A European competitor to our Canadair

Roadfour SA, a Belgian start-up is offering a water bomber that can carry 12,500 liters. This will replace the Canadair CL-415s which can hold 6137 litres. The plane's "gull wings" keep the engines above the water. The Seagle's foils are a technological breakthrough. These are curved metal rods that touch the surface of the water and keep it out of the water. Only the Seagle scoop dives into water during the scooping phase. Canadairs must skim on the surface with their fuselage in order to refuel. The Roadfour presentation states that the Seagle will have low fuel usage thanks to its turboprops with 6-blade propellers. However, the device is still not off the drawing boards. To ensure the development of the device, it will take six years to create the prototype, test the product and launch the production line. Every year, there are more than 60,000 forest fires in Europe. With a severe ecological impact, thousands of hectares of forest are set on fire. This phenomenon is only made worse by current climate changes. The European countries currently own a fleet of water bombers that are mostly made of old aircraft. They will soon need to be replaced. The French Canadairs, which have been in service for 24 years now, will require major maintenance between 2025 and 2026. Many countries will seek new water bombers to expand their existing fleets or replace those they have. France, Greece and Italy have water bombers to combat forest fires. The CL-415 is the most recent version. It was first produced in 1993. Bombardier stopped production in 2015. The operating license was given to Viking Air, now part De Havilland Canada. In 2022, the company will produce a new Canadair, the DHC-515 (ex-CL515). It was built in Calgary, Alberta where De Havilland also maintains the CL-215, CL-415, and CL-415. Roadfour states that several European industrialists have signed letters of intent to buy the 22 first aircraft. Initial deliveries are expected to be in 2025. Siemens, a German technology conglomerate, has announced its collaboration in the Seagle's development. The Seagle will be built using its Xcelerator digital platform. Market studies predict that there will be an increase in demand for water bombers worldwide, with between 200-250 units being produced over the next 20 years. Even if there are other devices on the market, this is sufficient to ensure the Seagle and DHC-515's success.