TAGANROG, Rostov Region. Aug 28 (Interfax-AVN) - The serial production of the BE-103 amphibians is maintained by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft production enterprise.
"The aircraft plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur launched into serial production 13 BE-103 amphibians that should be built in forthcoming 2.5-3 years," Nikolai Lavro, deputy constructor general of the Taganrog-based Beriyev aircraft research and technical company and main designer of the BE-130, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
No less than six BE-103 aircraft are planned to be sold in 2003. The establishment of serial production is generally explained by high demand from abroad, Lavro said.
He stressed that the United States is considered to be the most promising market for the amphibian. "The West has enough amphibians but the majority of them are common planes with floats. At the same time due to considerably high weight of those floats flight and technical specifications of the aircraft suffer a lot," Lavro said.
Speaking about possible supplies of the BE-103 to the U.S. Lavro noted that the third plane was made "taking into account Western customer requirements." The plane is currently staying in Taganrog.
"By current there were produced two planes for ground tests as well as three flight models. Two of the latter are undergoing certification on Russian norms while the third one on American norms. We will purchase U.S. engines for the amphibian together with devices for control over engines work, navigation equipment," Lavro said.
Specialists of the Taganrog company consider that in the near future the demand for those amphibians will make some 100 ones.
The market price of the BE-103 amounts to 60-70% of its foreign analogues depending on the mounted equipment.
The amphibian has two piston engines with the capacity of 210hp each. Apart from the crew the BE-103 is capable to carry five passengers and up to 400kg of cargo. The fuel consumption is 44kgph, maximum speed 260kmph and range of flight 1,100km.