Bombardier sells four firefighting aircraft

MONTREAL — Bombardier Aerospace announced the sale of four 415 Amphibious Firefighting aircraft to an undisclosed customer. The list price for the aircraft is about US$162 million, including training and initial spare parts.

Delivery of the aircraft will begin in the second quarter of 2011 and continue through to the first quarter of 2013. The aerial firefighting industry has ordered the planes to suppress fires in Canada, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.

The governments of Manitoba as well as Newfoundland and Labrador both recently ordered four of the aircraft.

Since being launched in 1994, 79 of the aircraft have been delivered. More than 60 CL-215 amphibious piston aircraft also remain in service.

The 415 aircraft, which travels at 333 kilometres an hour, can scoop up 6,137 litres of water in a single pass from a nearby source. A total of nine drops can be made per hour. Water can also be mixed with foam suppressant.
© 2011 The Canadian Press