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Aviation History
1995
1995 - 2923.PDF
! ./* _L J £JJ~J J HARRY HOPKINS/MONTREAL FIREFIGHTING IS A matter of timing — getting sufficient water to the right place (even remote places) early, and keeping it coming. The perfect delivery machine for that task is an aircraft, which can link water supply and fire directly and rapidly. Over the years, numerous aircraft have been adapted to a firefighting role, but Bombardier's twin-turboprop Canadair CL- 415 is unique as a new-build amphibian pri marily dedicated to the task. Flight International evaluated the CL-415 as a follow-on from the test, made 30 months ago, of the CL-215T turboprop modification of the original CL-215 piston-engined water- bomber. By no stretch of the imagination could the CL-215 be described as a thing of beauty, and its development into the CL-415 has done lit tle to change that. The airframe is festooned with airflow fences and vortex generators, to optimise the low-speed aerodynamics of the wing and empennage, which live in an asym metric propwash from the two large propellers which have the same direction of rotation. A huge fin and rudder are supplemented by "finlets" to each side of the tailplane, which are angled 5° from the fore/aft line. Deep baf fles below the wing protect the outer sides of the engine intakes. The only clear external difference between the CL-215T and the CL-415 is that there are four drop doors instead of two. The release setting of their pre-loaded door actuators has been increased to resist a flight vertical load of 2.2G, to cure a slight weeping found during manoeuvring during flight tests. Those doors serve a drop system which has been increased in capacity and flexibility. The upper parts of the water tanks are reshaped to bulge forward — adding 15% volume, for a total of 6,1401itres. The overfill/air relief ducts are larger than before, and float-type contents sensors settle more quickly to a reading' than potentially more accurate pressure-sensing. A flatter foam tank, holding 6001itres, is now located under the starboard four-seater bench (up to 14 firefighters can be carried), and holds concentrate for 19 drops. The Quebec Government's aircraft have two foam tanks. Protective coatings and paints have been further improved. The optional auxiliary power unit (APU) is 30 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11 - 17 October 1995
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