Embraer completes flight certification flights for MAFFS II
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has completed flight certification tests a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS II) equipped onboard the KC-390/C-390 Millennium transport aircraft
The tests of the MAFFS II system were carried out at Embraer’s site in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo State, and paves the way for the system to be certified for installation by the Brazilian Military Certification Authority – after which ‘the firefighting capability will be available to aircraft’s operators’.
The approval will also pave the way for similar approvals in Hungary and Portugal, where Embraer also has fleet orders.
Twenty-two KC-390 aircraft in tanker configuration have been ordered by Brazil so far, alongside five in Portugal and two in Hungary.
The MAFFS II is capable of deploying up to 11,300 liters of water or retardant, and is designed to be rapidly installed in the cargo bay of the aircraft.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was 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.