The Canadair CL-215 (Scooper)
was the first model in a series of firefighting flying
boat amphibious aircraft built by Canadair and
later Bombardier. The CL-215 is a
twin-engine, high-wing aircraft designed to operate well
at low speeds and in high gust-loading environments, as
are found over forest fires.
The CL-215 can be traced
back to two early projects by Canadair, the CL-43 and
CL-204. The CL-43 was conceived as a logistics aircraft
and was based on the design of the Canadian
Vickers-built 369 Canso (a variant of
the Consolidated PBY Catalina).
Arising from an earlier 1960s research study at the
company, the original concept was for a twin-engined floatplane transport,
that was altered into a "firefighter" as a result of a
request by forestry officials in the Quebec
Service Aérien (Quebec Government Air
Service) for a
more effective way of delivering water to forest fires.
The 1962 preliminary design, the CL-204,
was a purpose-designed water bomber that evolved into an
amphibian flying boat configuration, powered by two
shoulder-mounted 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) Pratt &
Whitney R-2800 piston engines. The
definitive design known as the CL-215 received a program
go-ahead in February 1966 with its maiden flight on
23 October 1967. The first delivery was to the French civil
protection agency (Sécurité Civile,
then known as Protection Civile) in June 1969.
Production of CL-215s progressed through five series
ending in 1990.
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