[BOMBARDIER / CANADAIR CL-215 SCOOPER FIRE FIGHTING AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT]

Ah, a a Fighting a forest fire in the 1930s was a slow and futile operation. In those days, they were lucky if they could contain or the fire. There was little hope of putting it out. Modern methods are dramatically different. The CL215 was specifically designed for aerial firefighting. One of the reasons for its great success as a firefighting airplane is its ability to scoop up six tons of water in seconds as it skims across the surface of a lake. It does this by means of probes through which water is forced into tanks in the fuselage. It can also be used for agriculture and forest respraying, aerial surveys, coastal patrol and rescue, and utility transport. The CL215 has a wingspan of 93 ft 10 in and a fuselage length of 65 ft. It is powered by two Pratt and Whitney engines. It is the only amphibious aircraft produced in almost a quarter of a century and has already been ordered in quantity by two of the world's leading forest fire control organizations, Frances Da Proexion Seville and the government of Quebec. In the course of several years of research, a computer program took into account such factors as forest flammability, fire risk due to atmospheric conditions, fire growth rate, distance from the fire to the nearest lake, the size of the fire at the time of the first drop, and the effective use of water payload in length of drop and concentration. The results were verified against statistics and expert opinion to ensure the highest effectiveness. The optimum requirements were for a 1,200 imperial gallon load of water and an airframe stressed to meet the severe flying conditions experienced in aerial firefighting and the repeated hydrodnamic loads imposed in water scooping. The CL215 has two water tanks, each having a capacity of 600 imperial gallons. The pickup system is designed so that tanks can be filled while the aircraft is planing on the water. It takes 12 to 18 seconds to fill the tanks depending on the water conditions. It can be done in 8 seconds if the probes are extended before touchdown. The bottom of each tank incorporates a large door hinged along the outboard side which permits the release of the water load in less than 1 second. The doors are opened by gravity and are released by operation of a push button on each control column. The CL215 requires approximately 3/4 of a mile of open water to allow for approach, stabilizing, pickup, acceleration, and climbout. Ducts from the tanks lead to outlets in the sides of the fuselage. These provide venting and overflow and limit the water pickup to 12,000 lb. When scooping water, the maximum takeoff weight is 43,500 lb. The tanks are located at the approximate center of gravity of the aircraft so that elevator trim changes during water pickup and release are at a minimum. The number of water dropping circuits that the CL215 can make on each load of fuel depends, of course, on the distance from the fire to the nearest lake. If the water supply is 20 m away, it can make 12 or 13 drops. At a distance of 2 miles from the water supply, the aircraft can make from 40 to 45 drops and still have 45 minutes reserved fuel. The doors can be opened simultaneously or separately. In a simultaneous or salvo drop, ground coverage is about 200 ft long and 100 ft wide. In a consecutive or train drop, ground coverage is 300 ft long and 70 ft wide. In 1968, the United States had over 125,000 forest fires, causing damage to 4 and a/4 million acres. Canada has an average of 7,500 forest fires a year with damage to over 2,400,000 acres. The use of two or more CL215s may be necessary in very large areas or where the hazard of forest fires is dangerously [Music] high. In slow motion, the action of the falling water can be seen more clearly. The CL215 was designed by Canada Air and is being produced in the company's Montreal plants. [Music]