New power fill bucket to increase firefighting effectiveness

Drawing on expertise from Kawak Aviation Technologies and from within VIH’s operations and engineering teams, VIH’s power fill bucket is capable of filling at a rate of over 2,000 to 2,200 gpm in as little as 20 inches of water, in less than 20 seconds. This allows VIH’s aircraft to draw from water sources in close proximity to the intended target, significantly reducing flight time while achieving a greater number of water drops in a shorter time frame. The design operates on a Kawak 25 hp pump and includes a high output axial flow design, stainless steel construction throughout, impeller and stator design for reduced friction losses and heavy-duty bearing housings.

Ability to inject gel as required

VIH’s power fill bucket also boasts the ability to inject gel as required, with a system developed and constructed by Barracuda Environmental Solutions. The Barracuda system measures water volume within the bucket and self-calibrates to inject exact gel amounts to achieve precise mixtures. Utilizing this gel-water mix ratio has proven to increase fire suppression effectiveness and allow the drops to remain effective as a fire suppressant for a longer term than water alone. All water pick-up and drop-off locations are satellite-tracked and note specific water and gel mixture volumes.

In similar news, SAFE Structure Designs will be offering a complete product line of economical Compressed Air Foam fire suppression equipment for helicopter operations support and various other applications.