Fifth CL-215T for Government of Saskatchewan
The conversion included the installation Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines.
The Government of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment has taken delivery of a fifth Viking CL-215T Airtanker from Cascade Aerospace Inc., the aerospace and defence company reports. Converted from a piston-engine powered aircraft to a turboprop-powered aircraft, the amphibious firefighting aircraft is Cascade’s ninth Viking conversion overall, said the firm.
Steve Roberts, executive director of wildfire management for the Government of Saskatchewan, Canada, commented: “Converting the aircraft extends the life of our airtanker fleet out another 20 years. Our trials have shown the Viking CL-215T achieves substantially higher performance than its piston-engine predecessor, especially on longer duration fires. It cruises at the same speed, but climbs faster and gets into the drop cycle sooner.”
Saskatchewan’s current airtanker fleet consists of five Viking CL-215Ts, one Viking CL-215 and four Convair CV580As, noted Cascade.
The conversion included the installation Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines, aircraft appendages including winglets and finlets, avionics upgrades, power-assisted flight controls, and a new power distribution system, which required a complete re-wiring of the aircraft.