Australia certifies Recoil’s Tsunami aerial firefighting tank system
Key features of the tank system include underside fuselage mounting, retractable tank design, fastest airspeed available and rapid hover-filling
Recoil Aerospace, a US-based designer of aerial fire suppression systems (AFSS), has obtained approval by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for its Tsunami AFSS tank system.
Recoil’s supplemental type certificate (STC) SR02584AK for the H225 Super Puma helicopter is the only tank approval for operations with that aircraft.
Key features of the tank system include underside fuselage mounting, retractable tank design, fastest airspeed available and rapid hover-filling.
The Recoil STC is currently in place in the USA and Canada, as well as the Republic of Korea and other regions.
With the approval, Australian firefighting programs can now add this key technology upgrade for the emerging bushfire season across the continent. Tsunami AFSS units are available for immediate acquisition.
“This certification is vital to assisting operators down under, particularly with the Australian fire season now underway,” said Recoil President and pilot Joseph Rice. “Rapid installation combined with high-volume, fixed tank water delivery means maximum fire suppression effectiveness.”
Additionally, the company has announced the pending US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of its Tsunami AFSS STC for the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter series, anticipated for the 2025 fire season in North America.
Recoil’s low-profile aerial suppression platform mounts directly to the fuselage, eliminating external long-line bucket operations, requiring no modifications to the helicopter landing gear. Installation and removal can be done in minutes.
Representing a performance upgrade from legacy external water buckets, the platform enables firefighting crews to fly over urban population centers without the hazard of underslung, jettisonable loads. Aerial suppression efforts also become more efficient given the rapid turnaround and incident response times.
Last year Recoil Aerospace received approvals from Transport Canada Civil Aviation for its T1000-E and T650-E aerial firefighting systems.
Chloe Fox
Chloe Fox is an Senior Editorial Assistant for Voyageur Group, joining in 2024. She writes for AirMed&Rescue and ITIJ, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision, and air medical transportation. Chloe holds a BA (Hons) in English and an MA in English Literature from the University of Bristol.