CFS Fire Bomber discussion - The Independent Weekly

[CFS_Firey]

Anyone else see the article on page 5 of The Independent Weekly today?

Allegedly Lloyd Johns and Peter Schwerdtfeger, (CFS CO and Board chairman in Ash Wednesday), want the CFS to get a SuperScooper aircraft.  The claim the current CFS 'regime' is working hard to prevent anything like this from ever entering the CFS...

[Zippy]

if this is a 747...  we dont have enough water....

[CFS_Firey]

I believe they're talking about the smaller 6,000 litre per drop jobbie.
Article is on the indaily website today only!  http://www.indaily.com.au/  - flip though to the independent weekly, it's after indaily.

[Zippy]

Oh if its a cheaper aircraft to have than the Skycrane...get it.

The air tractors do a good enough job...and no amount of planes can save the day, when all get grounded...

[Darren]

Best value for money ,ahahhahahaha, yeah that Erickson is sooooo useful, can't fly full,can't suck water in certain area's and the same issue, the sea's can't be to choppy, its down force collapses portable dams. It can't fly more than a couple hundred kilometres without needing fuel.

Give us more fixed wings......in fact give us more trucks and the support to recruit firefighters....otherwise we will become the DFS....Default Fire Service.

CFS have their head in the sand over more than just aircraft. Like the 3 monkeys, If I can't see it, hear it or speak about it then everything is fine  

[Burnover]

Below is a link to a research report (DSE Victoria) on the Skycrane.

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenfoe.nsf/LinkView/CDFACDC8174436DACA257223002C5E5976D4DAC795488C7FCA257603001246B4

[Robert-Robert34]

CFS have their head in the sand over more than just aircraft. Like the 3 monkeys, If I can't see it, hear it or speak about it then everything is fine 

Do monkeys want a bananna 

[crashndash]

Below is a link to a research report (DSE Victoria) on the Skycrane.

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenfoe.nsf/LinkView/CDFACDC8174436DACA257223002C5E5976D4DAC795488C7FCA257603001246B4

don't know that I would classify it as a research paper...more a report from an enthusiastic supporter cobbled together with access to the Erriksson Skycrane PR facts and figures. Read the Attachement and you'll see many of the facts, figures and phrases from the author re-appearing there again..lol

• no mention of hot and high degradation of a/c performance and reduced lifting capacity (substantial on a 38 degC day). When its 44deg, its less than an AirTractor from memory
  
  
• no mention of the cost benefit analysis to sustain the aircraft in service and a comparison of what that woul have meant in terms of additional resources (and
  therefore flexibility)
  

A small part of the solution.....but its not the Messiah....just a very smart PR Machine

[Alan J]

A small part of the solution.....but its not the Messiah....just a very smart PR Machine

Which is why more money is spent on Aircranes than of community education & support.
Only one of them is a reliable photo opportunity for the minister...

I read the article.  What Messrs Schwedtferger & Johns neglect to mention is
that while a Canadair might be able to scoop sea-water, DEH & SAWater won't
permit it to be dropped on their lands or catchments.

Also that it lacks the short rough field capability to service the 95% of the
state which hasn't convenient large water bodies to scoop from.  Its extra
flight time to & fro suitable water or airstrips crushes any advantages it
may offer over AT802Fs.

Also neglected to mention that (in 1998 at least) a Canadair lifting 6,000L
cost AU$26M.  Each.

An AT802F lifting 3,000L cost just AU$1.2M each. 
That's right.  1/20th the price.
Or, if you prefer, 1/10th of the price for the same lift capacity.
AFAIK, there is little difference in the bad weather capapbilities of the two
aircraft. The AT802 comes with sophisticated GPS targeting equipment too.
Does the Canadair?

Sounds like that clown from down Somerton Park way who keeps writing to the
'Tiser has been in their ears.

cheers

[Alex]

Yeah but..... it'd look cool.


Lets face it, money will continue to be placed on unsuitable aircraft because certain people only care about the photo ops and not the operational ability and cost effectiveness. So this is probly just another crap article, but i wouldn't be overly suprised to see 1 or 2 pop up over time.