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Viking Air expects to decide in the first quarter of 2019 whether to move forward with development and production of its proposed CL-515, an upgraded version of the CL-215 and CL-415 water bombers.
Sidney, British Columbia-based Viking also envisions the CL-515 as a multi-mission aircraft capable of performing firefighting, surveillance, medevac and other missions, says executive vice-president of sales and marketing Robert Mauracher.
"We expect board approval for go or no go by the end of the first quarter next year," Mauracher tells FlightGlobal.
If the project gets the go-ahead, Viking anticipates the first CL-515 will fly in 2024, and envisions production of four to five aircraft annually for 10 years, Mauracher says.
The CL-515 would have twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines, modern avionics and situational awareness technology. Landing weight may also be increased over the current CL models, and water capacity would rise to 7,000 litres (1,850USgal), up from the current standard of about 6,000 litres on the CL-415, Mauracher says.
Viking, which acquired Bombardier's CL programme in 2016, anticipates the CL-515 will deliver a 12-15% fuel-efficiency improvement over the previous-generation aircraft.
In addition to the firefighting derivative, Viking might offer CL-515s with advanced sensors for use in search and rescue and maritime surveillance roles. Viking is also considering a boom system for spraying insect repellent or oil suppressant, and a large cargo door for medevac work.
"We are moving into the multi-role, multi-mission capability," Mauracher says.
A recent spate of forest fires, and the fact that many in-service CLs are nearing retirement, sparked Viking's interest in an upgraded derivative.
"This is the only factory-built aerial firefighter in the world," he says. "We see the market developing quite nicely."
The CL-515 would be based on the CL-415EAF - or enhanced aerial firefighter - a derivative being developed by Viking affiliate Longview Aviation Asset Management.
Longview is updating 11 CL-215s with PW123AFs, winglets and other improvements to create CL-415EAFs, says Mauracher, who is also Longview's chief operating officer.
Longview expects to deliver the first CL-415EAF in 2020 to launch customer Bridger Aerospace, a firefighting company based in Montana. Shipments of that variant will run until 2024, at which point CL-515 production could commence, he says.
IzvorOn December 20, Viking Air released a video that describes in detail a new model of the scooping air tanker that could succeed the CL-415. The new CL-515, if it is ever built, is supposed to have a 15 percent larger tank holding up to 1,850 gallons (7,000 liters), and the ability to be outfitted with agriculture spraying equipment or carry up to 12 passengers or three stretchers. Other optional equipment could include a larger cargo door, video cameras, and search radar.
We asked a spokesperson for Viking if the description of the CL-515 in the video meant it would be produced, and if so when, we were told, “No official announcement made yet. The 515 video is a promotional tool for the time being to generate interest in the potential production aircraft.” The spokesperson declined to give us a date.
In March, 2018 at the Aerial Firefighting Conference at McClellan Sacramento Airport, Viking’s director of Special Projects, Sales, and Marketing, Christian Bergeron, told us the company was currently gathering information from potential customers about what they would like to see on a new version of the CL-415. Mr. Bergeron said they expected to decide by the third quarter of 2018 if they would proceed with the project, which would be named CL-515.
Executive vice-president of sales and marketing for Viking, Robert Mauracher, told Flight Global in October, “We expect board approval for go or no-go [about building the CL-515] by the end of the first quarter next year”.
Bombardier stopped production of the CL-415 in 2015. The next year Viking acquired the worldwide amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier including the Type Certificates (manufacturing rights) for all variants of Bombardier’s amphibious aircraft, and assumed responsibility for product support, parts and service for the fleet of 170 water bombers in service with 21 operators in 11 countries around the world.
In a similar transaction in 2006 Viking acquired from de Havilland Canada the rights for the Twin Otter and re-launched production in 2007 after a 22 year hiatus, delivering over 140 aircraft in 30 countries. Viking also produces the DHC-7 Dash 7, the DHC-3 Otter, DHC-5 Buffalo, and the DHC-2 Beaver.
And, in November, 2018 Longview Aviation Capital Corp., parent company to Viking, agreed to acquire, through an affiliate, the entire Dash 8 program including the 100, 200 and 300 series and the in-production Q400 program from Bombardier Inc. Also included as part of the transaction are rights to the de Havilland name and trademark. Once completed, Longview will become North America’s largest commercial turbo-prop aircraft manufacturer.
Earlier in 2018 the Conair Group purchased six Q400 MR aircraft from Bombardier which it will convert into multirole air tankers for France’s Securite Civile (Department of Civil Defence and Emergency Preparedness).
Longview Aviation Asset Management (LAAM) of Calgary, Alberta, in cooperation with Viking launched in May, 2018 the Viking CL-415EAF (“Enhanced Aerial Firefighter”) Conversion Program to include upgrades of many components. LAAM intended to hire up to 150 technical and support staff members at its Calgary facilities, where eleven specially selected CL-215 aerial firefighting aircraft owned by LAAM would undergo the modification process utilizing Viking-supplied conversion kits.
Izvor