The Super Scooper is a firefighting aircraft that collects water from bodies of water to deliver to fires. It can carry fire retardant chemicals and is durable enough to land on short runways. It is used worldwide and can be lent to other countries in need.
A Super Scooper is a firefighting aircraft capable of collecting water from lakes, rivers, and oceans to send it to a nearby fire. This nickname generally refers to a line of aircraft originally manufactured by Canadair before the company folded into Bombardier. The Bombardier 215 and 415 are two examples of the Super Scooper family. Nations around the world use these specially equipped aircraft in fighting wildland fires to deliver water quickly and accurately.
The crew of the Super Scooper scoops up water by carefully controlling altitude and airspeed to skim a body of water, with the aircraft’s belly-mounted balls in the open position. When the plane is fully loaded, they close the scoops and increase altitude to reach the fire. As the plane moves, the water falls inside, expanding into a foam. For delivery, the crew reopens the scoops, monitoring the plane to make sure it stays on target while rapidly dropping the load. After delivery, the crew can close the balls and repeat the collection process.
Under normal firefighting conditions with a body of water in close proximity, the Super Scooper can deliver nine loads of water in one hour. This will put a significant dent in the fire, especially combined with efforts on the ground. The foamy nature of the water in the delivery ensures extensive coverage, unlike a plain stream of water, and can increase the rate of fire suppression.
These planes are also very strong and durable, and can land on short runways, as well as unpaved or poorly maintained airstrips. This can be important when a Super Scooper is servicing a remote fire, as it needs to be able to land to refuel and service. If the plane were to return to an urban area with a better runway, this would limit the number of trips it could make. Rugged design is also critical in environments where high winds, lightning, and other hazards may exist.
A Super Scooper can also carry fire retardant chemicals. It is a multipurpose fire fighting tool. Nations with Super Scoopers and trained crews can send them over considerable distances to provide firefighting services, and can lend them to other countries in need if they don’t have access to amphibious firefighting aircraft. The borrowing of fire equipment and equipment across international borders is common in emergency situations when a nation’s fire service may be overextended to provide adequate firefighting services.
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