Beriev A-50
The Beriev A-50 is a Russian airborne early-warning aircraft built on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Its large rotating radar dome, or rotodome, lets it search hundreds of kilometres around the aircraft and direct fighters or air-defence units. Unlike a normal airliner, its cabin holds radar consoles and mission specialists rather than passengers. The A-50 became a key Soviet and later Russian counterpart to the American E-3 Sentry, and its scarcity makes any appearance especially notable.
Did you know?
The A-50's large rotating radar dome, or rotodome, houses mission consoles instead of passenger seats, directing fighters from afar.
Specifications
| Length | 46.6 m (153 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 50.5 m (166 ft) |
| Height | 14.8 m (48 ft) |
| Persons on board | 15 |
| Crew | 15 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 190 t |
| Range | 2,700 NM (5,000 km) |
| Maximum speed | 460 kt (852 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 40,000 ft (12,192 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 33,000 ft (10,058 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,970 ft/min (10 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 2,300 m (7,546 ft) |
| Landing distance | 1,500 m (4,921 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 109,500 l |
| Engines | 4x Aviadvigatel D-30KP |
| Units built | 42 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Beriev A-50 starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Beriev, the A-50 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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