Helicopter lessor Milestone Aviation has partnered with Australia’s Helitak to develop an aerial firefighting kit for the Sikorsky S-92A. Milestone and Helitak have developed the FT5000 system—a 1,050-gallon, collapsible, belly-mounted fire suppression tank—designed specifically for the S-92A. The first S-92A equipped with the FT5000 will be on static display next week at HAI Heli-Expo in Dallas.
Helitak’s carbon-fiber FT5000 system for the S-92A can be installed or removed in minutes and is equipped with a hover pump that can fully fill in 48 seconds. The 715-pound tank provides for greater liquid carrying capacity; these contents can be dropped in configurable patterns through integrated controls to more effectively fight fires. The firefighting S-92A can also transport crews of up to 19 firefighters, and its rear-loading cargo ramp offers operators the ability to quickly reconfigure the aircraft from passenger and equipment transfers to cargo hauling or medevac services.
“This turn-key firefighting platform is an industry first and combines the versatility of the helicopter with Helitak’s innovative tank design,” said Milestone president and CEO Pat Sheedy. “Milestone and Helitak’s expert teams worked closely together to craft a solution for the civilian-certified S-92A for immediate deployment into firefighting missions across the globe, and we are extremely proud of the results that have been achieved.”
- General Aviation