Tank Can Be Filled While The Aircraft Is In Hover

Eurocopter is displaying its new fire-fighting system developed for the EC225 at this year’s Heli-Expo. The system has been tested during forest fires on the island of Corsica (France). The first operator to utilize this system is South Korea’s National 119 Rescue Service with its EC225.

The EC225’s fire-fighting system consists of a flexible 1056 gallon tank attached to the floor of the cabin, a scoop and water jettison kit and a system of hatches underneath the fuselage to empty the tank. The tank can be pumped full with the helicopter in hover flight, and the entire system is located inside the cabin and can be assembled and dismantled in less than twenty minutes, keeping the helicopter’s multi-role capability as a fire-fighter, a transport aircraft as well as a medical evacuation aircraft.

The trials in Corsica explored the helicopter’s entire flight envelope when equipped with the fire-fighting system. The helicopter’s flight behavior in fire-fighting configuration was tested under real-life conditions in cooperation with the Securité Civile, the French Emergency Preparedness Organization.

During testing, the EC225 consistently demonstrated flight characteristics that qualify the helicopter as a fire-fighting platform. By dropping water from a lower altitude and at a lower speed than a fixed-wing aircraft, it can target a fire with greater precision, especially in mountainous terrain. Its ability to pump water onboard in hover mode enables the helicopter to make use of water supply points in close proximity of the disaster area.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com