How do planes put out forest fires?
It’s a sight now synonymous with California’s fire season: A tanker aircraft flies over vegetation and drops a stream of red. But what exactly is that stuff? It’s fire retardant, used in preemptive strikes to keep flames from spreading.
How does slurry work to fight wildfires?
Fire retardant is known as slurry. It’s basically a mixture of mostly water and fertilizer. It was designed to protect trees, homes, and another structures from going up in flames. The mixture coats trees and vegetation, providing insulation against the approaching fire.
What is the red stuff they dump on wildfires?
What is that red stuff that’s dropped from the sky when a wildfire breaks out? It’s flame retardant that firefighting crews use to control and contain wildfires. They don’t drop it directly onto flames; rather, firefighters anticipate where the fire might spread, and they drop the retardant ahead of the flames.
How do planes get water for fires?
Airtankers or water bombers are fixed-wing aircraft fitted with tanks that can be filled on the ground at an air tanker base or, in the case of flying boats and amphibious aircraft, by skimming water from lakes, reservoirs, or large rivers without needing to land.
How much fire retardant can a 747 hold?
Most large air tankers carry up to 3,000 gallons of retardant. The 747 is capable of carrying far more retardant than any other. When first introduced it was listed at 20,000 gallons. Then the federal government certified it at 19,200 gallons.
How much does a water dropping plane cost?
The largest of the planes are referred to as VLATS or Very Large Aircraft Tankers. Some of them are DC-10’s and others are 747’s which can carry up to 11,000 gallons of retardant. The cost for each drop is $65,000 plus about $22,000 an hour in flight time.
How many gallons of water can a 747 carry?
The 747 Supertanker is one of several aerial firefighting airtankers derived from various Boeing 747 models. The aircraft are rated to carry up to 19,600 US gallons (74,000 L) of fire retardant or water. They are the largest aerial firefighting aircraft in the world.
How much does a 747 fire tanker cost?
Acquiring the aircraft and converting it to an air tanker reportedly cost more than $10 million. The first-generation Evergreen 747-100 Supertanker. When it comes to tackling a major fire, a big air tanker like the 747 is sometimes what’s needed.
How much is a gallon of fire retardant?
Phoschek, the red fire retardant used during wildfires, brings a cost of $2.50 to $3.50 per gallon, Upton said.
How much fire retardant does a dc10 carry?
The DC-10 here is a converted civilian airliner that can carry 11,600 gallons of fire suppressant. Classified along with a couple of other models as a V-LAT, the DC-10 is a big weapon to lay down a long line, up to a mile long, of suppressant. The one in this video is known as 914.
Do any airlines still fly dc10?
In February 2014, the DC-10 made its last commercial passenger flight. Cargo airlines continue to operate it as a freighter, its largest operator is FedEx Express. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a DC-10 adapted for eye surgery. Some DC-10s are on display, while other retired aircraft are in storage.
How Slow Can a dc10 fly?
This aircraft can amazingly fly within a 13,409 kilometer range. Chartering for a private route on this plane means you’ll also get to have utmost relaxation with its…
How long does it take to fill a dc10 with fire retardant?
All three tanks can be filled simultaneously on the ground in eight minutes. The retardant is gravity-fed out of the tanks, and the entire load can be dumped in eight seconds, although the actual drop rate is computer controlled by the flight crew in order to produce the desired retardant spread over the fire lines.
What is the difference between MD 11 and DC-10?
In terms of speed, the MD-11 is a slightly faster aircraft than the DC-10. The MD-11 is Mach 0.01 faster than the DC-10, mostly thanks to the MD-11’s newer and much faster engines. The MD-11 is also a longer and taller aircraft.
Why does the DC-10 have 3 engines?
Older passenger jets were built with three or four engines because they needed the combined thrust when engine technology was not as advanced as it is today. These highly reliable high-thrust engines have reduced the need for additional engines.
How many gallons of water can an air tanker hold?
After the aircraft were retired from the Navy, they were transformed into firefighting aerial tankers. The aircraft can carry 7,200 gallons of water or retardant and their drop can cover an area of up to 4 acres.
How many gallons of water can a helicopter drop?
To be effective, helicopters need to be able to deliver over 200 gallons of water per drop, and when you get many helicopters in a line constantly dropping their loads, they can really become an effective tool. For more water to be delivered you need more power.
What is a Type 3 helicopter?
Although Type 3 helicopters are smaller, they have a higher cruise speed than a typical Type 2 helicopter and can arrive on the scene of an initial attack wildfire faster. They are capable of carrying four to five firefighters at a time, and use a 180 gallon water bucket.