Canadair CL-415
The Canadair CL-415 (Super Scooper, later Bombardier 415) and the De Havilland Canada DHC-515 are a series of amphibious aircraft built originally by Canadair and subsequently by Bombardier and Viking Air, and De Havilland Canada. The CL-415 is based on the Canadair CL-215 and is designed specifically for aerial firefighting; it can perform various other roles, such as search and rescue and utility transport.
| CL-415 / DHC-515 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Firefighting aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Canadair Bombardier Aerospace De Havilland Canada |
| First flight | 6 December 1993 |
| Introduction | 1994 |
| Status | Active service |
| Primary users | Vigili del Fuoco (Italy) Sécurité Civile (France) Hellenic Air Force (Greece) Quebec Service aérien gouvernemental |
| Produced | CL-415: 1993–2015 / DHC-515: 2022-present |
| Number built | 95 |
| Developed from | Canadair CL-215 |
Development of the CL-415 began in the early 1990s, shortly after the success of the CL-215T retrofit programme had proven a viable demand for a turboprop-powered model of the original CL-215. Entering production in 2003, in addition to its new engines, the aircraft featured numerous modernisation efforts and advances over the CL-215, particularly in terms of its cockpit and aerodynamics, to yield improved performance. By the time the programme's production phase had begun, it was owned by Bombardier, who continued production up until 2015. In October 2016, the CL-415 programme was acquired by Viking Air, aiming to produce an updated CL-515, since renamed the DHC-515 Firefighter, and to be produced in Calgary, Alberta, by De Havilland Canada.