation M-10, this boat set 12 world records. Among them: a record speed of 912 kilometers per hour (566.7 miles / hour), shown at the 15/25 km (9.3 / 15.5 miles) stretch; record speed of 875.86 kilometers per hour (544.24 miles / h), with closed-circuit flight route length of more than 1000 kilometers (621.4 miles) with a payload of 5,000 kilograms (11,023 pounds), a record height of 12,733 meters (41,775 feet) in the booming cargo 10000 kg (22,046 pounds).

As in other areas of aircraft construction, in hydro-aviation there arose the need for more high-speed aircraft powered with jet engines. The reactive flying boat, or, is more precise, seaplane with the jet engines, was created after performing of great experimental work in TsAGI (Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics im. N Ye Zhukovskiy), design bureau G.M. [Berieva] and other organizations.

The creation of the Be-10 drew on the experience of the R-1 jet hydroplane [gidrosamoletom]. The R-1 was a marine reconnaisance-bomber hydroplane. First flight from water was made 30 May 1952. One test prototype was built. The experimental seaplane R-1 had a flight speed to 800 km/h and a ceiling of 11,500 m. By the motion of its tests they were studied questions of hydrodynamics of heavy seagoing aircraft with the high takeoff and landing speeds, and also questions of aerodynamics of these aircraft at the transonic speeds of flight.

In September 1953, commander of Navy aviation E. Preobrazhensky appealed to Defense Minister Nikolai A. Bulganin to the proposal to grant GM Beriev the task to design a new seaplane with two turbojet engines. On 8 October 1953 came Decree number 2622-1105ss to develop a jet flying boat Be-10 (product "M") to conduct exploration on the high seas, torpedo-and high-altitude bombing of ships, placing of mines, causing the bomb attacks on naval bases and shore facilities. The task provided that the machine should reach a maximum speed of 950-1000 km / h, have a range of 3000 km, the practical ceiling 14000-15000 meters off and get on the wave height of 1.5 meters, with wind speeds up to 20 meters per second. The airplane was to be present at State Tests (GI) in November 1955, with the second copy required to produce anamphibian variant.

For the flight tests of Be-10 was set up base in the area of Gelendzhik. The first flight took place on 20 June 1956 (crew members VV Kuryachy, BS Fadeyev, G. B. Gilyatkin). In a normal takeoff weight of the speed of separation Be-10 from the water at 300 km /h. It was a record, but the record "of opposite sign". Considerable impact and vertically directed shock was encountered in the meeting of the bottom of the boat with the crest of the wave during takeoff and landing. When the first shots were fired from the bow cannon, powder gases were caught in the engine, which responded by a spike in temperature of gas turbine wheel. The turbojet was stopped, and I. N. Sizov, as an experienced gidrosamoletchik first demonstrated landed Be-10 with one working engine. The AL-7PB certainly be replaced by a new, and tests continued, and designers began to develop gas vent for guns.

One of the most serious shortcomings identified by the was the hit by water on the intake device of the engines during takeoff and landing and during maneuvers on the water, with wind waves of about 1.2 m and wind speeds of more than 15 m / sec.

The experience of bombing with the Be-10 presented virtually nothing new, but there were some features associated with the composition of aircraft equipment. Usually bombings on the Crimean sites were practical bombs from heights of over 3000 m. This is a matter of fact, that limit sight angle of sight, with the goal where there was 60-65 °, but at a lower altitude angle of sight, otrabatyvaemy OPB-11km, was in of 50-55 °, and the crew on the side aiming to be the entire 10-15 instead of 40-45 with with. Torpedo bombings and made preliminary soundings with the wind and setting its parameters on the calculator device. One disadvantage of OPB-11km was that he did not provide an absolute measurement of the velocity vector moving goals, and decide on the direction of its movement had to make glazomerno.

Serial production was carried out at the Taganrog aviation plant in the 1957-1960 period. More than 60 Be-10 aircraft were built [other accounts suggest that only three or four are believed to have been built]. In the summer of 1961, the Be-10 was first demonstrated to the public during the Navy Day, when a "diamond" of four jet flying boats flew over the parade. This gave the impression that the Be-10 was already in service. In August-September 1961, the Be-10 set 12 world records in the class flying boats (speed 912 km / h, the ceiling is loaded 14 962 m, with a cargo of 15 tonnes - 11 997 m). The plane was declared in the documents FAI as the M-10. The aircraft of the type used until 1963. The Be-12 was preferred, because of its better endurance, and few Be-10's were built. They quickly changed to the Be-12 amphibians. On the basis of Be-10 the establishment of the Be-10N was planned.