Welcome to flightglobal.com. This website uses cookies to improve your experience and for ads personalisation. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here.
By Ryan Finnerty 2022-09-06T15:01:00+01:00
Embraer’s C-390 Millennium transport is one step closer to achieving certification for the performance of firefighting missions.
The Brazilian airframer on 5 September said that it had completed the flight testing portion of the certification campaign for the C-390 equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) II payload. After certification, the firefighting capability will be available to operators of the twin-engined transport.
Embraer has been putting a C-390 modified with firefighting equipment through its paces as part of the airworthiness certification process
In addition to the standard transport variant, the airframe is also available in an aerial refuelling configuration known as the KC-390.
Embraer states that following the receipt of certification from Brazil’s IFI military certification authority, “the firefighting capability will be available to the aircraft’s operators”. The company has so far secured firm orders for a combined 34 C/KC-390s, from Brazil (22), Hungary (2), the Netherlands (5) and Portugal (5).
The USA-made MAFFS II system allows for the air transport and dispersal of some 11,300 litres (3,000gal) of water, both with and without fire retardant. Embraer says the firefighting equipment is designed to integrate with the C-390’s onboard cargo handling system. Water is dispensed from an exterior-mounted nozzle on the rear fuselage.
The Sao Paolo aerospace manufacturer says the roll-on, roll-off MAFFS II operates using only aircraft power and can be installed with its own included equipment.
The recent flight tests, which included multiple in-flight water-drops, were conducted at Embraer’s facility in Gaviao Peixoto, outside of Sao Paolo. The company says the MAFFS II integrated into the C-390’s systems without incident and demonstrated “excellent aspects of flight quality and manoeuvrability”.
Water tankers flying firefighting missions are often required to approach a target at low speed and low altitude, sometimes just over the tops of trees.
Windshear and procedures have been identified as factors in the fatal crash of a Lockheed Martin EC-130Q firefighting aircraft in Australia on 23 January 2020.
Aerospace industry representatives are urging ICAO to prioritise international standardisation of certification and operation of firefighting aircraft, arguing that greater flexibility is needed as climate change threatens to prolong and intensify wildfire seasons. While the requirement for aerial firefighting capability is rising, the International Co-ordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations ...
The A400M’s potential for use as an aerial firefighting asset has been put to the test, with Airbus conducing an initial campaign in collaboration with the Spanish air force.
The deal will provide additional units of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System under low-rate initial production.
An onboard component of the jet, produced by Honeywell, was found to have been manufactured using raw materials produced in China, a violation of US government rules for defence products.
Northrop Grumman’s Litening all-weather, electro-optical targeting pod is slated to replace the legacy system for the US Navy’s Super Hornet fleet.
FlightGlobal is the global aviation community’s primary source of news, data, insight, knowledge and expertise. We provide news, data, analytics and advisory services to connect the aviation community globally and help organisations shape their business strategies, identify new opportunities and make better decisions faster.
Site powered by Webvision Cloud