Be-200 Altair (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

The Be-200 Altair is a Russian jet-powered flying boat which is being marketed as an airliner, cargo plane and water bomber.

The Altair is intended for the civilian market, especially with maritime countries or other markets which lack regular airports, but have suitable aquatic landing areas.

At $US25 million, the Be-200 costs the same amount as its main competitor in the water bomber market, the turboprop powered Bombardier CL-415 Superscooper flying boat.   Both the Altair and the Superscooper have an advantage over land-based water bombers because they can refill on any convenient lake while still moving, but the Be-200 can carry twice as much water as the CL-415, and its higher speed makes it capable of dropping water more often.

Beriev has sold several Be-200s to the Russian Interior Ministry and there have been leasing arrangements for firefighting in Italy and Portugal.   While in Portugal the Be-200 you see here hit a tree on takeoff while fully loaded with fuel and water.   Branches from the tree entered one engine and knocked it out, but the plane was still able to climb out on its remaining engine and make a safe landing.   It's not the sort of advertising Beriev was looking for, but it does prove the plane's toughness, because it's unlikely that any other aircraft would have survived such an accident.