De Havilland Canada to develop new DHC-515 firefighting aircraft
Aerospace manufacturer De Havilland Canada has announced that it will develop a new iteration of its DHC-515 twin turboprop firefighting fixed-wing aircraft
De Havilland says that it aims to deliver its first DHC-515 aircraft by the middle of the decade, and that it has acquired letters of intent to purchase 22 of the aircraft from various European customers. However, sales will reportedly require a positive outcome for government-to-government negotiations before shipping can begin.
The company has confirmed it will assemble the aircraft at its site in Calgary, and that production will necessitate the hiring of around 500 new employees.
According to De Havilland Chief Executive Brian Chafe, the announcement follows ‘an extensive business and technical review’.
The aircraft are expected to be equipped with two Pratt & Whitney turboprops
De Havilland Canada is operating brand of holding company Longview Aviation Capital, which acquired the name in 2019, and the announcement of the new DHC-515 follows the acquisition of type certificates for all out-of-production De Havilland designs in 2016 by Longview subsidiary Viking Air from Bombardier.
According to previously released specifications by Viking Air, the aircraft would be equipped Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprops and Collins Aerospace’s Pro Line Fusion digital avionics and would have the ability to carry 7,000 liters of water.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.