Beriev Be-12 Chaika (NATO reporting name MAIL), TNI-AU service

[rickshaw]

The Beriev Be-12 Chayka ("Seagull", NATO reporting name: Mail) is a Soviet turboprop-powered amphibious aircraft designed for anti-submarine and maritime patrol duties.

The Beriev Be-12 was a successor to the Beriev Be-6 flying boat, whose primary roles were as an anti-submarine and maritime patrol bomber aircraft. Though tracing its origins to the Be-6, the Be-12 inherited little more than the gull wing and twin oval tailfin configuration of the older aircraft. The Be-12 had turboprop engines, which gave it an improved speed and range over the Be-6. The Be-12 also had retractable landing gear, which enabled it to land on normal land runways, as well as water.

The Be-12 was first flown on October 18, 1960 at Taganrog airfield, and made its first public appearance at the 1961 Soviet Aviation Day festivities at Tushino airfield.  The Be-12 entered service with Soviet Naval Aviation, or AV-MF (Aviatcia Voenno-Morskogo Flota), in the early 1960s in the maritime patrol role, and is one of the few amphibians still in military service in the world. Initially its role was ASW patrol, but when newer missiles enabled United States Navy submarines to launch from further offshore it was converted to the search and rescue role (Be-12PS). Small numbers are still in service today.

In Indonesian Service

In 1965, when the Communist Party of Indonesia overthrew the Sukarno Government and instated the Peoples' Democratic Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) under President Untung bin Syamsuri who had lead the Revolution on 30 September 1965. He replaced President Sukarno soon afterwards.  The Indonesian Air Force, which had already been largely equipped with Soviet aircraft, adopted the the Be-12 in small numbers to act initially as Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and then later as Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft.

The Be-12s were initially deployed as part of Skadron Udara 5 Putri Duyung ("Black Mermaids") operating out of Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base, Makassar.   In agreement with the Australian Government, the Be-12s were painted with Orange Recognition panels to ensure that their humanitarian nature was easily and quickly identified after the disastrous shooting down of one aircraft by a RAN FFG when it approached too closely when the FFG was on patrol near Indonesian territorial waters. 









The Kit

The kit is the new Modelvist one.  I cannot recommend it to most modellers.  Like the Ye-152A which I made the other month, it has no location pins.  The engines do not fit, nor does the undercarriage.  It is a nice model with some nice features, such as rubber tyres and masking for the canopy and some photo-etch for the cockpit, but a real bugger to build.  No "in build" pictures, sorry.

[Captain Canada]

That looks awesome ! Love the colour combo, the gray and white and orange really stands out. I've always been a fan of this aeroplane and someday hope to build one !

[sandiego89]

Looks great!  Love the orange! 

[McColm]

Great build, I bought a secondhand Be-6 that had been upgraded to the Be-12.The previous owner had changed the engines and scratch built the landing gear. I'm definitely going to build one from a Be-6 in the stash.

[PR19_Kit]

Magic stuff Brian. 

That's very logical indeed and would fool most people at a show too.

And THAT'S why you needed the Indonesian decals! Or some of them anyway. 

[rickshaw]

Magic stuff Brian. 

That's very logical indeed and would fool most people at a show too.

And THAT'S why you needed the Indonesian decals! Or some of them anyway. 

Yes.  I decided a long time ago when I first ordered the kit that I'd like to make it an Indonesian aircraft, Kit.  Thank you for providing the decals.   I just wish the thing had been easier to build.  The landing gear took nearly a week to put together and I had to keep consulting the Web for pictures as the instructions were around the wrong way.  It is not an easy kit to build.  Too many parts.   I ended up leaving half of them off, they didn't add anything and just made it harder to build...   

[PR19_Kit]

I added moving landing gear to a Flight Simulator 'model' of a Be-12 years ago, and it's IMMENSELY complex!

Only Beriev could design something like that for sure. It must be something in the water at Taganrog.....

[Old Wombat]

Nice one, mate! Like what you've done with it.


Odd looking plane (well, a little, given some of the things the USSR produced), always makes me think of a Catalinaski (Be-6) or Turbo-Catski (Be-12).

[ericr]

beautiful !

the Be-12 is one of my favorites

[Rick Lowe]

Nice work on that.

The scheme is striking, isn't it.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice idea, I like that one.

[zenrat]

Pig ugly.  I love it.
Excellent work.   

I'd love to build one but I will heed your wisdom and only buy one if it's cheapness is sufficient to offset the construction pains.
Does the undercarriage support the weight of the model unaided and unmodified?  If so then has at least one advantage over the equivalent parts on the Academy Catalina.

[rickshaw]

Pig ugly.  I love it.
Excellent work.   

I'd love to build one but I will heed your wisdom and only buy one if it's cheapness is sufficient to offset the construction pains.
Does the undercarriage support the weight of the model unaided and unmodified?  If so then has at least one advantage over the equivalent parts on the Academy Catalina.

As I said, the undercarriage was a pain in the proverbial.  However, once it's constructed it supports the aircraft weight very well.   However, its not put together the way I would have done it.   

[chrisonord]

Very nice, I am a fan of Beriev flying boats too, but definitely not a fan of anything modelsvit. They have more than taken over from Amodel in the badly fitting everything department. You have my admiration on doing such a good job with that 
Chris.

[NARSES2]

Come out really well mate  Suits the scheme and it's logical as well.

I quite life Beriev's output as well