Il existe plusieurs types d'avions bombardiers d'eau dans la flotte : les Canadair, les Tracker, les Dash et les Beechcraft. Pilotés par des professionnels, ils sont essentiellement mobilisés pour des missions de prévention, de reconnaissance et d'extinction des feux de forêts. Ils interviennent en coordination avec les sapeurs-pompiers mobilisés au sol. Le Dash dispose d’un réservoir de 10.000 litres d’eau ou de produit retardant, soit 4 tonnes de plus que le Canadair.
ZK-AMU [Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing] at Ardmore, 2006.
msn 203 was constructed new for the Canadian Department Controller of Civil Aviation of Ottawa in 1938 and was given the c/r CF-CCA.
From 1955-56, it was with Bradley Air Services and Spartan Air Service Ltd and by 1957 was in private ownership.
In 1985, after a long period of inactivity, it flew for the first time since 1958, and owing to the lapsed c/r was given a new one: C-FCCA.
It is believed to have then been carefully stored at Leeward Ranch, FL from 1991-95.
In 1995, it was sold to Aotearoa and became ZK-AMU. Sadly it didn't spend much time here and in 2007 it was exported to Australia.
In 2022 however it and VH-HID [Lockheed Model 12A Electra Junior] were purchased as part of a swap for P-51D 44-13016 / A68-674. As a result, AMU + HID are now safely hangared at Wānaka. With AMU regaining her identity on 18/07/22.
KingAir 360 with proline fusion. Not the biggest fan of the visual style of the avionics but the autothrottles on this thing are awesome! Did a training flight in it today and got to test em out a bunch. This KA is just a couple months old too and still smells new. It’s pretty sweet
Staggerwing by Treflyn Lloyd-Roberts
Via Flickr:
Beech Staggerwing N18V on static display at Duxford during the 2023 "Battle of Britain" Air Show. Aircraft: Beech D17S Staggerwing N18V. Location: The Imperial War Museum's Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire.
This particular Beech has always been something of a mystery. msn A-216 was constructed new for ??? in either 1930 or 1946.
It was sold to Aerial Surveys Inc of Condord, MA by ??? This, however, meant nothing as it had been living in Tonga for quite some time. It was being used by the Tongan Air Defence Wing for the purposes of transporting the royal family. Alongside two other D18S c/r A3-01 and 02.
It has flown to Ardmore for maintenance twice, but by 2017, its CofA was cancelled. I believe it is currently derliect at Fuaʻamoto International Airport, 20km from the capital.
Sister airframes A3-01 and 02 are possibly still airworthy.