|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 16, 2015 15:55:45 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 19, 2015 16:36:41 GMT 12
from MACLEAN'S....The plane that could help save B.C. from forest firesMeet the Martin Mars water bomber: A Second World War-era vintage craft that costs $10,000 per hour to fly, and is being called into action in B.C.By KEN MacQUEEN | Saturday, July 18, 2015Martin Mars water bomber “Hawaii Mars”. — Photo: Coulson Flying Tankers.BRITISH COLUMBIA's official bird is the Steller’s jay, but a close second, in the worst forest-fire season since 2003, is the flying whale known as the Martin Mars water bomber.
The government has burned through its $63-million fire budget, but with 200 fires raging, 10 evacuation orders and 1,600 crew on the ground, it has brought the Mars into the fray. Coulson Group, owners of the Second World War-era vintage craft, will fly from its base on Vancouver Island’s Sproat Lake, rejoining a firefight first waged more than 50 years ago.
Operating the Mars is an expensive proposition, hence the province’s initial reluctance to contract its services. It estimates the Mars standby cost at $40,000 per day, and $10,000 per hour of flying time. It uses almost 3,000 litres of fuel per hour during an operation, an additional cost to the province of about $5,000 per hour.
As fires worsened, people pressed the province to activate the Mars. Typical is Neil Wilson, writing in the Alberni Valley News: “The Martin Mars and crew saved our community at Twin Island in Indian Arm when a burning house started a forest fire on the side of a steep mountain behind our houses. I will never forget the scene and will forever be thankful.”A Martin Mars flying boat water bomber makes a demonstration drop of some 7,200 gallons of water off the shore of Long Beach, California, in this Thursday, June 18th, 1998 file photo. — Photo: Reed Saxon/Associated Press.Just how big is it?The world’s largest fixed-wing water bomber has a wingspan of 61 m, one metre longer than a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. It was designed for the U.S. Navy in 1938 by the Glenn L. Martin Company, as a long-ranger bomber and patrol craft. Because of its immense lift capacity, the flying boat was reconfigured as a troop and cargo transport. The small fleet of Mars transports had heavy use on a run between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii.Saved from the scrap heapBy the mid-1950s, the U.S. Navy had retired the Mars transports. They were likely saved from the scrap heap when the four surviving Mars were purchased in 1959 for $100,000 by Flying Tankers, a consortium of B.C. forest companies. They became bombers once again, dropping water instead of explosives to save British Columbia’s valuable forests.The last known survivorsTwo of the planes were destroyed. One crashed in 1961 while firefighting, killing all four crew. The second was damaged beyond repair by a hurricane while ashore in 1962. The two surviving Mars have flown more than 8,000 accident-free fire missions in B.C. alone, dropping some 182 million litres of water and retardant. One extensively modernized plane, Hawaii Mars, remains in active service.Life on MarsThe Mars is powered by four 18-cylinder, 2,500-hp engines. It flies with a crew of four, a captain, first officer and two flight engineers, and requires an extensive ground crew. To fill its 27,500-litre water tanks the pilot skims the surface of a lake or ocean. Scoops are lowered from its belly, filling the plane in less than 35 seconds. Fire-retardant gel or foam is injected aboard into each load.Water bombs awayThe Mars descends below 100-metres and slows to 220-km/h from a cruising speed of 305-km/h when making a drop. One run can blanket an area of 1.2 to 1.6 hectares. The average time between drops is 15 to 19 minutes and it is capable of as many as 37 consecutive drops between refuelling. Because of its size it is only capable of landing on about 113 bodies of water in B.C.Read more on this topic:
• What’s behind Western Canada’s forest fire outbreak?
• B.C. and Saskatchewan want national approach on wildfireswww.macleans.ca/news/canada/martin-mars-water-bomber-the-plane-that-could-help-save-b-c-from-forest-fires
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 19, 2015 16:36:54 GMT 12
from CKNW AM908....Martin Mars water bomber heads out to fight its first fireBy CHANTAL COSCHIZZA | 3:39PM - Saturday, July 18, 2015THE Martin Mars water bomber has been deployed to help fight a forest fire east of Nelson.
This is the first time the bomber has officially been active since it was retired in 2013.
Provincial Fire Information Officer Ryan Turcot says the bomber will assist 19 firefighters battling the blaze.
“The fire is burning on difficult steep terrain, and objectives of the Martin Mars will be to hold off the west flank of the fire. Previous air tanker drops have not been fully successful due to this steep terrain.”
Turcot says it’s expected to be a big relief in this challenging fight.
“The Martin Mars will increase the relative humidity on the ground, giving the personnel some time on the ground to establish a guard.”
Before retirement, the bomber had spent more than fifty years fighting forest fires here at home…as well as internationally.
It’s too early to tell if the bomber will be used to fight any of the other 148 fires burning across the province.Read more on this topic:
• Martin Mars bomber preps for battle and takes test flight
• Fifty new wildfires despite changes in weather; most lightning caused
• Plane fighting BC forest fire crashes in lake
• Chelaslie wildfire over 107 thousand hectares
• Smoke from BC wildfires fires headed to northern Vancouver Island
• Wildfires have already cost province $103Mwww.cknw.com/2015/07/18/84013 from CTV NEWS....Martin Mars water bomber comes out of retirement to fight B.C. wildfiresBy THE CANADIAN PRESS | 8:49PM EDT - Saturday, July 18, 2015The Martin Mars seen in Port Alberni before taking a test flight on July 9th, 2015. — Photo: Jett Bassi.NELSON, B.C. — The Martin Mars water bomber has been deployed to fight its first forest fire in British Columbia since it was retired two years ago.
Provincial Fire Information Officer Ryan Turcot says the bomber was sent to a seven-hectare fire east of Nelson on Saturday.
He says the fire east of Boswell and Highway 3A is burning on difficult, steep terrain and the objective of the Martin Mars will be to hold the west flank of the blaze as previous air drops have not been successful.
Turcot says the Martin Mars will increase the relative humidity of the ground fuels and give the personnel on the ground some time to establish a guard.
The number of wildfires burning in the province has dropped to 150 from more than 200 at the start of the week.
The Puntzi Lake blaze in the province's Cariboo region has destroyed more than 8,100 hectares and forced several properties to be evacuated.www.ctvnews.ca/canada/martin-mars-water-bomber-comes-out-of-retirement-to-fight-b-c-wildfires-1.2476290
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 19, 2015 17:49:49 GMT 12
Great that the Mars is back in action!
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 23, 2015 15:13:44 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on May 17, 2016 21:42:26 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by oj on May 17, 2016 22:11:11 GMT 12
What a beauty! You can see through the portholes athwart-ships, suggesting that the water tank is all below that level. And there is a hint of reverse thrust during maneuvering; maybe not.
|
|
|
Post by The Red Baron on May 18, 2016 10:07:05 GMT 12
Looks like the Mars's fire fighting and possibly flying days are over...... link to storyWould make a lot of Coca Cola cans...
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on May 18, 2016 10:41:16 GMT 12
Someone at WIX suggested that after being aboard for the flight to Oshkosh, Kermit Weeks might take it home. It would make a great buddy for the Sunderland!
A mate - not sure if he posts here - is off to the show and I'm very jealous he'll get to see this. As well as everything else.
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2016 14:16:40 GMT 12
The RNZAF needs a new maritime patrol aircraft, right?
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 27, 2016 15:14:57 GMT 12
|
|