Evergreen International has demonstrated the fire-fighting capabilities of its 747 Supertanker, which took three years and more than $40m (£22.2m) to develop.
The company, based in
'The Supertanker tour comes when fire-fighting capabilities are increasingly important for the US Forest Service and the states that face escalating risks from forest fires,' said Sam White, Evergreen's vice-president.
'We believe the Supertanker, a modified 747-200 with more than 20,000 gallons of tank space, offers exceptional drop capabilities and safety standards. It is a multi-mission aircraft that is capable of supporting fire-fighting, weather modification, oil-spill response, and biochemical decontamination emergency response missions worldwide.'
The multi-role 747 Supertanker has more than seven times the drop capability of a P3 fire-fighter, and its patent-pending pressurised system can disperse retardant at high pressure, or drop it at the speed of falling rain.
'The US Forest Service is encouraging the aviation industry to look at new fire- fighting technologies that are more effective and create safer conditions for fire-fighters on the ground,' said Marc Rounsaville, deputy director of Fire and Aviation Management for the Forest Service.
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