[californiadisasters] Ex-Navy Plane Being Revamped to Fight Fires

Ex-Navy plane being revamped to fight fires

• Associated Press
• Posted March 14, 2013 at 2:05 p.m.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — A Canadian tycoon is converting a 30-year-old ex-military plane into a high-tech firefighting aircraft, hoping to win a federal contract before the onset of this year's wildfire season.

The Navy C-130 owned by Wayne Coulson is undergoing a nose-to-tail renovation at San Bernardino International Airport, the regional air tanker base for the U.S. Forest Service.

When finished, it will boast a 3,500-gallon tank for fire retardant, night-vision equipment and a GPS system that will make pinpoint drops when guided by a laser device mounted in an accompanying helicopter, the Riverside Press-Enterprise (http://bit.ly/WompGi ) reported Wednesday.

Test flights are scheduled for next month, and Coulson hopes to win a Forest Service contract by June.

The Forest Service has a modernization plan for its fleet of air tankers after two deadly accidents in 2002 when the wings snapped off aging air tankers in flight.

The service hopes to replace its fleet of 10 tankers — most over 50 years old — with newer jets.

Coulson's four-engine turboprop Hercules was designed as a cargo and troop transport that could handle takeoffs from dirt landing strips. Versions are used by militaries around the world and also for firefighting, disaster relief and resupplying scientists in the Antarctic, according to a U.S. Air Force website.

Coulson, a timber and aviation tycoon, also owns a converted World-War II-era Martin Mars seaplane that has fought fires throughout California.

However, the 65-year-old plane no longer wins Forest Service contracts, although it has been used in Canada and Mexico.

Coulson said the Hercules, at 30 years old, is relatively new by air tanker standards and is getting a full renovation.

"We believe we're bringing a like-new bird into the fleet," he said.

He declined to discuss the cost of the proposed contract until the Forest Service makes a decision.

Source: http://www.redding.com/news/2013/mar/14/ex-navy-plane-being-revamped-fight-fires/

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