Some pics from the aircraft fighting fires in Colorado

[dbrown]

A few from the Rocky Mountain Fire Bomber base in Broomfield, CO.

[TAdan]

Great photos of some very interesting subjects. That Chinook looks very cool with the orange stripes. Never noticed the difference in the Neptune canopies before.

[Scooby]

Awesome images, did you get anymore of the Herc?

[rcaf_100]

Never noticed the difference in the Neptune canopies before.

Same here. Tankers 06 & 07 are P2V-5's, while 45 is a P2V-7.

Love the RCAF style lightning stripes. It's a shame that there are no original RCAF Neptunes left after the crash of N14447 in 2012.

[Neal Nurmi]

Thanks for the great set of photographs of the current state of firebombing. They make me think that I should dig up some of my older firebomber stuff and post it here on WIX. I have some pretty good shots of Neptunes and C-119s actually working fires back in the day.

I always kind of cringe when I see those ugly turbine ag plane firebombers though. They are apparently quite effective, but they sure don't have the drama and romance of this:

[JohnB]

I didn't know the Army has sold any Chinooks.
The Columbia a.c. are civil machines.

In a helicopter magazine, I read that a small outfit bought a couple of CH-46s for fire work, but hadn't heard about Chinooks....or are they ex-foreign (like Columbia's)?

[Chris Brame]

Thanks for the great set of photographs of the current state of firebombing. They make me think that I should dig up some of my older firebomber stuff and post it here on WIX.

Good stuff, Neal!!
Here's the very first PB4Y air tanker, BuNo 66284/N6884C* on a demonstration flight circa April 1959:







It had a very short career; per the Registry: "Crashed, Prescott, AZ, June 20, 1959." I recall seeing a photo in Airpower or Wings long ago showing it bellyflopped with a broken fuselage.

*This is also the current reg of BuNo 59701; purchased in June 1959 by the same company - guess they transferred the number?

[bilwor]

Outstanding group of photos dbrown.
Thanks for posting

[Jimmy mcgee]

Outstanding group of photos dbrown.
Thanks for posting

Outstanding group of photos dbrown.
Thanks for posting

great pictures. I'm always amazed that they still use old Crates like the P2V and then the wing falls off , ( or both) or how about a seventy year old privateer!? Is the turbine ag plane really effective? seems very small for what's going on today but I'm sure no expert.

[Pogo]

Whoa, never even heard of the Kmax before.

[Old SAR pilot]

I didn't know the Army has sold any Chinooks.
The Columbia a.c. are civil machines.

http://fireaviation.com/2014/02/21/mont ... hinooks-2/

[John Dupre]

Whoa, never even heard of the Kmax before.

The KMax is basically a modernized version of the H-43 Husky. When I worked for Kaman in the 1990s they would occasionally get requests for structural parts from some helilogging operators out west. They had no idea anyone was using them commercially and eventually the interest was so great they opted to return the aircraft to production. The value of the KMax/Husky lies in not having a tailrotor to rob power from the main rotors so it is more efficient in lifting.

[quemerford]

Whoa, never even heard of the Kmax before.

The KMax is basically a modernized version of the H-43 Husky. When I worked for Kaman in the 1990s they would occasionally get requests for structural parts from some helilogging operators out west. They had no idea anyone was using them commercially and eventually the interest was so great they opted to return the aircraft to production. The value of the KMax/Husky lies in not having a tailrotor to rob power from the main rotors so it is more efficient in lifting.

& recently trialled as a UAV I believe.

[sledge39]

Chris Brame wrote:
"...the very first PB4Y air tanker, BuNo 66284/N6884C*...I recall seeing a photo...long ago showing it bellyflopped with a broken fuselage."
.

... Warbirds International Mar/Apr 2003

[Ken]

Great photo thread!

Ken