Beriev MBR-2

what is it?

The Beriev MBR-2 was a Soviet multi-purpose (including reconnaissance) flying boat which entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1935. Out of 1,365 built, nine were used by foreign countries (including Finland and North Korea). In the Soviet Union, it sometimes carried the nickname of "Kорова" (cow) and "Амбар" (barn).

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 19 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 275 km/htop speed
• range 1,600 kmwithout refuelling
• size 4,245 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,365made 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 95 years ago, in 1931.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 19 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,600 km: 9× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1931

introduced

1934

retired

1946

status

retired

number built

1,365

role

patrol aircraft

makers

Beriev

engines

1× Mikulin AM-34NB / Mikulin M-17 / M-34

crew

4

length

13.5 m

wingspan

19 m

height

5 m

max take-off weight

4,245 kg

top speed

275 km/h

cruise speed

190 km/h

range

1,600 km

ceiling

6,000 m

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