[ame]http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9c5_1193104195[/ame] I have actually seen a simiilar SkyCrane up close and personal during the AZ Four Peaks forest fire, at lake Roosevelt campgrounds. Awesome to watch.
All I can say is that those pilots are shat hot!!!! WOW, that first chopper had his wheels touching the ground before he pulled some pitch and got above the water a few feet. Holy crap that's awesome!
I understand they modified some old 747s to be firefighting bombers and can carry twice th load the smaller ones can. I think they need a few of those big boys in Cali today
I saw the choppers a few yrs. ago when mt. lemon was burning.I think I saw one of the converted planes on the news tonite.I was doin somethin else but I thought they said they were dumping 13 tons of retardant.
I never seen a 747 figher figtin plane only DC10, 747 would nock out a couple few hot spots in a pass.
It was on I believe The Discovery Channel they were talking about aircraft at the boneyard and a company is refurbishing the old passenger jets and they were showing a 747 that was refurbished to fight fires
I would think that the 747 airframe way too large to get in close. The water would disperse too much before it hits the target area. Just to make a 180 degree turn is well over a mile.
They don't just carry water they also carry fire fighting foam which is a lot heavier and thicker then water so I streams out a lot less. Here is a vidio of them doing it [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvBRWTumoZI[/ame]
