De Havilland Canada Launches DHC-515 Firefighting Aircraft

De Havilland Canada said it will begin production of a new firefighting aircraft in response to the prevalence of wildfires around the world.

Jonathan Welsh

Monday, April 04, 2022 at 02:01 PM ET

Verified

The CL-415 EAF, currently the latest in the line of Canadair aerial firefighters, will soon be joined by the next generation DHC-515 Firefighter. [Courtesy: De Havilland]

Key Takeaways:

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada launched its DHC-515 Firefighter program, with initial deliveries of the first 22 aircraft, already ordered by European customers, expected by the middle of this decade.
The DHC-515 is an upgraded successor to the CL-215 and CL-415 amphibious firefighters, designed for enhanced performance including refilling its water tanks from natural sources in 12 seconds and dropping up to 700,000 liters of water per day.
Production of the DHC-515 is resuming to address the increasing global prevalence of wildfires, positioning the aircraft as a critical tool for countries to protect people and forests amid changing climate conditions.

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De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. said it launched its DHC-515 Firefighter program and expects to begin delivering aircraft by the middle of this decade. The company said European customers have signed letters of intent to purchase the first 22 aircraft built.

The DHC-515 Firefighter is a successor to the well-known Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 amphibious that have been used extensively for firefighting in North America and Europe for more than 50 years. The new model incorporates upgrades designed to increase its overall firefighting performance.