flow tanking to a new height, ‘Active Control’,
[which] allows the computer to actively
monitor the flow performance and modify the
exits to maintain the selected coverage level,
based on aircraft ground speed, tank flow
rate, g-loading and aircraft pitch attitude.”
During the June 2013 Powerhouse
fire, where 30,000 acres were burned in
California, Neptune engaged two P2Vs and
a BAe 146. Snyder revealed that the aircraft
had all flown ten to 12 missions a day, but
that the 146 had covered a larger area and
had greater response times, while its turn-
time on the ground was 50% better than the
P2Vs’.
Neptune currently has six BAe 146s
available, five of them contracted with the
USFS and a sixth operating for CAL FIRE,
the California Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection. A seventh aircraft is under
conversion.
While Neptune has the largest fleet
of BAe 146 fire bombers it’s not the only
operator. Minden continued to look at
the 146 as a replacement for its ageing
Neptunes and converted an airframe with a
3,100 US gal (11,735lit) constant flow tank.The jet has been assigned the Tanker 46
(N446MA, c/n E2111) number.
Reliable and efficient, the constant
flow drop is driven by gravity through
two computer-controlled doors. The
crew chooses a quantity to drop and a
coverage level, and the computer opens
the doors accordingly. This versatile system
requires more radical changes for the large
underbelly drop doors installation.
Tanker 46 first flew in this new configuration
on June 9, 2013 but its first drop was not
performed until 12 months later.
It was intended that for the 2014 fire
season the USFS would award a contract to
Minden Air, but this has not materialised and
the current status of Tanker 46 and another
BAe 146 acquired by Minden for conversion
(N556MA c/n E2106) is unclear at present.CANADIAN CONTENDERS
Another firefighting contender comes
from Canada in the shape of Conair, an
Abbotsford, British Columbia-based firm
contracted by many Canadian provinces
and US states to fight fires with its fleet of
Convair 580s, single engine airtankers (suchas the AT-802F and amphibian Fire Boss)
and a Lockheed Electra.
Conair also has a long history of
converting aircraft into tankers for customers
in Canada and France. At the end of 2011,
it announced its future tanker would be
based on the Avro RJ85. The first, Tanker
160 (N839AC, c/n E2270), took its maiden
flight on September 11, 2013. The company
chose an external conformal underbelly
tank, as it did for its two Bombardier Dash
8-Q400-MR Fireguards in service with
France’s Sécurité Civile.
With a full capacity of 3,300 US gal
(12,492lit) and a constant flow drop system,
the RJ85 became fully operational at the
end of July 2014 when Tankers 160 and
161 (N354AC, c/n E2256) gained their
supplemental type certificate approval.
Tanker 162 (N355AC, c/n E2293) was
delivered in late 2014.
The RJ85s modified by Conair are used by
subsidiary Aero-Flite of Spokane, Washington
state, which has a history of using Canadair
water scoopers, notably under a Minnesota
state contract. During the 2014 fire season,
Aero-Flite was awarded a USFS ‘next-gen’
contract for Tankers 160 and 161.
For the second year running, the
Australian state of Victoria has contracted
two large airtankers. Along with Coulson
C-130 Tanker 131 (N130FF), RJ85 Tanker
162 has made the trip down to Australia
following a successful debut in 2014.
Initially based at Avalon Air Base, Victoria,
last year Tanker 162 was dispatched to Perth
in Western Australia, Edinburgh in Adelaide,
South Australia and Tasmania. The RJ85
fought fires in all terrain and returned to
the US in March after a successful mission
‘down under’.
Ray Horton, a Conair airtanker pilot
for more than 30 years and Tanker 162’s
captain in Australia, explained: “As expected,
the RJ85 has adapted to its new role
extremely well. The handling characteristics
and performance of the tank/airplanehttp://www.aviation-news.co.uk 29Right: This image highlights the
additional nozzles added forward
of the main landing gear added to
Neptune Aviation’s 146s after initial
operations. Martin CooperAbove: Canada’s Conair group uses an external conformal underbelly tank with a full capacity
of 3,300 US gal and a constant flow drop system. Martin Cooper26-30_airtankerDC.mfDC.mfDC.mfDC.mf.indd 29 08/01/2016 11:23