Wed, Mar 25, 2009
Modified 747 Can Carry A LOT Of Fire Retardant
Evergreen International Aviation tells ANN the company's
modified Boeing 747-200 'Supertanker' is now available to assist
world firefighting agencies during the 2009 season and beyond.
The massive air tanker won certification for operation this
season after receiving its interim approval letter from the
Interagency Air Tanker Board. The aircraft also received its
Supplemental Type Certificate from the Federal Aviation
Administration in November 2008.
The multi-role B747 Supertanker is the largest tanker aircraft
available today. With a payload of more than 20,000 gallons and a
response time of 600 mph, it has more than eight times the drop
capability and twice the speed of any other federal air tanker
currently fighting fires. The Supertanker has an 8:1 drop ratio
compared to that of all other current firefighting aircraft.
The company says the Supertanker's patented pressurized system
has the capability to disperse product at high pressure for an
overwhelming response, or disperse at the speed of falling rain in
a single or several segmented drops.
Evergreen also notes the pressurized system allows for drops at
higher altitudes, creating a significant safety buffer. That
addresses a significant concern voiced by Supertanker critics,
who have expressed misgivings about such a
large aircraft operating at normal (read, very low) firebomber
altitudes and airspeeds.
The system also allows the Supertanker to fight fires during the
day and at night, when firefighting aircraft are most
vulnerable.
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