CL215s on the outs?

[CLguy]

Since it has taken more than 3 years to convert 1 CL-215 for the Alberta Government and there are something like 35 in North America that could be converted we could still be seeing 215's for a 100 years or more. I suspect by then they will all be owned by Buffalo Airways!!

[Forestdump]

That's great news. I'll need that long before I can retire, although I get the feeling that has already happened. Also, I hear Buffalo is doing the opposite of buying 215's at the moment.

[North Shore]

Whatever the outcome, I'd like to see Manitoba get on with it ... spar cracks in tankers aren't pleasant dinner conversation..

[CLguy]

Forest you are correct for the moment. Two are destined for Turkey and I suspect they will never see Canadian soil again but if things happen the way Bombardier is envisioning there will be lots of used stuff on the market over the next 5 years.

[fire flyer]

I can't imagine Buffalo running anything but the oldest kit available which would be series one CL215s therefore making them not capable of being converted to diesel anyhow. As for the "three years" to convert an Alberts 215, yes it has been parked but the conversion has been ongoing for the last year and a half not three years. This is a supplier issue.

FF

[onezerotenthousand]

Fire bombing in Alberta without all (6) 215's and more and more 802's will be alot like the seasonal forecast and how it feels on the ground... lots of swatting mosquito's and a few "scattered showers".

[Cat Driver]

lots of swatting mosquito's and a few "scattered showers".

I assume by that you mean the 802's are ineffective because they don't carry enough liquid?

Does fire suppression require massive loads so as to make sure some gets on the target?

[onezerotenthousand]

It has more to do with the politics of the whole thing as AB gov't isn't really concerned with fighting fire. But yes I'll take 3 215's over 6 802's anyday, the load is just more effective. Yes this can be complicated by alot of things, experience on the button, speaks volumes for getting any portion of the load where it should be. I've seen the greatest effectiveness with all combinations of a/c around fires, including 802's and helicopters, it just happens sometimes more is better and most versatile, dependent of fire activity. The whole deal just stinks... worse than northern muskeg.

[Forestdump]

lots of swatting mosquito's and a few "scattered showers".

I assume by that you mean the 802's are ineffective because they don't carry enough liquid?

Does fire suppression require massive loads so as to make sure some gets on the target?

Not so sure about that. A Canso hauls way more than an 802. Did they miss all the time?

[Cat Driver]

Not so sure about that. A Canso hauls way more than an 802. Did they miss all the time?

I had to think for a moment to figure out what a Canso was,but then it came to me a PBY Catalina.

When you say way more how much more did the PBY carry compared to the 802?

[North Shore]

800gal for an 802, 1000gal for the Catalina/Canso/PBY, if memory serves correct, no?

[Cat Driver]

800gal for an 802, 1000gal for the Catalina/Canso/PBY, if memory serves correct, no?

Fairly close on the Cat as long as you are using US gallons.

There were two different tanking systems in the Cat in Canada.

One installation was 900 Imperial gallons ( 1080 US gallons ) and the other one was 800 imperial gallons ( 960 US gallons. ).

[CLguy]

And don't forget to mention Cat that one system was a piece of shit while the other was a good one which was the predecessor to the CL-215/415's system.

The part that really stinks about the Alberta deal with the Conair 802's replacing the 215's is the Deputy Minister of Alberta Forests who drew up the contracts retired right after and is now working in management for Conair.

[Cat Driver]

The part that really stinks about the Alberta deal with the Conair 802's replacing the 215's is the Deputy Minister of Alberta Forests who drew up the contracts retired right after and is now working in management for Conair.

Does that surprise you?

[North Shore]

The part that really stinks about the Alberta deal with the Conair 802's replacing the 215's is the Deputy Minister of Alberta Forests who drew up the contracts retired right after and is now working in management for Conair.

...No kidding? Wow!:lol:

[Caracrane]

most of the Canso's (PBY-5A for Cat ) had 800 imp.gal. when modified in YUL in 1962.

[Cat Driver]

Caracrane it has been so many years since I have heard the name Canso used I find actually find it strange.

[CLguy]

Hey ., correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the PBY Catalina only waterbased with no landing gear and later became the PBY-5A Canso when they attached retractable landing gear to it? That's the way it was explained to me, but then that is a few years ago.

[Cat Driver]

No the PBY5 was a flying boat, then they put wheels on it and it became a PBY5A.

The Americans who built it called it a Catalina as does the rest of the world.

Canada built a slew of them under contract and named it the Canso.

Except for the name they are identical.

The reason I find it unusual to hear it called a Canso is where I fly them they are called Catalinas, so after a lot of years pass it is an out of sight out of mind thing.

[NWONT]

I could be totally wrong on this one but I think the Canadian aircraft were built by a company called Cansolidated Aircraft or something like that which was shortened to Canso.