The Be-42 / A-40 Albatross (designated by NATO as "Mermaid") was a surprise discovery for Western intelligence sources when it was first spotted in 1988. It was, and still continues to be, the largest amphibious aircraft ever designed and has since set a number of performance records in this category since its inception into service in 1990. Though a respected design, the system has not seen expected production orders and is available in only a limited number of aircraft.
