Forum: Civil and General Aviation

The Mother Of All Tankers! Evergreen To Demo 747 Supertanker
Tue, 28 Mar '06

Month-Long Demonstration Tour to Span 11 States

Evergreen International Aviation has announced that its firefighting 747 Supertanker will visit 11 states during a month-long, nationwide tour to demonstrate the capabilities of the world’s largest firefighting aircraft to wildland firefighters at the federal, state and local levels. Details for each demonstration visit are available on Evergreen Aviation’s website.

Beginning in April, the tour will include coast-to-coast briefings and scheduled water drops at 13 locations, commencing in Phoenix, Ariz. (IWA) and concluding in Anchorage, Alaska (ANC).

“The Supertanker tour comes at a time when firefighting capabilities are increasingly important for the U.S. Forest Service and the states that face escalating risks from forest fires,” said Sam White, Evergreen’s Vice President in Washington, DC. “We believe the Supertanker, a modified 747-200 with more than 20,000 gallons of tank space, offers exceptional drop capabilities and safety standards. The Supertanker is a multi-mission aircraft that is capable of supporting firefighting, weather modification, oil spill response, and biochemical decontamination emergency response missions worldwide.”

The multi-role 747 Supertanker is the largest tanker aircraft available today. It has more than seven times the drop capability of a P3, and its patent-pending pressurized system has the capability to disperse retardant at high pressure for an overwhelming response, or drop retardant at the speed of falling rain in single or several segmented drops. It also offers a significant value for American taxpayers, saving homes, lives and jobs. Evergreen believes its Supertanker will also save the U.S. government hundreds of millions of dollars in fire suppression and rehabilitation costs every year.

“The U.S. Forest Service is encouraging the aviation industry to look at new firefighting technologies that are more effective and create safer conditions for firefighters on the ground,” said Marc Rounsaville, Deputy Director of Fire and Aviation Management for the Forest Service. “The Forest Service will continue to evaluate advanced firefighting technologies and we will continue to challenge industry to develop safer and more effective tools that offer better value for the taxpayer.”

Water drops at locations on the tour are planned at an altitude of 400-800 feet, which allows for a “falling rain drop” that not only provides maximum benefits for fire suppression but is also environmentally friendly and safe for fire fighters.

Evergreen International Aviation, which has more than 70 years of firefighting experience and nearly one million hours of 747 operating experience, has invested three years and more than $40 million of its own funding to develop this next generation of firefighting aircraft.

“The Forest Service has challenged us to prove that the Supertanker will be a safe and effective firefighting tool, and we have accepted their challenge,” said White. “We are honored to offer the Supertanker to federal and state organizations that are working tirelessly to protect Americans from the threat of fire and other catastrophic events.”

Source: http://www.evergreenaviation.com

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I came across this awhile back. Wonderred why nobody seemed interested. Seems the US forrest service would pick up on it, but I guess the gov is to busy funding a lead balloon with the callsign JSF.

Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 - 08:39 PM Posts: 1496

Awww, talk about bait and switch! I was expecting a 747 tanker (as in gas tanker) Very Happy

Active Member Joined: Nov 29, 2004 - 01:40 PM Posts: 146

I used to live in Arizona (13 years baby!), and even went to school there (NAU).

When I was on capm staff, everyone over the age of 18 was on the fire crew who would fight the a forrest fire until the US Forrest Service would show up. And every time we heard the slurry/water bombers overhead, that was one of the best sounds we could hear.

I spoke with a few people on this issue (the 747 water bomber) when I still lived there, asking them why it wasn't in service. Also, last summer (2005) there were severe fires in the state, and Evergreen (iirc) was offering to lend out the 747 since more than half of the existing national fleet of water bombers was not flight worthy.

The excuses I heard were pretty pathetic. The first was that it could drop too much water too fast.
I find that very hard to believe. Especially since that I am told the dump rate is controlled.

Second was that the jet was not manouverable enough to fly in the mountains, where the risk of it flying into the ground was too high.

Other excuses were that it would cost too much and that there were plenty of other planes available..... which is complete and utter BS!

When over half of the fleet is not allowed to fly, and the Air Force has to send in reserve C-130s with water packs in the cargo hold, you don't have enough planes!

Personally, I cannot wait until this 747 variant enters service. Heaven knows we need it. Of course Heaven also knows that the government needs to re-evaluate its policy on forrest conservation, and how it deals with forrest fires, but thats another rant for another time.

What they were looking at when they decided not to take it seriously was fatigue- the 747 wasn't really designed to hold that kinda weight, flying low, maneuvering like a fire bomber does. They were afraid of the thing coming apart in the air. That relates to costing too much, too- it would have worn out the aircraft way too fast, before they were really able to get all their money out of it.

One other problem is debris fodding out the engines. I grew up in San Diego where wildfires happen every summer and I got to talk to some of the air attack pilots. They say that they hit branches in the air all the time around the fires - they get sucked up by the convection. One of the guys told me that he knew it was time to leave the area when he saw a 100 foot tall pine tree that was fully engulfed in fire suddenly fly up into the air like a rocket Shocked

!

Just a little bit of debris could spell serious trouble for a 747 and if C-130s have lost a couple of engines in a single pass, just imagine the 747!

Guysmiley wrote:

Awww, talk about bait and switch! I was expecting a 747 tanker (as in gas tanker) Very Happy

You weren't the only one....Doesn't Saudi Arabia have 747 Aerial Refueling Tankers?

man evergreen is into everyting, just got back from a deployment to malaysia for COPE TAUFAN and we stayed downtown at the Evergreen Intl Hotel. It was tight. THey also build ships to

No, their similar to USAF KS-135s

To all do not count Evergreen out. We now have # 2 up and testing. Had to refit new system. Maybe ready for 09 fire season. If the feds gaves. Its ok to go. Very Happy

If I knew how. will be add it [Link pending approval] come

During the off season you could contract out to fill municipal swimming pools.

regards, OL

Quote:

During the off season you could contract out to fill municipal swimming pools.

Or even mass community showers, But then again you would have to make two passes with it.

That'd make for one HUGE wet t-shirt contest, eh what? Wink

akruse21 said

Quote:

man evergreen is into everyting, just got back from a deployment to malaysia for COPE TAUFAN and we stayed downtown at the Evergreen Intl Hotel. It was tight. THey also build ships to

The Evergreen International Hotels and Evergreen Marine, based in Taiwan, are not the same company as Evergreen Aviation, based in Oregon. The Taiwan Evergreen organization also includes EVA Airways, one of the better airlines in Asia.

LinkF16SimDude wrote:

That'd make for one HUGE wet t-shirt contest, eh what? Wink

I like how you think Cool