Canadair

The Canadair CL 415, from the Canadian company Bombardier, is the only water bomber aircraft specifically designed for firefighting. This aircraft made its first flight in 1993.

The Canadair CL 415 water bomber

The Canadair CL 415 is the successor to the Canadair CL 215 (first flight in 1967), it is distinguished mainly by its turboprop engines (Pratt Whitney PW123AF) and its modern avionics (Glass-cockpit). French Civil Security uses about fifteen Canadiars in the fight against forest fires. They are mainly based in Marignagne (Marseille airport). The addition of foam (about 24 liters of foaming liquid for six tons of water) in the two internal tanks makes it possible to double the area of liquid projected on the ground. The story of a diver caught in the tanks of the canadair and thrown into the burning forest is of course false, indeed the hatches of fills are much too small to allow a diver to pass! ;-)

Canadair images

Few numbers about the canadair

Capacity of water tanks: 6130 liters.
Average of 6 to 10 drops per hour depending on the distance between the fire and the body of water.
Minimum requirements for the water used for scooping: 400 meters minimum (1200 meters when approaching and climbing), 90 meters wide and 2 meters deep.
Racing speed: 75 knots (= 135 km / h).
Duration of the scoop: 10 to 12 seconds to fill the 6 tons of water.
Maximum height of the waves to be able to scoop: 1.5 meters.
Landing at 30/35 meters at a speed of 110 knots (200 km / h).
Consumption: 840 liters per hour.
Ascending speed: 6.6 meters per second.