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The ?Badger?

Tower Aerospace Inc. designed the ?Badger? in 2000. In the summers of 2002 to 2004, the ?Badger? and the Tower Aerospace team were in Salmon Arm, BC to undergo Flight Testing with the RAPATTACK team. The ?Badger? underwent major structural testing, and exceeded all design expectations. STC certification was issued in 2004. The ?Badger? was on the fire line for the 2005 Fire Season in British Columbia and performed successfully all season, with no down time with a flawless operation.

The ?Badger? has the most unique drop pattern in the world today. The tank is capable of precision water drops in the 90% accuracy range, with 100% load delivery. This system also has the ability for Barrier Creation. The ?Badger? loads faster than any other present day helitanker system. The tank onloads on average in 15 ? 18 seconds. The ?Badger? has offload capabilities as well for ground crew. With the tank installed, the helicopter also has Cargo Hook capabilities. When the ?Badger? releases its full load, the water/foam clears the doors in 0.5 seconds and the entire load is intact when it hits the target area. This means that the ?Badger? tanker system is very aggressive in massive canopy penetration. The ?Badger? has surpassed all others in this area.

 
?Badger? Specifications
 
The ?Badger? is designed for Rotor Craft:
  • Bell 205/212/214/412 & UH-1 Series, Canadian Forces "Griffon"

Purpose:

  • Precision Water Bombing
  • Barrier Creation
  • Capacity:
  • 310 US Gallons
  • 155 US Gallons per side

Overall Dimensions:

  • 178" x 76" x 23"

Installation:

  • Initial Helicopter Preparation:
  • Hardwire: 2 Days
  • Air Frame Strengthening Kit: 4 Days
  • 2 hours at the beginning of the fire season after helicopter preparation
  • In season on/off -1 hour
Operational Cost Savings:
  • Fill Time: 15-18 seconds
  • Water Onload: 310 US Gallons
  • Leakage: 0.0 Gallons
  • Estimated Turn Around Time: 10.4 Minutes
  • Effective Load Penetration: 95%
  • 5.8 Loads/Hour
  • Effective Load (Gal/Hr): 1430.8 Gallons
  • Number of Missions (10,000 Gallons): 40.32
  • Effective Load on Fire ($/Gal): $1.47
  • (Presently there are 1300 Lbs Cargo Hook Capability approved & 2400 Lbs approval pending)
  • Compared to other fire suppression units available, this is a significant savings and significant operational capability.
 
?Badger? Models

Basic Model:

  • Weight: 625 Lbs Net Weight
  • Features: Cam Lock Loading ? No Snorkel
  • 0.5 Second Load Drop

Fully Loaded Model:

  • Weight: 690 Lbs Net Weight
  • Features: Retractable Snorkel
  • Cargo Hook Capabilities
  • Foam Injection System
  • Offload Capabilities - Tank onboard pump
  • 0.5 Second Load Drop
  • Average 15 ? 18 Second Onload