The Beriev MBR-7 (sometimes Beriev MS-8) was a Soviet short-range reconnaissance/bomber flying boat developed by the Beriev design bureau at Taganrog.^[1] Designed as a successor to the MBR-2 but it did not go into production due to lack of engines.^[2]

Development

The MBR-7 (Morskoy Blizhnii Razvedchik - naval short-range reconnaissance) was a similar configuration to the earlier MBR-2 but was a more advanced design.^[1] A mainly wooden cantilever shoulder-wing monoplane flying-boat.^[1] The Klimov M-103 inline piston engine was mounted on struts above the wing driving a pusher propeller.^[1] The pilot in an enclosed cockpit in the nose had access to a fixed forward-firing machine gun, the observer/gunner sat underneath a glazed canopy.^[1] The observers canopy slid forward to access a pintle-mounted ShKAS machine-gun.^[1]

It had an excellent performance but due to the lack of supply of Klimov engines the decision was made to continue building the MBR-2 and the MBR-7 did not go into production.^[2]

Operators

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Navy

Specifications

Data from Orbis.^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot, observer/gunner
• Length: 10.6 m (34 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 13.0 m (42 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 13.0 m² (140 sq ft)
• Powerplant: 1 × Klimov M-103 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 710 kW (950 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 376 km/h (234 mph, 203 kn) at 4,300 m (14,100 ft)
• Range: 1,215 km (755 mi, 656 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 8,500 m (27,900 ft)

Armament

• Guns: one fixed and one flexible-mounted 7.63 mm (0.300 in) ShKAS machine-gun.
• Bombs: 500 kg (1,100 lb)