The proposals had been effectively addressed and the conclusions have been made fast enough. Reviews on the aircraft be-6 from the first to the fourth series, held military trials from July 1953 to April 1954 on the basis of 977, amdrup aviation black sea fleet in Poti, was already quite sympathetic.
Drill the pilots noted that the plane is easy to fly and available to pilots of average skill, well managed when flying at speeds of 200 km/h to a maximum, stable glissirovat in the whole range of speeds, sets no trends to separate from water and protopine fluctuations in mileage.
Praised aviators rich for its time, the set of equipment, primarily radar. Engines AL-73 proved to be quite reliable, and their adjustment is not cause special difficulties of the mechanics.
The criticism primarily low resistance of the aircraft structure to corrosion and leakage at the deck of the boat, the difficulty of flight in adverse weather conditions due to shortcomings in the equipment cabin and the poor performance of anti-icing system of the front glass of the lantern.
In addition, the rapid leaving of workplaces of the pilots strapped to a parachute in an emergency, proved almost impossible. But the main drawback of all, without exception, called the lack of search submarines in a submerged position.
Upon completion of the tests definitively confirmed the view that the be-6 should be used primarily for long-range Maritime reconnaissance and for search and destruction of submarines on the surface. The aircraft could be used as search and rescue, and laying minefields and the bombing on poorly protected marine and coastal targets.
In General, the combat effectiveness of Be-6 significantly exceeded outdated “Catalina”, which still remained the main marine scout in the USSR. However, as the military tests in the daily operation of be-6 was much more complicated American amphibians.
Wishes and concerns of the military were taken into account, and the aircraft of the last series, starting with No. 5601602, got air-thermal anti-icing system for wing and tail, new seats pilots, and a system pressurization of the fuel tanks by neutral gas. Managed to improve the layout of the nose of the aircraft.
Only from 1952 to 1957 he released a 123 car.
To improve the be-6 in the OKB-49 was started immediately after starting the machine. In 1953, he studied the possibility of installation on production aircraft mounted amphibious chassis.
The first major modification of the basic aircraft was rescue variant, designated Be-6СС (rescue service). Modernization was made by removing the cannon systems, workplace, deck hand, photographic equipment, bunks on the starboard side and seat landing on the left side of the boat in the compartment between frames No. 19 and No. 23.
In return the captured equipment installed special electronic search tools and discovery — receptor “Pin-A-4” (receive signals emergency stations “Camellia”) and attachment to radio ARC-5U “Flow” of the suggester and receiving on Board casualties and providing first aid.
Only a seaplane can take 15 people, of which 12 were placed on the seats and three for hanging beds. The crew included a paramedic, which mounted the seat, Desk, and a special Cabinet with the necessary tools and medicines.
Test lifeguard was conducted from 11 June to 18 July 1958 on the basis of 977, odrap air force black sea fleet in Poti.
But in the series, the plane went, the more that 22 Dec 1960 naval aviation command has approved new requirements for search and rescue aircraft. Obtained by conversion of the be-6 Be-6СС experience is very useful when you create a Be-14 and be-12PS.
The only modification that have reached mass production, became the ASW aircraft Be-6ПЛО. It to detect submarines in the submerged position placed the first domestic system of sonobuoys (RSL) “Baku”, which included aircraft receiving automatic radio SPARU-55 “Pamir” and a set of 18 non-directional passive buoy RGB-N IVA.
Outwardly Be-6ПЛО different from the base variant lack of fodder fire installation Il-K6-53Бе, on the spot where stood the magnetosensitive unit aviation magnetometer AMP-56 “read.”
The tests were conducted from July to November 1953 in the Black sea based at lake Paleostomi and continued in the Barents sea. As the purpose is served latest at the time of diesel submarine project 613, which at a speed of six knots confidently detected at depths up to 50 m and a distance of 1500 — 2000 m.
Be-6ПЛО in the search option of carrying RGB in 16 knots of the external suspension. When executing strike missions in their place hung magazine with deep bombs PLAB-MK, each of which had a capacity of 57 bombs.
The conversion Be-6 anti-submarine aircraft began in the black sea and Baltic fleets in 1954, in the North in 1955, in the Pacific in 1956— 1957
The last modification was the seaplane Be-6 “Liner” (“KL”), which in 1965 — 1967 he worked on the installation of communication systems with submerged submarines. But in June 1966, work was suspended, in order for them to continue on another machine (serial No. 4601403). Modified the be-6 in 1967, handed to the test in 318-th separate anti-submarine aviation regiment, black sea fleet in Donuzlav. By results of tests the subject was closed.
In addition to the aircraft of the Navy of the be-6 was a “citizen” — in Polar aviation. From 1955 to 1957, seven flying boats were refitting at the factory number 86 in Taganrog. They filmed all the weapons and installed additional fuel tanks.
In 1959 — 1960 about 20 cars from the Navy handed over to China, where they far outlived their counterparts in the Soviet Union.
On August 22, 1951 by order of the naval Minister long-range Maritime reconnaissance Beriev be-6 was adopted. By September 1953 in naval aviation, there were only 20 serial be-6. In the same month, began transition training on new equipment the personnel of the 17-th andrae of the Baltic fleet.
The black sea fleet to the development of new flying boats began in early 1953 977-th trap. The crews of the regiment from 20 July to 18 August 1954 surpassed 18 Be-6 for the Pacific fleet.
By mid-1955 on all fleet transition training of flight personnel for the be-6 is mostly ended, although the 289-th regiment of the Pacific fleet was entirely on a new machine only to August 1957
Having begun its service in naval aviation as a long-range scouts, Be-6 directly involved in the unfolding of Soviet-American confrontation of the sea. The Pacific fleet, flew for exploration in the sea of Japan, immediately became the targets of interception on the part of the fighters of the 7th fleet of the United States. The Yankees gave the newcomer his code name Magda.
In the course of combat training of divisions of reconnaissance aircraft of the Navy had traditionally been part of the bombing day and night in simple and adverse weather conditions and high-altitude torpedo. The center of gravity of study began to shift in the direction of razvedochnoe and flying on maintaining the operational mode in the area of responsibility of their fleets.
Such flights lasted usually 8 — 10 hours, but the regiments had planes with extra fuel tanks that could stay in the air for up to 20 hours. In this case, on Board were two crew. Tactical radius of the be-6 was possible to explore a considerable area. North sea flying boat of lots of these flights have reached the island of Spitsbergen.
The crews of the reconnaissance regiment of the Northern fleet were involved in the security held in the fifties of the nuclear tests on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Their task was aerial reconnaissance over the area adjacent to the landfill areas, but sometimes Be-6 were set the task of air sampling of radioactive clouds.
Despite the successful beginning of the career of the be-6 Maritime reconnaissance was short-lived. With the advent in 1954 reactive Il-28R flying boat in this capacity, has ceased to hold the command of naval aviation.
The equipment of the aircraft special means of finding submarines immediately raised new questions. There was no experience of the use of these systems has not been worked out the tactics of search and the interaction between the ASW aircraft and ship poiskovoye groups (CPWG).
Gradually, the pilots accumulated the necessary experience, developed search patterns and tracking, conducted numerous research exercises. It is on the be-6 for the first time worked which later became the standard for ASW aircraft such tactics as “cross” and covering the barrier of the RSL.
Improved and on-Board equipment of a flying boat. In 1960 — 1962 aircraft aviation of the black sea fleet and the Federation Council set the automatic navigation device ANP-1 “Azov”, which provides a dead reckoning path of the aircraft and allowing access to the switch point of the device. With the use of ANP-1 appeared to aim at the attack boats in a submerged position, and after the installation on multiple machines measure the Doppler ground speed and drift angle of DISS-1 combat maneuvers even more simplified.
P-6 was held the trial operation of the first variant pricelineairfareuqw device, PVU-C “lilacs.” Subsequently, after significant improvements, the system was moved to the be-12. Since 1962 Be-6 were equipped with new, more sensitive magnetometers APM-60 “Orsha”.
One of the first detections of the submarine occurred in 1958 in the Northern fleet. The crew of the be-6 was produced tracking the submarine with the help of the RSL for 4.5 h, and then transferred the contact surface ships. In 1959, the pilots of the Northern fleet of the newly discovered foreign submarine. In tracking her, primape part three Be-6ПЛО.
The search area was expanded, and in 1957 on the be-6 rearmed shelves on Sakhalin island (lake Chibisanskoe) and the Kamchatka Peninsula (Bay Berry). Good seaworthiness of the boat repeatedly saved by marine pilots in critical situations. For example, the crew of captain Narodnoi due to engine failure sat night in the open sea. The plane was detected in 14 hours and safely towed to the base.
With the beginning of the 1960s, the Navy was able to conduct extensive anti-submarine operations, and the order of the Minister of defence of the USSR from March 23, 1961 donnersbachwald sea shelf p-6 was renamed the anti. The composition of the piece includes two anti-submarine squadrons and one rescue.
23 Mar 1963 anti-submarine helicopter Mi-4ПЛ found in the range of combat training of Northern fleet the unknown submarine. The be-6 was organized by tracking it, together with helicopters and surface ships. Despite the attempts of the boats to break away from persecution and use sonar jamming, the tracking continued for 33 h
Spending capacity batteries, the submarine surfaced. It was the British diesel submarine S07 Sea Lion.
After this incident, “probable enemy” draw appropriate conclusions, and exploration in the Barents sea were conducted only nuclear submarines. To follow them was much harder, and be-6 with this task could not cope. By 1968 — 1969 in the anti-aircraft regiments they were replaced by the be-12 and Il-38.
The first post-war years in OKB G. M. Beriev was created long-range Maritime reconnaissance flying boat Be-6 — undoubtedly, staged the aircraft for the Russian naval aviation. For a starting point in the history of the be-6 should adopt the August of 1942, when G. M. Beriev sent to the people’s Commissariat of aviation industry explanatory note to “the Conceptual design of a sea scout open sea MDR-10”. Proposed heavy (weighing up to 22 000 kg) twin-engine flying boat with a wing type gull, two-keel plumage, a long range and powerful armament.