Canadair CL-215 CanadaThe Canadair CL-215 was the first model in a series of firefighting aircraft built by Canadair and later Bombardier. This amphibious aircraft serves a number of roles in a number of countries, ranging from forest fire fighting to oil spill control on the open sea. Nicknamed "Super Scooper", the aircraft can skim lakes or reservoirs to fill its tanks with water. The water is mixed with additives and then dropped on wildfires and occasionally structure fires.
The CL-215 was the result of a quest by forestry officials for a more effective way of delivering water to forest fires. Over a period of 20 years beginning in 1969, 125 of these aircraft were built and sold to customers in nine countries. The 'yellow duck', as it is affectionately known, is a versatile aircraft which can be fitted as a water bomber, an air transport for either goods or passengers, a search and rescue aircraft, or a patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
The CL-215 is a twin-engine, wing-over aircraft designed with the requirements that it operate well at low speed and in gust-loading circumstances, as are found over forest fires. It is also able to land and take off from short, unpaved airstrips. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines, specially designed to operate in forest fire conditions.
The aircraft has a 5,346 litre (1,275 US gal) fluid capacity, and is able to fill its tanks from a source as shallow as two metres in a mere 12 seconds.
In 1987, the CL-215T was announced, with improvements in handling brought about by design changes to the wings and empennage, and more powerful Pratt and Whitney turboprop engines.
There is a popular urban legend about a SCUBA diver being sucked up and dropped onto a forest fire, both by a CL-215 and other water bombers. This has not only been shown to be false, but impossible, as the water is scooped through intakes smaller than a man.
Picture added on 10 September 2006
