BAE Systems

The Aircraft of British Aerospace and BAE SYSTEMS 1977 - 2017 51

The lasT BriTish airliner – The Bae 146

operators have chosen the BAe 146-200;
Minden Air Services, Neptune Aviation
Services and Air Spray, while the RJ85 has
been chosen by Conair of Canada.
In what turned out to be a very busy
2016 wildfire season in North America,
the 14 in-service BAe 146-200s and Avro
RJ85s of Neptune Aviation and Conair/
Aero-Flite flew a combined total of well
over 5,800 tanker missions, dropping in
excess of 12.5 million gallons of retardant
to help control some of the 67,595
recorded wildfires in the USA and well
over 5,000 in Canada. A further eight BAe
146/Avro RJs are under conversion for this
demanding role, with four scheduled to
enter service during 2017.
In the USA especially and in many
other countries forest fires present a
frequent and serious threat to lives and
property. In the first half of 2014 more
than 1.5m acres of land were burnt to the
ground in the USA and the US
Government spends $2bn on
extinguishing such fires. Where these are
in remote areas it may well be that the
only way these can be brought under
control is with aircraft dropping water,
foam, and retardants. Typically the aircraft
used for this task were a motley collection
of elderly types, but following two crashes
in 2002, the US Forestry Service (USFS)
cancelled some companies’ contracts
concentrating minds on the need for
more modern equipment. So the
providers naturally examined the market
for types which would suit the role.
BAE Systems actively engaged with air
tanker operators to examine if the
BAe146/Avro RJ85, could be sold to them
for their ongoing requirements and as a
replacement for their ageing fleets. Both
the BAe146-200 and RJ85 (of which many
more examples are available) are the
variants best suited to fit this requirement,
as it can carry a 3,000 US gallon tank
making it a US Class 1 tanker. The latest
USFS contracts require aircraft able to
uplift 3,000 US gallons and a minimum
cruise speed of 300knots.

Conair and the RJ85

Conair of British Columbia, Canada has

been operating for more than 40 years in

fighting fires with Airtankers. It is the

largest Airtanker operator in the world

with approximately 60 aircraft. The relative

youth of the airframe and the complete

re-engineering of the Avro RJ85 as an

Airtanker ensures the aircraft will have

sufficient service life to operate safely for

up to 25 years as an Airtanker. The Avro

RJ85 Airtanker carry a maximum payload

of 10,910 litres of fire retardant or water

with an endurance of 3.5 hours (including

reserves) at a normal cruising speed of

380 knots if required. This provides a high

speed Airtanker which is ideally suited to

the requirements for prompt dispatch

and arrival at the target. With BAE’s help

Conair decided to install external tanks

enveloping the mid-underbelly fuselage

while the cabin remains empty. This tank

contains the fire retardant or water,

released through a sophisticated

computer-controlled system of doors.

Conair now has nine RJ85s in service or

being converted as Air tankers.

Conair’s RJs have been operational for

several years in Canada, the USA and

Australia combatting fires. The USFS has

contracted Conair in the USA for two

RJ85s to be on permanent standby to

fight fires for a five-year-period.

Neptune Aviation Services

and Air Spray

Neptune at Missoula, Montana uses a

conversion of the BAe146-200 equipped

with an internal tank also capable of

delivering a payload of 3,000 gallons of

fire retardant. It now has seven 146-200s

active and two under conversion. The

latest operator to convert an aircraft is Air

Spray of Chico, California, which is in the

final stages of converting the first of five

BAe 146-200s.

Conclusion

The BAe 146 / Avro RJ proved to be

Britain’s most successful jet airliner,

though the turbo-prop Vickers Viscount

outsold it with its total sales of 438 and

the Woodford-built Hawker Siddeley 748

turbo-prop almost equalled it with 380

deliveries. ■

Specification BAe146-200 / Avro RJ85

Length 93ft 8in

Wingspan 86ft 5in

MTOW 92,000lbs/95,000lbs

Max speed M.073/300kt IAS

Range 1510 nm (RJ)

Passengers 85-100 (5/6 abreast)

Powerplant Avco Lycoming ALF502R-5 (6,970lb) /

Textron Lycoming

LF507-1F (7,000lb)

‡ Conair Tanker 160

N839AC during a

fire retardent run.

Conair have fitted

their RJ85s with

external tanks to

carry the retardent.

(Conair)

… Neptune Tanker

01 N476NA dropping

retardent. Neptune

have chosen to use

the older 146-200s

and are converting

them to this role by

fitting tanks within

the fuselage.

(Bob Cheatham)