Water Bomber/ Air Tankers alternative aircraft projects

[McColm]

The Brits used to have four of the largest hovercraft covering the Channel run. I'm not quite sure what ever happened to them,

They ran out of spares.

Using hovercraft would be a really bad idea though. Last time i checked, most regions where fires rage also have mountains. Hovercraft and mountains don't really go together very well.

Looks like I'm going to have to design something as big as a 747 that can land on water, has STOL, turboprop or turbofan 4 engines or two large engines.
Any ideas?

No, nothing available. The Be-200, Harbin SH-5 and Shinmeywa US-2 are the largest aircraft capable of landing on water today.

With something the size of a 747, it would need 3 GE-90 sized engines. Since the GE-90 is only available for the 777, it would be either 4 GEnX or 4 RR Trent 900/1000, all mounted on top of the shoulder mounted wing.

What about using the Aero spacelines Super Guppy and the Airbus A300-600ST Beluga. I know that some sort of design for off loading the water/retardants will be needed, but those sort of super transporters should be used to heavy and bulky loads?

[jcf]

The 747 has been made into a waterbomber by Evergreen Avaition out of Washington State , the same company which operates the Dreamlifter 747 which is the aircraft that carries the sections of the new Dreamliner Airliner being buit by Boeing. The Firebomber 747 however is still going under evaluation by the FAA and NASA to seeif the aircraft is viable as a Waterbomber.

Evergreen is located in McMinnville, Oregon.

[kitnut617]

What about a 747 with it's wings moved to the top of the fuselage, and Trent size engines in Coander nacelles.

Here's a pic of the Boeing XC-X  (C-5 contender), it could quite easily be made into a flying boat in this configuration.

[jcf]

Beriev Be 2500 perhaps?

http://www.beriev.com/eng/Be-2500_e/Be-2500_e.html

[McColm]

Now we're cooking on gas. That's more like it. I take this to be a concept model rather than the real thing.
 

[B777LR]

The Brits used to have four of the largest hovercraft covering the Channel run. I'm not quite sure what ever happened to them,

They ran out of spares.

Using hovercraft would be a really bad idea though. Last time i checked, most regions where fires rage also have mountains. Hovercraft and mountains don't really go together very well.

Looks like I'm going to have to design something as big as a 747 that can land on water, has STOL, turboprop or turbofan 4 engines or two large engines.
Any ideas?

No, nothing available. The Be-200, Harbin SH-5 and Shinmeywa US-2 are the largest aircraft capable of landing on water today.

With something the size of a 747, it would need 3 GE-90 sized engines. Since the GE-90 is only available for the 777, it would be either 4 GEnX or 4 RR Trent 900/1000, all mounted on top of the shoulder mounted wing.

What about using the Aero spacelines Super Guppy and the Airbus A300-600ST Beluga. I know that some sort of design for off loading the water/retardants will be needed, but those sort of super transporters should be used to heavy and bulky loads?

Acutally those types would not be able to use all that space. The water weighs too much to fill even the cargo hold. It's the same reason that most new build freighters are almost always based on the shortest of an aircraft family.

[B777LR]

Ok, base it on the C-747 (the C-5 competitor, with high wings).
Shorten it into a 747SP.
Fit the engines above the wing, like the An-72, thus getting that coanda effect, or whatever it was called. That adds more lift.
Flying boat hull. If the Mi-8 could be converted into the Mi-14, the 747 can be fitted with a flying boat hull too
Engines: 4x GEnX, downrated.

[kitnut617]

You might be onto something there Thomas, this is one of the 1/72 747's I've got with some floats I bought to try and make a C-130 floatplane but they ended up being to big for that project.  Shorten the 747 and lengthen the floats, hmm!  --- should work 

[Shasper]

B-52s

Unsuited for low altitude work doing lots of hard turns inside a valley:

Use the Golf model, there were plenty laying around AMARG after they were retired in the early '90s, and that model BUFF was the first to be redesigned for low level ops . . . Besides, I can't imagine the Evergreen DC-10s or the 747 jukin' n weavin' in the canyons.

[B777LR]

You might be onto something there Thomas, this is one of the 1/72 747's I've got with some floats I bought to try and make a C-130 floatplane but they ended up being to big for that project.  Shorten the 747 and lengthen the floats, hmm!  --- should work  

Yes, you meantioned it right there! The solution! Do the 747 floatplane thing to a C-130J! It would be great! A monohull C-130J with outriggers

[jcf]

You might be onto something there Thomas, this is one of the 1/72 747's I've got with some floats I bought to try and make a C-130 floatplane but they ended up being to big for that project.  Shorten the 747 and lengthen the floats, hmm!  --- should work  

Yes, you meantioned it right there! The solution! Do the 747 floatplane thing to a C-130J! It would be great! A monohull C-130J with outriggers

Lockheed beat ya to that.

[jcf]

You might be onto something there Thomas, this is one of the 1/72 747's I've got with some floats I bought to try and make a C-130 floatplane but they ended up being to big for that project.  Shorten the 747 and lengthen the floats, hmm!  --- should work 

747SP flying-boat perhaps? 

I have Boeing 747SP centreline drawings if that'll help.   

[kitnut617]

You might be onto something there Thomas, this is one of the 1/72 747's I've got with some floats I bought to try and make a C-130 floatplane but they ended up being to big for that project.  Shorten the 747 and lengthen the floats, hmm!  --- should work 

747SP flying-boat perhaps? 

I have Boeing 747SP centreline drawings if that'll help.   

I'm very interested Jon.

Robert

[McColm]

As the different nations disregard the Br.1150 and cash them in for drones or the P-3 Orion. France will carry on with the MK3 update. The RAF could consider them for coastal patrol and fishery protection, if not I could turn them into water bombers.

[SSgt Baloo]

Lockheed beat ya to that.

I like the looks of that plane!