Weyerhaeuser finishing tests of Boeing's firefighting container system
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... ystem.html
Firefighting container system
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, North Shore, Rudder Bug
Gee we are talking cutting edge stuff here. Ontario developed that system back in the 50's except it was paper bags instead of cardboard boxes. Boy technology is a wonderful thing!
Of course it hasn't been used in 50 years so it will probably be better now!!
Of course it hasn't been used in 50 years so it will probably be better now!!
You Can Love An Airplane All You Want, But Remember, It Will Never Love You Back!
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Driving Rain
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I dated a girl once whose box could withstand a rejected takeoff. She hated the biodegradable stuff so I had to wear the flexable alternative.Interested both in protecting its own forests and selling the cardboard boxes, Weyerhaeuser says the container has to be strong enough to withstand the forces of a rejected take-off, yet be biodegradable.
IN FURTHER NEWS
Weyerhaeuser has just announced that the only aerial fire fighting system it approves on it's timber limits will be this one. HEADS UP
Come on guys, theres plenty of money to be made on global warming.
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Big Pistons Forever
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And Ontario abandoned those water bags because they sturred up ashes and embers, and were very, very effective at spreading burning materials.
I guess Weirhauser needs some protection after dropping out of the Flying Tankers group a couple years back...
I guess Weirhauser needs some protection after dropping out of the Flying Tankers group a couple years back...
Clear skies and calm winds...
Trevor
Trevor
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Driving Rain
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Heres' the proofBig Pistons Forever wrote:They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Based on the picture in the earlier post I would say the picture is worth a thousand hours..... of real air tanker flying to fill in the holes between all those box drops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc3fOhfXu1o
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http://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/ar ... _ids4.html
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003783.html
Bottom line: PCADS increases the number of aircraft capable of fighting wildfires. “The PCADS project is an exciting development as an alternative aerial firefighting application approach”, said Gordon Springell, Gel Business Leader for ICL Performance Products. “With the use of Phos-Chek Aqua Gel-K, as seen during the recent Kingman trial, the enhancement of the water medium [with gel] improves, quite dramatically, the PCADS drop characteristics, and retention of moisture on the ground, and, therefore, the ability to extinguish burning fuels on forest fires, especially in direct attack.”
This a posted comment to the above web site and test drop by Gordon Springell.
Gordon Springnell is the inventor of FAT WATER. a gel product from Great Britain.
I would like to briefly respond to Eric Daniel's comments on the recent article.
The Kingman, AZ trial was conducted with our new product, Phos-Chek AquaGel-K: which is principally designed, in aerial applications, for direct initial attack, wet-lines close to the fire and for structural protection.
Although coverage level (CL) is critical in firefighting applications, dependent on the 'target' fuel model: Phos-Chek was invited to this trial, in order to assess the unique characteristics and properties of Phos-Chek AquaGel-K with the innovative PCADS system.
It was important to establish that the enhaunced (gelled) water medium reached both the ground (without high rate evaporation), hit the 'target' and effectively covered a specific surrounding area around the 'target' zone.
Quantity of medium was therefore not a specific consideration in this particular trial. CL is directly proportional to the number of PCADS units dropped, aircraft altitude, meteorolgical conditions, etc.,.
Measuring the coverage level (CL) on the dry lake bed was made easier because of "shadows" created by cardboard debris, which reached the ground before the "gel cloud". Consequently, a measure of circa CL2 was established over the main footprint, measured over 1000' length x approximately 140' width @ 750' aircraft altitude, with 5 only PCADS.
Other tests @ 500', 750' & 1000' were made to establish CL, footprint size & pattern and drift characteristics.
It was important to establish that in the direct initial attack application, that the deployment of the PCADS system with Phos-Chek AquaGel-K would be effective and efficient: and be unique as not to duplicate existing conventional modes of aerial firefighting.
Furthermore, the possible use of PCADS during night time operations, at higher altitude levels, when (more often than not), wildfires tend to be at their quietest phase: and when most ground crews are "off the fire-ground": could have great value and better effective eradication of sectors of any particular wildfire incident.
Posted by: Gordon Springell at October 16, 2007 04:32 PM
Sounds like this is going to be on a fire line in the US sooner than later.
The only fire fighters I can think of that man fires at night are convict crews. This could reduce the prison population.
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003783.html
Bottom line: PCADS increases the number of aircraft capable of fighting wildfires. “The PCADS project is an exciting development as an alternative aerial firefighting application approach”, said Gordon Springell, Gel Business Leader for ICL Performance Products. “With the use of Phos-Chek Aqua Gel-K, as seen during the recent Kingman trial, the enhancement of the water medium [with gel] improves, quite dramatically, the PCADS drop characteristics, and retention of moisture on the ground, and, therefore, the ability to extinguish burning fuels on forest fires, especially in direct attack.”
This a posted comment to the above web site and test drop by Gordon Springell.
Gordon Springnell is the inventor of FAT WATER. a gel product from Great Britain.
I would like to briefly respond to Eric Daniel's comments on the recent article.
The Kingman, AZ trial was conducted with our new product, Phos-Chek AquaGel-K: which is principally designed, in aerial applications, for direct initial attack, wet-lines close to the fire and for structural protection.
Although coverage level (CL) is critical in firefighting applications, dependent on the 'target' fuel model: Phos-Chek was invited to this trial, in order to assess the unique characteristics and properties of Phos-Chek AquaGel-K with the innovative PCADS system.
It was important to establish that the enhaunced (gelled) water medium reached both the ground (without high rate evaporation), hit the 'target' and effectively covered a specific surrounding area around the 'target' zone.
Quantity of medium was therefore not a specific consideration in this particular trial. CL is directly proportional to the number of PCADS units dropped, aircraft altitude, meteorolgical conditions, etc.,.
Measuring the coverage level (CL) on the dry lake bed was made easier because of "shadows" created by cardboard debris, which reached the ground before the "gel cloud". Consequently, a measure of circa CL2 was established over the main footprint, measured over 1000' length x approximately 140' width @ 750' aircraft altitude, with 5 only PCADS.
Other tests @ 500', 750' & 1000' were made to establish CL, footprint size & pattern and drift characteristics.
It was important to establish that in the direct initial attack application, that the deployment of the PCADS system with Phos-Chek AquaGel-K would be effective and efficient: and be unique as not to duplicate existing conventional modes of aerial firefighting.
Furthermore, the possible use of PCADS during night time operations, at higher altitude levels, when (more often than not), wildfires tend to be at their quietest phase: and when most ground crews are "off the fire-ground": could have great value and better effective eradication of sectors of any particular wildfire incident.
Posted by: Gordon Springell at October 16, 2007 04:32 PM
Sounds like this is going to be on a fire line in the US sooner than later.
The only fire fighters I can think of that man fires at night are convict crews. This could reduce the prison population.
