The Mainstay, also known as the Beriev A-50 in NATO reporting, is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft that originated from the Soviet Union. This aircraft is built upon the framework of the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane. The A-50 was designed as a successor to the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss" and made its maiden flight in 1978. In 1980, Adolf Tolkachev unveiled its existence to the Western Bloc. By 1985, it was officially in active service, and a total of approximately 40 A-50s were manufactured by 1992.
 
General characteristics
Crew: 15
Length: 49.59 m (162 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in)
Height: 14.76 m (48 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 300 m2 (3,200 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: TsAGI P-151 (13%); tip: TsAGI P-151 (10%)[22]
Empty weight: 75,000 kg (165,347 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 170,000 kg (374,786 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Soloviev D-30KP turbofan engines, 117.68 kN (26,460 lbf) thrust each
Performance
Maximum speed: 900 km/h (560 mph, 490 kn)
Range: 7,500 km (4,700 mi, 4,000 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)