Can Tigers be adapted to become water bombers for Australia?

[Tickle]

I was thinking that if we urgently need more aerial firefighting resources in Oz, could the Tiger attack helicopters be stripped down and carry water buckets? If the pilots can even do that kind of thing. Or even if the Tigers have a sling hook!

[Gordy]

Originally Posted by Tickle

I was thinking that if we urgently need more aerial firefighting resources in Oz, could the Tiger attack helicopters be stripped down and carry water buckets? If the pilots can even do that kind of thing. Or even if the Tigers have a sling hook!

No--they do not have hooks, and guessing here, but the aircraft was probably not designed to have an under slung load attached---there is prolly not a hard point.

Also, taking military pilots who are not trained to do this type of work does not go well unless they receive the proper training.

[havick]

Originally Posted by Tickle

I was thinking that if we urgently need more aerial firefighting resources in Oz, could the Tiger attack helicopters be stripped down and carry water buckets? If the pilots can even do that kind of thing. Or even if the Tigers have a sling hook!

Not possible. If they wanted more assets quick, a bunch more aircraft are only a couple of Antonov cargo flights away.

[malabo]

Lots of idle fire-fighting helicopters and crews in the Northern Hemisphere. Some operators that shipped there for the season in the past didn’t this year, so beyond a few koala bears nobody is feeling much urgency. Too late to mobilize for the season now anyway.

[John Eacott]

There are a lot of Helitacks and other assets sitting idle anyway; the smoke is (& has been for some days) too thick for safe operations through many of the firegrounds. One of the Firehawks at Merimbula, waiting for the smoke to clear:



malabo , without picking at nits a Koala is a marsupial. Pet hate of most Australians is to see it referenced as a ‘bear’

[Yara-ma-yha-who]

Originally Posted by John Eacott

Without picking at nits a Koala is a marsupial. Pet hate of most Australians is to see it referenced as a ‘bear’

Spot on John. The drop bear is the only bear species native to Australia.

[Andy_G]

Woah Dude,
Operationg $$ per hour for a helicopter gunship(sorry armed recon helo) vs cost for a utility helo?
$$ and timeframes involved in designing and testing a hook system on that platform, including countless hours of test flying $$?
Military red tape, plus lengthy CASA red tape $$?
Adding this special training to the Military helicopter pilot training syllabus- $$?

Prohibitive in modern Australia.

[SuperF]

yara, i thought that there was also the "slab" beer....

Andy_G i don't think that there would be any CASA redtape, as the military don't have to run to CASA rules.

[Andy_G]

Sadly, they do more than you think.

[gulliBell]

Jeez, it took the Army 15 years to get Tiger into service after initial delivery and operating (sort-of) doing what it was supposed to do....how long do you think it might take to unravel all that and adapt them for firefighting/utility purposes?

[Rarife]

They would probably need something like all american B-52s converted to water bombers if they want to save this country. Would those few helicopters even made a difference?

[Gordy]

Originally Posted by Rarife

They would probably need something like all american B-52s converted to water bombers if they want to save this country. Would those few helicopters even made a difference?

If only you knew how aerial wild land firefighting actually worked. AT the right time, they would have been an asset.

[Rwy in Sight]

Originally Posted by malabo

Lots of idle fire-fighting helicopters and crews in the Northern Hemisphere. Some operators that shipped there for the season in the past didn’t this year, so beyond a few koala bears nobody is feeling much urgency. Too late to mobilize for the season now anyway.

I am not sure it is accurate: this is maintenance and training season in the Northern Hemisphere. For Australia I would have thought the Be-200 is the most suitable aircraft.

[Mast Bumper]

There are several operators in the northern hemisphere that are available with both tanked and bucketed type 1 helicopter. Several of them have experience operating in Oz in years past. I know of a handful that have reached out to VIC and NSW agencies and offered helicopters. Right now the problem is the mob/demob cost for an Antonov, as the season in NSW is close to ending if historical weather data is consulted.

[AmIInsane]

A multi-million dollar, highly sophisticated platform with specialised crew crashes while dropping retardant from a bambi bucket. Not an effective use of military resources.