One of the Romanian Air Force’s C-27Js would be the first aircraft in Europe to apply an innovative firefighting system. Within the several past weeks, Alenia Aermacchi conducted intense operating and coaching tests at the aircraft, which included the brand new fire-fighting system onboard.
Alenia Aermacchi recently completed an experimental campaign in a Romanian mountain range with a C-27J that operates with the Fortele Aeriene Române —the Romanian Air Force. The target of the campaign was to check the innovative firefighting system called Caylym Guardian. The system allows C-27Js to drop as much as six large cardboard containers on bushfires; each container has a capacity of 1000 liters water or extinguishing liquid.
The system enables a brief, accurate and innovative technique to fight bushfires. Using the C27J’s system of in-flight drop, the Guardian guarantees extreme precision of the drop and creates a retardant liquid cloud well inquisitive about the objective. Containers are biodegradable but they are able to even be recovered by ground firefighters.
Containers feature standard dimensions type A22 which might be installed on aircraft of C-130 and C-27J’s class with none peculiar equipment or modification and will be launched at higher altitudes (1.500 feet) than traditional firefighting aircraft, thus significantly increasing mission safety and allowing night operations.
The tests, performed both on ground and in flight, have proved successful and feature thus confirmed the good operating flexibility of the C-27J, whose wider fuselage section and flight characteristics allow it to administer loads and perform missions that other aircraft of its same class cannot.
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