Canadair CL-215
CL-215 | |
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Role | Firefighting amphibious aircraft |
Manufacturer | Canadair |
First flight | 23 October 1967 |
Introduction | 1969 |
Status | Active service. |
Primary users | Canada Greece Spain |
Produced | 1969–1990 |
Number built | 125 |
Variants | Bombardier 415 |
The Canadair CL-215 (Scooper) was the first model in a series of firefighting flying boat amphibious aircraft built by Canadair and later Bombardier. The CL-215 is a twin-engine, high-wing aircraft designed to operate well at low speeds and in gust-loading circumstances, as are found over forest fires. It is also able to land and take off from short, unpaved airstrips.[citation needed]
Contents
Design and development
The CL-215 can be traced back to two early projects by Canadair, the CL-43 and CL-204. The CL-43 was conceived as a logistics aircraft and was based on the design of the Canadian Vickers-built 369 Canso (a variant of the Consolidated PBY Catalina).[1] Arising from an earlier 1960s research study at the company, the original concept was for a twin-engined floatplane transport, that was altered into a "firefighter" as a result of a request by forestry officials in the Quebec Service Aérien (Quebec Government Air Service) for a more effective way of delivering water to forest fires. The 1962 preliminary design, the CL-204, was a purpose-designed water bomber that evolved into an amphibian flying boat configuration, powered by two shoulder-mounted 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 piston engines. The definitive design known as the CL-215 received a program go-ahead in February 1966 with its maiden flight on 23 October 1967.[2] The first delivery was to the French civil protection agency (Sécurité Civile, then known as Protection Civile) in June 1969. Production of CL-215s progressed through five series ending in 1990.
Variants
In 1987, the CL-215T was announced, with improvements in handling brought about by design changes to the wings and empennage, and more powerful Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines. Originally the follow-up CL-215T was to be a simple turboprop-powered development of the CL-215, and Canadair converted two aircraft in 1989 to act as development aircraft. The first of these flew on 8 June 1989. Retrofit kits for CL-215s to the new standard are offered, but Canadair elected not to build new CL-215Ts and instead developed the CL-415.[citation needed]
Cascade Aerospace, Canada, offers CL-215 to CL-215T engine retrofits using the Bombardier kit and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF engines and is currently the only conversion kit installer in the world.[3]
Operators
Over a period of 21 years beginning in 1969, 125 of these aircraft were built and sold to customers in 11 countries.
- Conair Group, Abbotsford, British Columbia: four (CL-215P)
- Manitoba (Government) Air Service: seven CL-215P; five will be phased out and replaced with four CL-415 beginning in fall 2010.
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: four CL-215P; replaced with four CL-415
- Buffalo Airways, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: six CL-215P
- Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario: nine CL-215, all replaced by CL-415s.
- Bombardier Inc., Montreal, Quebec: four CL-215T
- Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife, Quebec: six (four CL-215P, two CL-215T). They also operate a further eight CL-415 aircraft.
- Ministry of the Environment Aviation Operations, Saskatchewan: six CL-215P deployed to Airtanker Groups 3, 4 and 5[5]
- Hellenic Air Force, 355 MTM: 21 CL-215s[6]
- Societa Ricerche Esperienze Meteorologiche (SoREM): five CL-215s leased abroad[7] and operated on behalf of Protezione Civile
- Spanish Air Force, 43 Grupo:[8]
- Ministry of Environment (INAER): five Ex-Spanish Air Force CL-215Ts[9]
- Royal Thai Navy: one[10] of the two CL-215s delivered in 1978 is used for search and rescue/patrol.[11]
- Gokcen Aviation - Turkish Aeronautical Association: nine CL-215s and the current contractor for the Turkish Ministry of Forestry [12]
- Aero-Flite, Inc. Kingman, Arizona: five CL-215s[13]
Former operators
- 885th Firefighting Squadron of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence operated CL-215s from 1991 to 2003. They have been replaced by CL-415s.[14]
- Sécurité Civile: 15 aircraft operated from June 1969 to 1996, now all replaced with 12 CL-415s.[15]
- CVG Ferrominera Orinoco: two CL-215s, one crashed on 1989, the other one has been parked ever since[16]
- Yugoslav Air Force: five CL-215s in service with the 676th Fire Fighting Squadron from 1981, until four sold to Greece in 1995.[17]
Accidents and incidents
CL-215s have been involved in 26 accidents, 21 fatal.[18]
Aircraft on display
- Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre CL-215 F-ZBBT, formerly of the French Sécurité Civile[19][20]
- Musée de l'Air CL-215 F-ZBAY, formerly of the French Sécurité Civile[19]
- Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum CL-215 F-ZBBH, formerly of the French Sécurité Civile[19]
- Technik Museum Speyer CL-215 F-ZBAR, formerly of the French Sécurité Civile[19]
Specifications (CL-215)
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976-77[21]
General characteristics
- Crew: two pilots
- Capacity: 18 passengers (utility version)
- Payload:
- 5,346 litres (1,176 Imp gal) of water or
- 5,444 kg (12,000 lb) of chemicals
- Length: 19.82 m (65 ft 0½ in)
- Wingspan: 28.60 m (93 ft 10 in)
- Height: 8.98 m (29 ft 6 in[22])
- Wing area: 100.3 m² (1,080 ft²)
- Empty weight: 12,065 kg (26,600 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight:
- From water: 17,100 kg (37,700 lb)
- From land: 19,730 kg (43,500 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-83AM 18-cylinder radial engines, 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) each
Performance
- Cruise speed: 291 km/h (157 knots, 181 mph) (max recommended power)
- Stall speed: 123 km/h (66 knots, 76 mph)
- Range: 2,260 km (1,220 nm, 1,405 mi)
- Service ceiling: 14,600 ft (4,450 m)
- Rate of climb: 5 m/s (1,000 ft/min)
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
References
Notes
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Bibliography
- Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, Vol. 180, No. 5231, 13–19 December 2011, pp. 26–52. ISSN 0015-3710.
- Keijsper, Gerard. "Water-Bombers Required!" Air Forces Monthly, London: Key Publishing, July 2008.
- Marsaly, Frederic and Samuel Pretat. "Bombardiers d'eau/ Canadair Scoopers." Editions Minimonde76, May 2012. ISBN 9-782954-181806.
- Pickler, Ron and Larry Milberry. Canadair: The First 50 Years. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1995. ISBN 0-921022-07-7.
- Taylor, John W. R. (editor). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976–77. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.
- "Thai Boats". Air International, Vol. 15, No 4, October 1978, pp. 188–189.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Gokcen Aviation
- Panhellenic Association of Families Lost in Action Aviators
- Snopes.com on the urban legend
- Airliners.net The Canadair CL-215 & 415
- North Carolina Division of Forest Resources Aviation Resources
- ↑ "Canadair C.L.204." Secretprojects.co.uk. Retrieved: 26 April 2012.
- ↑ Taylor 1976, p.17.
- ↑ "Aerial Fire Control." Cascade Aerospace. Retrieved: 23 May 2012.
- ↑ "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Canadair CL-215". Transport Canada. Retrieved: 23 May 2012.
- ↑ "Canadair CL-215 - Environment". Government of Saskatchewan (=Environment.gov.sk.ca ). Retrieved: 14 July 2014.
- ↑ Hoyle Flight International 13–19 December 2011, p. 39.
- ↑ Keijsper 2008, p. 42.
- ↑ "Canadair CL-215 T (UD.13T)." Ejército del aire. Retrieved: 8 January 2012.
- ↑ Keijsper 2008, p. 43.
- ↑ Hoyle Flight International 13–19 December 2011, p. 49.
- ↑ Air InternationalOctober 1978, p. 188.
- ↑ "Turkey's Single Airborne Fire Fighting Fleet". Gokcen Aviation, 2013. Retrieved: 14 July 2014.>
- ↑ "Our Equipment | Aero-Flite,Inc.Aero-Flite,Inc." Aerofliteinc.com. Retrieved: 14 July 2014.
- ↑ "Canadair 215." worldmilitair.com. Retrieved: 25 August 2013.
- ↑ Keijsper 2008, pp. 40–41.
- ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident: Canadair CL-215-1A10, YV-O-INC-2, Puerto Ordaz." Aviation-safety.net. Retrieved: 26 April 2012.
- ↑ Keijsper 2008, p. 44.
- ↑ "Canadair CL-215 Accident database". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 23 May 2012.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Gabriel, Olivier. "Canadair CL-215 Bombardier d'eau" (in French). Netpompiers.fr. Retrieved: 23 May 2012.
- ↑ "Canadair CL-215". Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, 2012. Retrieved: 23 May 2012.
- ↑ Taylor 1976, pp. 17—18.
- ↑ (on land)
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with unsourced statements from February 2012
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Canadair aircraft
- Canadian special-purpose aircraft 1960–1969
- Flying boats
- Amphibious aircraft
- Twin-engined tractor aircraft
- High-wing aircraft
- Aerial firefighting