It was a passenger/liaison amphibian aircraft with a layout similar to the Be-4 but substantially larger and heavier.

As a result, takeoff was much easier and imposed less punishment on the hull from the waves.

Despite being very effective during take-off, the hydrofoils resulted in increased drag and a reduction in maximum airspeed.

Construction of retractable hydrofoils was not ready, and the concept did not find practical applications.

Data from The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995[1]General characteristics Performance