Beriev Aircraft Company will start manufacturing Be-200s amphibian by the end of 2011, whose spare parts have previously been manufactured in Irkutsk, Rosbalt reports. Enterprise’s press-service has told about this fact.

The transfer of production to Taganrog has been started several years ago. The costs of these transfer has been assessed at 1.8 billion rubles. «At present the transportation of equipment and its assembling have already been completed — for example, holding frames and tooling », — a source reported adding that this equipment has occupied the whole workshop at the enterprise’s territory. According to him, the preparation for first aircraft production launch is being carried out at the moment, and in parallel the technical re-equipping of the facility is being carried out. In particular, a part of high-tech machining centers have been acquired.

The multi-role next-generation Be-200 aircraft is designed on the basis of the largest jet amphibian A-40 Albatross’ layout. The basic version of Be-200 is intended for firefighting, but its construction allows a number of modifications enabling the aircraft to carry out passenger and cargo transportation, patrol missions, search and rescue operations and solve some other problems. Be-200 has a unique capability of takeoff and landing not only on water but also on the ground.

The main projects of Beriev Aircraft Company are — multi-role civil amphibian Be-200; A-42PE amphibian intended for patrol missions and search-and-rescue operations; Be-103 light amphibian; long range radar detection aircrafts, over-sized amphibians with maximum takeoff weight of 2,500 tons.