12,000 gallons doesn't seem a lot ?
Imperial Gallons that'd be 53 imperial tons ? about 3 roadgoing tankers ? It'd need that much fuel to get any reasonable distance.
Would you refill it by flying low over a lake with a scoop down ? - not me mate
Surely you'd have to go to a big airport with a very high capacity filler upper (like the old steam trains used to have).
Must make it a lot less versatile that an amphibian ?
DGG
Actually, it would weigh a little more than that, seeing as they are dropping retardant mud (the red stuff) which weighs a fair bit more than water (I forget the actual figure.
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In terms of versatility, it depends how close you are to a reloading station: if you are right next to a lake, then a pair of skimmers will win, hands down...if not, then all bets are off. That being said, I think that they might have gone a little large with the -10. I'm not sure that I'd like to wrestle it around down in a valley with poor vis and turbulence around a fire...