Canadair CL-415: The Firefighting Flying Boat That Can Refill in 12 Seconds
A Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft refills its water tanks at Port Grimaud in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. Part of the only family of aircraft ever specifically designed for aerial firefighting, the turboprop-powered CL-415 is derived from the original piston-powered CL-215 and has been succeeded by the updated De Havilland Canadair 515.
With the engines and propellers positioned above the wing and out of the water spray, the latest version is capable of operating in waves up to 6.6 feet (2 m) high and can refill its water tanks in only 12 seconds. It does so in motion while skimming along the surface of a body of water, enabling it to quickly drop back-to-back loads of water on wildfires with minimal turnaround time.
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