Originally Posted by
lucille
So 5 x Airtractors operating simultaneously cannot replicate the same drop pattern as 1 x 737? Intuitively, this would surprise me. 15,000 litres is 15,000 litres.
Not to sound snarky, but if you haven't flown on fires and operated different equipment with different tanks or buckets etc then it's hard to convince you otherwise. I used to have the same opinion that you did until I'd flown a few seasons on fires and saw the effect different equipment had on the outcome of the fire myself. The delivery method, type of tank (variable drop or otherwise) has a huge effect on the ground.
It was in my interest to hound down the VLATS and heavy helicopters being a B412 firebombing and rappel pilot at the time, but I after flying along side all the other machines, I could no longer argue the same argument you have put forth.
The whole daisy chain thing with aircraft on the fire works really well, but once thing that often throws a spanner in the works is change in wind direction and other environmental factors. Eg lets say you want to use 5x Airtractors instead of a VLAT, in my experience not all 5 of them turned up at the same time to drop in a perfect daisy chain. Lets say by some miracle all 5 dispatched do happen to turn up in order to drop a perfect daisy chain, then 50% of the time the smoke will lay over the run in, and the last two guys either can't get in or have to drop a slightly different direction. If you really needed one continuous retardant line and in a hurry, the only reliable way to ensure that happens is with one drop.
So in an absolute perfect world with everything going to plan, then yes, 5x airtractors could have a SIMILAR effect as a VLAT, but they won't have the SAME effect.
Hope this helps explain things a little more.