Could Russian 'waterbomber' save California?

"A massive Russian jet capable of releasing more than 10,000 gallons of water in a single dump could help solve California's wildfire crisis, but the federal government continues to resist it, asserts two U.S. congressmen."



http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=35366

[JMyerz]

thats one big super soaker

[jeepik]

doesnt surprise me..we always have the best technology when it comes to it

[TObject]

Wouldn't work in CA. Most houses around here don't carry flood insurance.

[Paradiddle]

Originally posted by jeepik
doesnt surprise me..we always have the best technology when it comes to it

When it comes to what?

I don't think of high tech when I think of the Ruskies - I think of rugged simple designs.

Take the Kalishnokov for example...

[jeepik]

Originally posted by Paradiddle
When it comes to what?

I don't think of high tech when I think of the Ruskies - I think of rugged simple designs.

Take the Kalishnokov for example...

who do you think is designing all the militry equipment and the fancy new planes at lockheed and martin

russian engineers

[Paradiddle]

Originally posted by jeepik
who do you think is designing all the militry equipment and the fancy new planes at lockheed and martin

russian engineers

Ummm - I think those are German engineers

[jeepik]

Originally posted by Paradiddle
Ummm - I think those are German engineers

wrong again, i have some friends working on the very same project and they certainly dont speak german, but just happen to speak fluent russian

[TObject]

Buy any chance are those the clowns who came up with the idea to attach a drive shaft to a jet engine as PTO (something you'd use to power a snow plow on a truck)? I was watching about it and Lockheed on NOVA, and I was almost crying.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by jeepik
who do you think is designing all the militry equipment and the fancy new planes at lockheed and martin

russian engineers

You don't really want to go there, do you?

I'd prefer that you didn't, but we can if you wish.

[jeepik]

Originally posted by mrblaine
You don't really want to go there, do you?

I'd prefer that you didn't, but we can if you wish.

get a sense of humor man.gees

[William]

Originally posted by jeepik
who do you think is designing all the militry equipment and the fancy new planes at lockheed and martin

russian engineers

Hopefully not the guy who taught you to spell!

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by jeepik
get a sense of humor man.gees

Trade with me for about a day and try that sense of humor thing again. I have at least one friend in each of the threatened areas by fires in SoCal. Running Springs, Valley Center, Escondido, TierraSanta, Spring Valley, Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, and relatives in MoorPark.

If I could get my hands on whoever is in charge of letting the firefighters on the front line go hungry, I would personally drive a 10" rusty nail through the strongest part of their scrotum to the top of a 2' tall tree stump. About 30 gallons of gas and the appropriate amount of wood in a 15 foot circle around the stump and I'd toss a rusty butterknife over the top of the flames after I got the flames going.

We had red tape that left tankers on the ground due to some stupid rules about whose resources needed to be depleted first and they were desperately needed.

I still have no word if some of my friends even have homes to return to.

Then a pic of something that is or was sorely needed gets posted up and some moron needs to take credit somehow for it's existence and you want me to get a sense of humor?

Take that and shove it right up along side your lack of sensitivity for our situation. I'll get some humor right after you get an idea of which buttons are better left not pushed.

[jeepik]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Take that and shove it right up along side your lack of sensitivity for our situation. I'll get some humor right after you get an idea of which buttons are better left not pushed.

you out of all people are talking to me about sensitivity???? gees you people need to lighten up

i never said anything bad about the situation in Cali, heck i have some friends in the middle of it too.

i was just simply stating that it was a great piece of technology..that's what we are talking about here...the plane right????


oh and William the teacher who taught me to spell lives in suburban Virginia, i dont think she even finished high school..that's the kind of education the commonwealth of Virginia has to offer( i'm sure Seth will jump on me, being the wahoo that he is )

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Typical Dimitry style

[HIGLET]

Originally posted by mrblaine
drive a 10" rusty nail through the strongest part of their scrotum to the top of a 2' tall tree stump.

Jesus Christ I won't be able to walk for a week just thinking about that.

I gotta go ice the boys down, they tensed up pretty bad when I read that.

[Darrell C]

Originally posted by HIGLET
Jesus Christ I won't be able to walk for a week just thinking about that.

I gotta go ice the boys down, they tensed up pretty bad when I read that.

Blaine,

Not that your asking for it, but I sympathize with your feelings. I have friends down there right now fighting those fires on the fireline, including an Assistant Chief who took a strike-team of engines down. After the death of the Navato firefighter, I'm hoping they make it home safe to their families.

I wish you all the best.

[Dan-H]

I don't know how these planes would really work. the article seems abit far fetched claiming that 10K gallons ( size of a small swimming pool ) can put out a forest fire.

but that's not to say it would be totally useless.

I could envision a potential for mid-air issues mixing the slow air speed planes currently in use, and a jet, or jets like these. Maybe that's part of the issue.

But, why not use them at night?

seems a safe route could be charted, even for a lumbering jet of this size, to assure at least 1K altitude AGL. At night there wouldn't be other planes in the area. The jets could dump water from a higher altitude, and direct their loads using IR sensors, or be directed in from another plane that had IR sensors.

I'm sure operating cost is an issue, but that is just beauracracy in action.

[Jerry Bransford]

Just a little interesting side note on what one of the pilots flying water drop missions over the fires in our local mountains saw...

The pilot was talking about how turbulant the air was and how the fire was causing such horrendous updrafts that it was really dangerous for the pilots... more so than in other fires they had fought...when he mentioned how when he was flying a water drop run at 1500' altitude and barely missed hitting a 4x8 piece of plywood spinning and flying around at his altitude!

[Milan]

When we had the fires here, I could not understand why the government would not send whatever little army we have to help put them out. Instead they complained about not enough resources and then when the fires went out of control, they sent the army in but by then it was not enough. So the money and resources were wasted anyway but with little benefit.

[RipCurl]

Originally posted by TObject
Buy any chance are those the clowns who came up with the idea to attach a drive shaft to a jet engine as PTO (something you'd use to power a snow plow on a truck)? I was watching about it and Lockheed on NOVA, and I was almost crying.

Are you talking about a turboshaft engine?

[Paradiddle]

The guys that fly water drop planes and helicopters are bad a$$ mofo pilots - that is some tough flying with the thermals and bad visability, not to mention the complete lack of altitude.

Jeff