747/DC10 Firebomber Demo
 

There was an interesting article in the LA times about these two proposed large water bomber projects:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines

Interesting
 

The 747 version will be carrying about 85 tons of water :eek:

Even an eight minute fill, with flying time to suitable infrastructure plus taxi time etc is going to limit the work load each plane can manage although actual capacity per trip is considerably enhanced.

The benefit of the old amphibians is that pick up takes about 90 seconds and can be as close as the nearest suitable lake.

Clearly what we need is a Guppy 747 with the fuselage up side down and a water landing hull adapter bolted on the bottom. Scoop 24,000 gals in 90 secs. Now that would be some water bomber. Or maybe set the DC10 on a couple of ginormous floats?

Where have all the guys with imagination gone?

Naaa, fit a scoop to top of fin, roll inverted for the pick up, much cheaper mod and more fun for crew.

...roll inverted, but hold the water in a helical shaped tank. That way once it starts to fill up, the aircraft will roll wings level of its own accord :8

Oh just use a high-wing aircraft like a 146. Or even better, a C-5 or...............an An124 or An224:)

Or the YC-14.
http://www.theaviationzone.com/image...in/yc14_01.jpg

Another What Might Have been!
 

Having just reread my Big Book on Saunders Roe ( not just looked at the pictures) and then idly working my way through this thread, I had this vision of the three Princess Flying Boats (re-engined with Tynes and possibly with RATO fittings) sitting on Sproat Lake with the three Martin Mars (now what a sight that would have been).
Having this sort of fantasy indicates post-Farnham Beerex withdrawl symptoms.

However back to the start of the thread:
The fact the DC10 has reach the stage in its in-service life where it is being considered for Water Bomber Conversion has made me feel suddenly very old. It doesn't seem long ago that I was standing on the tarmac watching the delivery of G-BEBL and GBEBM, brand new and gleaming!

Finally other than the Canadair/Bombardier CL215 and variants offering, how many other Aircraft have been designed as Water Bombers from new?