Expo 92 Beriev.

[shamus]

I came across a couple of photos I took at the Expo 92 airshow held at Auckland Int. Airport on November 20 - 22 1992 of the most unusual
Beriev A-40 Jet amphibian flying boat.





I have somewhere some photos I took of it landing (sorry surfacing) on the Waitemata Harbour and also taking off.
Will keep looking, but meanwhile, from the Beriev brochure a couple of shots of interest.

[shamus]

Sorry missed the post. Here they are.

[sopwitht1]

Nice pics Shamus. Truly is a gracefil looking bird.

I wasn't in NZ in '92, so missed what I have heard was a great show. Somewhere I've got photos I took of one of these at Fairford - The Russkies got a bit excited when the Brits showed a fleeting interest in the type for a potential Nimrod replacement. I remember the crew were trying to sell anything that wasn't bolted to the aircraft; flight suits, medals, model aircraft, even an ejection seat, presumably not from the Albatross!

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos Shamus. I was at that airshow on the Sunday and was mightily impressed by the Albatross. It was one of the most impressive aircraft I've ever seen, the way something so huge could fly so slow when it needed to and turn so tightly. It was a very versatile and innovative design I reckon. It's sad that only two were ever built and no orders came from the promotional displays they made. However Wikipedia says "Recent reports suggest the project has been revived and that an order has been placed by the Russian Navy." so that's hopeful.

I wonder where the two aircraft are today. I assume they still fly and are with Beriev?

[hairy]

Nice shots there of the A-40 Shamus it was a fascinating aircraft, though I was a bit taken aback by canvas showing through the tyres.

Did you (or anyone else for that matter) by any chance manage to get any photos of the BD-5J that was here for the Expo. I volunteered to help at the Expo and was assigned as gopher for the BD-5J team, (boy did we have work our butts off to get it airworthy after Air NZ Cargo dropped it ).
As I did not have a camera at the time I would love to see some pictures to boost my fading memory.

Jul 4, 2009 22:50:40 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Recent reports suggest the project has been revived and that an order has been placed by the Russian Navy

Looking at the NEWS section of the Beriev website there is no mention of any Russian Navy order for the A-40, but there is a picture of Albatross "20" operational at a display at Gelendzhik (wherever that is ) in 2006.
Beriev also seem to be having some success with their Be-200 multi-role amphibian.

There also seem to be some interesting designs on the drawing board, I would dearly love to see the Be-2500 built, it would be an awesome sight.

The Beriev website is well worth checking out, their photos section has pictures of every type of aircraft they have built from 1932 until 2009. (Link to website below)

www.beriev.com/eng/core_e.html

[shamus]

Sorry Hairy, did not get a photo of the BD-5, the only other photo I can find from this Expo is of the
Harrier.

[FlyingKiwi]

Shots of the A-40s periodically come up on Airliners.net, so they are indeed still going strong. Gelendzhik is where Beriev have their base, and there is an airshow there every year, which is the source of a lot of the photos.

[Dave Homewood]

When I get home I'll look out my Air Expo 92 photos, I think I took one of the BD-5J in the hangar after it was kaput. I was so pee-o'd, the main reason i flew up from Christchurch for the show was to see the James Bond BD-5, but it broke the day before. Mind you, the Albatross and Harrier were good consolations. With the BD-5 crash landing, the SE5a crash, the Bandit taking off into the path of Kiwi Red's run-in, it was an eventful Saturday by all accounts. I chose to go on the Sunday, which had no thrills and spills.

[ErrolC]

Jul 8, 2009 19:12:52 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

When I get home I'll look out my Air Expo 92 photos, I think I took one of the BD-5J in the hangar after it was kaput. I was so pee-o'd, the main reason i flew up from Christchurch for the show was to see the James Bond BD-5, but it broke the day before. Mind you, the Albatross and Harrier were good consolations. With the BD-5 crash landing, the SE5a crash, the Bandit taking off into the path of Kiwi Red's run-in, it was an eventful Saturday by all accounts. I chose to go on the Sunday, which had no thrills and spills.

I was there on the Saturday. The SE5a crash gave me an odd feeling. Great concern at first, then realising that it was at low speed and a hopefully forgiving airframe. Relief of course when we were told the pilot was OK.

I also saw the Albatross land on the Waitemata (I was on bereavement leave at the time), and have a very poor photo somewhere.

[Bruce]

I was at the show on all 3 days, including part of the trade day. I didnt see the BD5 landing due to the crowds blocking the view, but the flying display was great. I did see the SE5 accident happen, and could see something wasnt right from the moment he started his climbing turn - there just wasnt any airspeed.
The Albatross was great, and was really the first time many of the pople there had seen anything of Russian origin.
The Monday after the show the Harrier dropped in to Ardmore (I think the Warbirds guys had persuaded the pilots in the bar the night before!) not once but twice (both the pilots who came out with it had a go..), including setting down on the runway almost right in front of the Hangar I was in. Not a lot of work done at Ardmore that morning!

[Dave Homewood]

Don't forget the other Russian aeroplanes that were there too, there was a Tupolev something I think, and an Antonov AN-24, the largest commercial aircraft ever built. Now that was damned impressive, especially when the parachutists all came out of it. Three other things that stick in my mind from that show were the Air New Zealand 747 display which was very unusual at a kiwi airshow, and very good to see - the Avenger making its debut in NZ - and the highlight being Ray and Mark Hanna battling it out in the P-40K and newly arrived Zero replica. That was a magic display.

[Bruce]

Dave the only Other Russian aircraft at the show was the IL76. The Anotonov 124 visited several times during that year, but wasnt present during the 3 days of the show. As Mentioned, I attended on all 3 days.

[Kereru]

Some images here of Expo 92.

www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/show92auc.html

I remember the Harrier being brought out in the IL-76 which from memory is similar in size to the Starlifter. I have some VHS video I took there somewhere amongst my rather badly filed footage. ;D
One day I will dig it out.

Cheers

[b10m]

I have the offical VHS of the Airshow which shows the BD5 pranging. There is a interview with the owner Dave someone. Also the se5a cracking up, and the Hanna's playing. It show the A40 alighting on the Wiatamata and all the other relevant stuff.
I could, if needed, get this transfered to DVD if you wanted. Anyone?

[FlyingKiwi]

I have that VHS as well, although unfortunately time hasn't been kind to it and I don't think it works anymore.

[ron]

Hairy

Here's your BD-5J N53EJ taken at Auckland on 20NOV92. It looks like Dave "Hammer" Harris is your man.

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Regards
Ron

[ron]

Here's the Il-76 CCCP-76822 also on 20NOV92.

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Rgds
Ron

[ron]

The Albatross, also on 20NOV92.

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[Dave Homewood]

Oh yes, that's right, it was indeed an IL-76, not the Antonov. Still a dmaned big aeroplane. Was that here to support the Albatross crew? I could have sworn there was a third Russian heavy, must be confusing it with something else, sorry.

[Dave Homewood]

Marcus, was the fact that the Bede BD-5 was dropped in transit (a fact I never knew till now) a contributing factor to its nosewheel collapse later? Nice photo of it by the way Ron.