Increasing wildfires drive demand for De Havilland Canada’s new waterbomber

Technicians work successful 1 of the facilities of De Havilland Canada, arsenic the institution produces the Canadair 515 water-bomber to combat wildfires, successful Calgary, Alberta, Canada, connected August 22, 2025. [Ahmed Zakot/Reuters]

In a warehouse connected the southern borderline of Calgary International Airport, De Havilland Canada is processing the DHC 515, a rugged flying vessel and the lone airplane solely designed to scoop water from a lake, stream oregon water and driblet it connected a wildfire.

Growing wildfires person fixed caller beingness to this amphibious airplane, whose lineage goes backmost to the precocious 1960s. Canadair built the archetypal version, the CL-215. The CL-415 followed successful the aboriginal 1990s. Both stay mainstays successful wildfire fleets astir the world.

The DHC 515 has important upgrades to the aged model’s avionics, water-drop power system, rudder power system and aerial conditioning, De Havilland Canada Vice President Neil Sweeney said.

The archetypal formation is slated for 2027, followed by the archetypal transportation to the Greek authorities successful 2028.

“It’s a pilot’s airplane,” said Scott Blue, who flies a CL-415 with Bozeman, Montana-based Bridger Aerospace. “I person yet to conscionable anyone who doesn’t bask flying it.”

The highly maneuverable plane’s almighty Pratt & Whitney engines tin rapidly get it retired of trouble implicit a fire, helium said.
At the aforesaid time, it tin alert debased and slow to get close water drops, helium said.

Before a run, the level skims crossed the water with two probes a fewer inches wide deployed beneath the hull. It lone takes 8 to 12 seconds to capable the plane’s tanks with 1,400 gallons of water, which weighs 12,000 pounds (5,443 kg). The probes then retract, and the level climbs and heads to the fire. After dropping the water, it rushes backmost for much water, helium said.

“If you’re warring a wood occurrence close beside a lake, you tin get a load of water each two to three minutes,” Blue said. “It’s communal for us to bash 40, 50 drops successful a four-hour substance cycle. I cognize some crews person done arsenic galore arsenic 70 oregon 80 successful a four-hour substance cycle.”

Waterbombers typically driblet water straight connected oregon instantly adjacent to a occurrence to assistance firefighters connected the ground. Retardant is usually dropped by different craft to artifact a fire’s path. Ultimately, crushed crews incorporate wildfires, with assistance from the aircraft, Blue said.

More than 225 CL-215s and CL-415s were built earlier accumulation was ended successful 2015 by Bombardier, which acquired Canadair successful the 1980s. In 2016, the programme was sold to Viking Air, which aboriginal became portion of De Havilland Canada. The planemaker estimates planetary request for 250 to 350 aircraft.

“So, Europe came to us and said that they request an summation successful their fleet and they request to renew their fleet,” Sweeney said.

De Havilland Canada has 31 orders for the DHC 515. Greece, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Italy and France ordered 22 aircraft. The state of Manitoba ordered three craft and Ontario has ordered six. De Havilland Canada has received inquiries from different countries, too.

“So, we expect that this will beryllium a very afloat bid publication successful very abbreviated order,” helium said.

[Reuters]