Beriev A-50

what is it?

The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Soviet-origin airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft that is based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss", the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence was revealed to the Western Bloc in 1978 by Adolf Tolkachev.

🔎How to recognise it: 4 jet engines · high wing · tricycle gear · 50.6 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 850 km/htop speed
• range 7,500 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 15passengers
• size 170 tmax take-off weight
• built 40made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 48 years ago, in 1978.
• 🏎️Top speed is 6.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 50.6 m: about 11 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 28 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 7,500 km: Amsterdam to New York (≈5,850 km) without stopping.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.8× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1978-12-19

introduced

1989

status

still flying

number built

40

role

airborne early warning and control

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Beriev, Tashkent Mechanical Plant

engines

4× Soloviev D-30KP / Aviadvigatel PS-90

crew

5

passengers

15

length

46.6 m

wingspan

50.6 m

height

14.8 m

max take-off weight

170 t

top speed

850 km/h

cruise speed

750 km/h

range

7,500 km

ceiling

15,500 m

wings

high wing

landing gear

tricycle gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family