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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 9, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 2, 2004 The new S-61 Fire King, developed by Carson Helicopter Services Inc., drops water during a demonstration flight in Merlin Wednesday. The airship can carry 15 firefighters and 1,000 gallons of water. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Fire King makes splashy debut ‘The Swiss army knife of helicopters’ designed to save time and money on blazes By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune MERLIN — Jeff Schwanke grimaced while leaning into the rotorwash of the thundering helicopter as it dumped a waterfall onto the tarmac at the Josephine County airport. But the forester in charge of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Oregon District didn’t really mind the wind or the chilly spray. "This is a real positive step in the right direction," he shouted. "It brings enough punch to do us a lot of good and it doesn’t cost an arm and leg." He was among about 50 people, mostly from local firefighting agencies, watching Wednesday’s demonstration of the Carson S-61 Fire King, a new Type 1 (heavy) helicopter developed by Carson Helicopter Services Inc., based at the airport. "The Forest Service is interested in new technology as it relates to fire suppression," said Patty Burel, spokeswoman for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, speaking for agency personnel watching the demonstration. Advertisement "We’re always interested in new ways to do things." Using a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter as a base, the firm has developed and added a state-of-the-art composite main rotor, beefed up the engine, made room for 15 firefighters and installed a belly tank capable of holding 1,000 gallons of water to produce what it touts as the most advanced firefighting helicopter in the sky. "It’s kind of like the Swiss army knife of helicopters," observed Joe Rice, a helicopter pilot and operations director for the firm. With the Fire King, a wildfire can be attacked, a fire crew dropped off and injured picked up, said Steve Metheny, the firm’s executive vice president. "And we can do it faster than any helicopter out there," Metheny said. Moreover, the airship’s efficiency means big savings for taxpayers, Rice said. For instance, flying at 10,000 feet, the cost of operating a Sikorsky Skycrane is about 92 cents per gallon of water, compared to about 47 cents per gallon for the more efficient Fire King, he said. "That may not sound like much but if you are delivering 5,500 gallons an hour, you are saving $2,475 per hour," Rice said. "If we fly an eight-hour day, that saves $19,800 a day. It adds up." The Fire King, which costs some $6 million fully equipped, is the only Type 1 helicopter that can carry both 15 firefighters and has a 1,000-gallon belly tank. Composite rotor blades were originally created by NASA, but Franklin Carson, who started the firm in 1958, purchased the rights to develop them for commercial use, Rice said. The firm’s East Coast headquarters is in Perkasie, Pa. After 11 years of research, they were first used by Carson helicopters for firefighting during the 2004 fire season. "It’s the most efficient rotor blade ever produced commercially," Rice said, noting it increases lift capacity by some 2,500 pounds and increases the airspeed by about 15 knots. With the modifications, the aircraft can cruise along at 130 knots, lift 11,000 pounds beyond its own weight, fly for three hours without refueling and take off at 12,000 feet above sea level, Rice said. Moreover, the new blade’s life is double that of the traditional metal blade, he said. "We can move more people, lift more water and do it faster with more efficiency," Rice said. Equally important is the belly tank, he said, noting that with a traditional line and bucket, the heavy helicopters must fly around populated areas because of regulations in that airspace. However, that’s not the case with the FAA-approved belly tank, he said. "We can launch directly over towns," he said. "We can respond faster." The water from the tank can be dispensed at eight different levels, from a fine spray to slow a fire down to a gullywasher to flood a hot spot. It also carries 30 gallons of fire-suppressing foam. The aircraft can be loaded with water in less than 30 seconds. A half dozen Fire Kings equipped with the new tank and composite blades will be flying in the 2005 fire season, according to Bob Madden, the firm’s director of corporate development. Of those, two will have the 15-passenger carrying capability, he said, noting that each must be approved by the FAA. The tanks are manufactured in Medford while the blades are built at its Pennsylvania base, he said. The firm’s goal is to contract the Fire Kings out to resource management agencies as well as sell the new rotor blades, Rice said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities