Portland, OR—Simplex Aerospace’s newest and largest Fire Attack™ System, the Model 347 for the CH-47, successfully fought its first fire in early May. After an impressive 21 water drops in one fuel cycle, the tank was able to extinguish a 100 acre fire in northern Minnesota.
The Model 347, which received a Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certificate in December 2015, includes an array of cutting-edge features, such as US Forest Service Type One compliance and pilot controls that can be configured to show both water and ground refilling volume. These features, in conjunction with the system’s under four second water evacuation, customizable drop patterns, and demonstrated firefighting prowess, establish the Model 347 as a menace to wildfires worldwide. “The CH-47 Fire Attack™ System was designed with regulations for both the U.S. and Australia in mind,” explained Simplex President and CEO, Mark Zimmerman. “The system’s 11,500 liter (3,050 gallon) capacity combined with the CH-47’s superior flight speeds, allow the Simplex Model 347 Fire Attack™ System to deliver substantially more water to the fire than any other type 1 rotorcraft in existence.” With such unprecedented assets, it is inevitable that the Model 347 will soon take the aerial firefighting industry by storm.
