Erickson’s Air Crane “Elvis” achieves 100% effectiveness rating in Chilean fire fighting

Read local coverage here of a recent study showing that Air Crane Elvis achieved a 100% effectiveness rating during the Chilean firefighting season. Original article is in Spanish; the English translation appears below.

Supertanker had less than 14% effectiveness in combating forest fires

The evaluation, which was carried out after the emergency ended, calculated the total effectiveness of the main used during the emergency and considered the percentage of rainfall water that actually reaches the affected area.

SANTIAGO – The National Forest Corporation (Conaf) revealed that the B-747 Supertanker had less than 14 percent overall effectiveness in combating forest fires earlier this year, while the Ilyushin-76 earned more than 35 percent.

The evaluation, which was carried out after the emergency ended, calculated the total effectiveness considering the percentage of rainfall water that effectively reaches the affected area.

Only the discharge in the form of rain or compact volume of water is effective for firefighting, according to the agency.

The characterization shows that the most effective craft used during the combat of the flames was the Sikorsky S64 with 100% and is followed by the AT-802F with 90%.

Among the three with less effectiveness in its action is the Ilyushin ship, sent by the government of Vladimir Putin, with a 35.28%, which shows that “the launches could never concentrate on the front of attack, only flank The fire “as explained in the report.

It is followed by the plane sent by the Chilean Lucy Ana Avilés, the Supertanker B-747 with only 13.61%. The document shows that the percentage of discharge corresponding to rain or compact discharge was only 33% and is the aircraft that most personnel needed for their operation on land: about 30 people.

The letter also says that a clearance of other aircraft is required within a 10-mile radius. “This and the fact that in this case it is required that the aircraft lie on the ground during the

Launch operations, meant the delay in the operation of the aircraft that were fighting the fire for at least 30 to 40 minutes, “they added.

In the last place is the C-130 Lockheed, with 13.20% and 48 missions, and, like the ship sent by Russia, had problems in concentrating the launches in the front of attack.