Beriev Be-30
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Russia |
| Products | Beriev Be-30, Beriev Be-32 aircraft |
The Beriev Be-30 (known by its NATO reporting name as "Cuff") is a Russian-designed regional airliner and utility transport developed by the Beriev Design Bureau. It was created specifically for Aeroflot to operate on short, unpaved local airstrips. This aircraft served multiple roles including regional passenger transportation, light cargo hauling, aerial reconnaissance, and medical evacuation, positioning itself as a competitor to the Antonov An-28 and the Czechoslovakian Let L-410 Turbolet.
Design and development
Originally, the design featured interconnected engines that would allow one engine to drive both propellers in case of an engine failure; however, this system was excluded from the final production models. The first prototype took flight on 3 March 1967, powered by Shvetsov ASh-21 piston engines. A subsequent production prototype equipped with more advanced Glushenkov TVD-10 turboprop engines flew on 18 July 1968. Deliveries to Aeroflot commenced around mid-1969.
The Be-30 was designed with a two-person cockpit crew and accommodated 14 passengers. Its variant, the Be-32, offered seating for up to 17 passengers arranged two abreast. Corporate shuttle versions were configured to carry seven passengers. The air ambulance configuration could transport nine stretcher patients, six seated patients, along with a single medical attendant.
Production ceased during the 1970s after only eight units were manufactured—comprising three Be-30s and five Be-32s. In the early 1990s, one Be-32 was converted into the Be-32K demonstrator fitted with Western engines and displayed at the 1993 air shows in Paris and Dubai. This model was connected to a now-canceled order from Moscow Airways for 50 aircraft.
Variants
- Be-30 Prototype (first flight: 3 March 1967), powered by two Shvetsov ASh-21 radial piston engines with three-blade constant-speed propellers; fuel capacity .
- Be-30 Standard production version.
- Be-30A Variant featuring increased seating capacity for 21–23 passengers.
- Be-32 Enhanced version introduced in 1993, equipped with two Glushenkov TVD-10B turboprops driving three-blade constant-speed propellers.
- Be-32K Westernized model fitted with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B turboprop engines paired with three-blade Hartzell reversible pitch propellers; fuel capacity .
Operators
Countries operating the Beriev Be-30 included: