Canadair CL-215
The Canadair CL-215 was the first model in a series of purpose-built firefighting aircraft built by Canadair and later Bombardier. Also known as the "Super Scooper", the aircraft can skim a lake or reservoir to fill its tanks with water to drop on a wildfire or occasionally structure fires.
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.
Specifications (CL-215)
General Characteristics
- Crew: two pilots
- Capacity: 5,455 l (1440 US gal) of water or 6,123kg (13,500 lb) of chemicals
- Length: 19.82 m (65 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 28.60 m (93 ft 10 in)
- Height: 8.98 m (29 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 100.3 m² (1,080 ft²)
- Empty: 12,200 kg (26,941 lb)
- Loaded: kg ( lb)
- Maximum takeoff: 19,730 kg (43,500 lb)
- Powerplant: 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-83AM 18-cylinder radial engines, 1,565 kW (2,100 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 290 km/h (181 mph)
- Range: 2,430 km (1,518 miles)
- Service ceiling: m ( ft)
- Rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
- Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)
External links
- Snopes.com on the urban legend (http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/scuba.htm)
- Firediving International (http://www.firediving.com/) A spoof on the urban legend.
Related content
Related development: Canadair CL-217 Canadair CL-415
Comparable aircraft:
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