Beriev Be-200

The Beriev Be-200 is a Russian twin-engine amphibious aircraft built by the Beriev Aircraft Company, first flown in 1998 and developed primarily as a firefighting aircraft capable of skimming across a lake or reservoir to scoop up water before dropping it on a wildfire, while also built in passenger and cargo transport variants. Built as a jet-powered amphibian, unlike most earlier flying boats and amphibians which used piston or turboprop engines, the Be-200 can carry a substantial water payload and refill it repeatedly in a fraction of the time needed to reload a land-based tanker aircraft at an airport. The type has been operated by Russian emergency services and exported to several other countries for aerial firefighting and search and rescue duties.