Air-to-air rescue fixed wing and rotary aircraft

[McColm]

Hi,
we all know that the airport fire rescue service normally puts a fire out on a plane when it has landed, or crashed. What-if you could put the fire out in the air. I know all aircraft should be able to put the fire out in the engines or in mid flight.
Remember this is a whiff and not real world. My idea would include a high powered nozzle (s), which could rotate and move up & down. As there are already aerial fire tanker aircraft and helicopters, a flying fire engine. Shouldn't be a problem.
Donor aircraft such as the C-130 Gunship, water/foam cannon instead of the artillery normally carried. The flashing lights and the siren from a fire engine or tender. Pulling up alongside
  Makes the term Air Ambulance take on a whole new meaning or have a fighter in Police markings for speeding!!
I've seen Police helicopters in the UK and Mexico, but this is different.

[Maverick]

I think there might be the issue of how close will the aircraft have to fly to a potentially unstable aircraft in order to effectively spray the foam.  Add to that, once the foam hits, will the engine (if it's the fire problem) immediately die, causing the aircraft to suffer further control issues.  With all that, the major question should be could the foam be effectively sprayed in the first place, given that the aircraft is flying at altitude and speed?

Regards,

Mav

[Cobra]

if you're using a Helo,what kind would you use? it would have to be Either a Military Surplus type or something used in the Civil Market. add to that,you'd NEED a Modded Air to Air targeting system to with some Accuracy Deliver the Foam on target.  Don't mean to be a Nit Picker about it. Can you Further Explain your Concept,Please? Dan

[simmie]

Why not do something similar to the Canberra(?) that DERA use for icing tests.  It has a spray array fitted under the rear fusalage (I think) the water tanks are in the bomb bay.

some of this info may be very wrong, the memory aint what it was you know there little boy......

[Mossie]

I think there might be the issue of how close will the aircraft have to fly to a potentially unstable aircraft in order to effectively spray the foam.  Add to that, once the foam hits, will the engine (if it's the fire problem) immediately die, causing the aircraft to suffer further control issues.  With all that, the major question should be could the foam be effectively sprayed in the first place, given that the aircraft is flying at altitude and speed?

Regards,

Mav

You need something to take the strain.  Thunderbird 2 might be useful with it's grab, followed up by Thunderbird 1 with firefighting fit.  I vaguely remember an episode along these lines in Thunderbirds?

You need the helicopter design that was recentley discussed that was designed to intercept the Saturn V first stage.  That hovers very close to the aicraft.  Simmies Canberra follows up, sprays it's extinguishent, the helicopter intercepts the stricken aircraft.  Job done, back to base for tea & medals!

[McColm]

The passengers would already be ejected in their capsule, leaving the cockpit, wings, engines and tail section intact.  As the capsule floats down to earth with four large parachutes to cushion the fall, corrected by an on-board GPS system.
Two C-130s are dispatched one flies ahead on the stricken aircraft whilst the flies alongside. the C-130 ahead opens its back door to reveal a matrix sign.  This displays instructions to the pilots, whilst the other uses foam blasted from a series of high powered nozzles which are on the left and right hand side of the fuselage. Ideally just park a fire truck/tender inside, open the side doors and away you go!!
If the aircraft has lost both engines on one side the pilot ejects these, somewhere safe and the rescue Herc uses its wing to support the aircraft until it lands. Or the paras attach parachutes to the stricken aircraft.
Suitable helicopters are the; Sky Crane, CH-53 family, Hinds.
V-22 Osprey would be ideal.

[pyro-manic]

Rather than a directed nozzle (which would need truly enormous power to spray any distance sideways in flight), an easier method would simply be to dump it out the back of the firefighting machine, and allow the burning aircraft to just fly through the resulting cloud of retardant. Of course, that will stop all the engines and hasten the target's loss. So you need a trapeze style system attached to a very powerful lifter (C-17, C-5, An-124 etc) to catch the stricken aircraft, before performing a touch-and-go style release on the nearest suitable runway.

[McColm]

Sounds good to me, pitty they don't make the An-124 in 1/72 scale!!