Boeing 747 firefighter - New Video!
Jul 22nd, 2007 by Stefan
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Compare that with the 1,400 gallons of water the versatile Canadair releases during one “fire fight pass”, and we are talking about a plane we all need during the dry season.
Boeing 747 aerial firefighter
Canadair CL-215 aerial firefighter
- Link:
Although the 747 is impressive in the amount of water it drops it really is ineffective due to the very limited turn radius and high operating altitude.
Effective aerial fire fighting requires the drop to be no more than 500 feat otherwise the water evaporates before it hits the fire zone, also great care must be taken so as not to ingest any foreign objects thrown up by the intense heat of the fire.
The 747 would do well on flat terrain where it could fly low enough to allow the water to reach the ground, but in mountainous terrain it would be very dangerous to operate.
I think I read somewhere recently that a DC8 or L1011 was being used and it hit trees on a pass, thankfully damage did not cause a crash, but the use of jets has been suspended in the U.S.
Ken,
Some areas could benefit from such a plane. But you are absolutely right that a successful “run” will take lots of preparation and care.
Thanks for your reply!
Stefan