United States (AFP) - A US company demonstrated to local officials here how the Boeing 747 jet they modified to carry water would revolutionize the way fires are doused from the air. The plane, a giant 747-200 cargo dubbed the Evergreen Supertanker, was stripped of its seats and modified to carry more than 75,000 liters (20,000 gallons) of water.
The Supertanker carries more than seven times the load of the Lockheed P-3 Orion aerial water bombers currently used in aerial firefighting, according to the manufacturers.
LEONOR VIVANCO , Daily Bulletin News Paper:
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It could be a key weapon in the arsenal of firefighters in their future battles on fiery mountain slopes.
Regional and local firefighters Wednesday watched a demonstration as a stripped-down 747 aircraft sprayed water 500 feet above San Bernardino International Airport to show off how it could be used to fight wildfires.
But fire officials had questions about Evergreen International Aviation's 747 Supertanker as they remained vigilant at the start of fire season.
"It has potential. However, we don't have any actual fire experience with it to really know how it will perform out in fire conditions," said Mike Dietrich, San Bernardino National Forest fire chief.
The tanker had no passenger seats on board, only pressurized water tanks that can carry 20,000 gallons to be released by four nozzles that can each turn on and off at will.
"The real advantage of the Supertanker is the ability to drop at high altitudes," said Sam White, Evergreen's senior vice president.
"We believe we can operate safely at night and the reason that's important is because fires tend to become more dormant at night," he said. "We're basically bringing the rainstorm to the fire."
The capabilities of the plane are yet to be tested, said state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection aviation Chief Mike Padilla.