Airbus Military, a business unit of EADS (Euronext: EAD) the pan European conglomerate announced the completion of a second round of tests of its prototype C295 firefighting aircraft covering the performance of the water dropping system.
Following earlier testing of the system, the company conducted seven water drops at a special range near Cordoba, Spain using ground equipment designed to measure the dispersal pattern of the water.
The trials completed showed good initial promise, confirming the aircraft’s satisfactory handling during the drop procedure according to a press statement. In the trials the aircraft carried one 3,500 litre tank and the water was gravity-ejected through two dispensers in the belly.
According to the aircraft maker, the planned configuration would offer double that capacity with two 3,500 litre tanks being deployed using a roll-on/roll-off system which would permit the aircraft to be used for transport purposes when not required for firefighting duties
Jeronimo Amador, Airbus Military HO market development, light & medium aircraft said: “We are pleased with the progress of the testing we have performed so far and very encouraged by the results. We will now analyse the data in greater detail and intensify our contacts with potential customers interested in the C295 as a firefighter.
"A roll-on, roll-off solution based on this highly flexible aircraft has excellent potential to address the financial challenges faced by authorities responsible for aerial firefighting worldwide.”
