FAA approves STC for Recoil’s UH-60 Black Hawk AFSS tank

Recoil Aerospace has received US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its Tsunami aerial fire suppression system (AFSS) tank system for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The company’s supplemental type certificate (STC) SR02584AK is the only carbon fiber system approved for UH-60 operations.

The new STC allows Recoil’s design, used globally in firefighting, to be applied to all UH-60 type certificate holders and UH-60/S-70 variants. With approval, US firefighting programs can adopt this technology for the current wildfire season, and Tsunami AFSS units are available for immediate acquisition.

“With this key approval, we are ready to assist fire aviation operators here in the US at the start of an already active fire season,” stated Recoil President and pilot Joseph Rice. “Our rapid installation combined with high-volume, fixed tank water delivery leads to maximum fire suppression effectiveness.”

The tank system features underside fuselage mounting, a 1,000gal capacity, retractable design, the fastest airspeed, and rapid hover-filling. Compared with legacy external water buckets, it offers a major performance upgrade, allowing Recoil-equipped crews to fly over urban areas without the risk of underslung, jettisonable loads. With high-volume water drops and a rapid turnaround time, the UH-60 Tsunami AFSS can help control new wildfires and protect homes in an urban interface fire outbreak.

Recoil adds the UH-60 STC to a wide range of existing international approvals. The Recoil H225 STC is already in place in the USA and Canada as well as the Republic of Korea, Brazil, Morocco, Australia and other regions.