Warbird Information Exchange

Following along the same lines as the A-10 "Fire Hog" concept.

Aero Union did a study to convert the S-3 into a fire tanker. I would guess that 9/11 did a number on any study involving military aircraft....

Enjoy the Day! Mark

I could be wrong, but I don't think you will be seeing any S-3's fighting fires as one of the reasons for their retirement is fatigue cracking issues in critical structural areas of the aircraft.
Robbie

Lockheed Martin’s Full-Scale Fatigue Test to determine the aircraft’s fatigue life expended and areas of structural concern was completed in 2004. The results demonstrated that the basic service life of the airframe could be as high as 23,000 flight hours. The average number of flight hours on all S-3Bs is currently less than 13,000 flight hours. In March 2006, CNAF approved the modification of 13 S-3Bs to carry the Low Altitude Navigation Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) system, obtained from retiring F-14D Tomcat aircraft, to fulfill NTISR mission requirements in support of Global War on Terror (GWOT). Additionally, a video data transmission system has been installed to facilitate the sending of all aircraft sensor video to ground units equipped with the Rover III tactical ground station. One prototype has been delivered to VS-32 and is presently deployed. The remainder of the installs LANTIRN and video transmission systems will be completed by early 2007, enabling the S-3B Viking to remain a viable multi-mission platform until 2009.

Waterbomber / Airtanker
In mid-2004 Lockheed Martin and Chico, California-based Aero Union started discussions about using the S-3B Vikings as waterbombers as they retire from active service. Large airtankers are primarily used for initial attack and structure protection support. Not every initial attack effort gets air support. Firefighters are trained to improvise and adapt to the conditions on the ground, and to the resources available to fight fire. Aero Union is the largest, most innovative air tanker company in the United States. Aero Union's tanker bases cover most states in the western United States, from Arizona to Montana, with frequent dispatches to fires in the Midwest and the east coast. As of late 2004 Aero Union maintained 8 P3 Orions, 3 SP2H Neptunes and 2 DC-4 Sky Masters ready for instant dispatch by the US Forest Service during the aircraft's contract period.

Aerial Firefighting Industry Association (AFIA) airtanker companies provide aerial firefighting services to all regions of the United States during the peak fire season. The National Airtanker Study (NATS), was completed in two phases. Phase I, completed in 1995, recommended a national fleet of 41 large air-tankers. Phase II, completed in 1996, gave 16 recommendations to guide the airtanker program for the next 20 years.

On 10 May 2004, the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior terminated the contracts for 33 large airtankers to be used in firefighting missions due to concerns over the airworthiness of the aircraft, and firefighter and public safety. The decision was based on safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued April 23, 2004, at the conclusion of their investigation into three fatal airtanker crashes related to in-flight structural failures.

The agencies are looking to private industry, educational institutions and other organizations for technologies to create a large fixed-wing airtanker fleet with aircraft specifically designed for this mission and capable of meeting airworthiness requirements from the FAA. The future development of a safe large airtanker program will be realized with these partners and Congress.