Forest Service Mulls Supertanker

When the US Forest Service Grounded 33 of its biggest-capacity firefighting tankers last month, it certainly changed the odds on approval for Evergreen International's Supertanker. But was that enough to make it a viable asset in fighting what's expected to be one of the worst forest fire seasons on record?

Maybe not.

"Just because of the sheer size of the aircraft and the way the product is dispensed, I think there's going to be a lot of scrutiny on it," said US Fire Management Officer Dean McAlister.

There have been questions about whether a 747, carrying 24,000 gallons of water or fire retardant, can fly low and slow enough to be effective. Early tests indicate that it can do both -- flying at 160 mph at just 400 AGL. But it's not the kind of aircraft you want to take deep into that canyon where the payload can do the most good.

Still, that 24,000 gallon payload is enticing, given the fact that conventional tankers can only drop about 3,000 gallons at a time.

Evergreen hopes to put one of its 747 supertankers in service by the end of the month. FAA certification and a Forest Service sign-off are still pending.

FMI: www.evergreenaviation.com