MOSCOW. Sept 25 (Interfax-AVN) - The Taganrog-based Beriyev aircraft research and technical corporation (TANTK) and the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft production association (KnAAPO) are designing a new single-engined amphibious plane codenamed Osa, a competent source in the Russian defense industry told Interfax- Military News Agency on Thursday.
The plane will be similar to the BE-103, but will have a turbofan engine instead of a piston engine, the source said.
"KnAAPO is starting to work on the aircraft, and the plane with an engine developing 400-500hp will be codenamed Osa," the source noted.
The six-seater amphibian can be used as a passenger, medical, cargo and patrol plane. With a payload of up to 634kg, the plane will develop a cruising speed of 210kmph. The range with maximum load is 513km, maximum range is 1,030km, and ground/water run is 260/570m.
According to experts, Osa will have a service life of 12,000 hours in the year of 15 years in operation,
"Officials of several nations have expressed interest in amphibians of this type at a recent air show in the U.S.," the source said.
"The prototype of the single-engined SA-20P amphibious plane has been built and is taking tests in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The plane is powered by an M-14P engine and its design is identical to that of the BE-103 by 90 percent," the source noted.
According to him, the SA-20P has entered the second stage of tests which includes take-off from water and ground. A total of about 50 flights are to be performed on that stage. "These tests belong to the category of flight and design tests," the source stressed.
"Certification of the SA-20P should not take long because of a high degree of the aircraft's unification with the certified BE- 103 plane," he added.