Development of the Bell 214B Big Lifter The Bell 214B Big Lifter is a remarkable helicopter, developed from the successful Bell 204 and 205 series. Initially designed in the early 1970s, the Bell 214 was created to meet the demands for a high-performance, heavy-lift helicopter. The design incorporated a powerful engine and advanced rotor system to ensure superior lift capabilities …
The Bell 205 helicopter, a versatile and robust aircraft, has carved a significant niche in both military and civilian sectors. Its rich history and diverse applications make it a standout in the world of aviation. A Brief History of the Bell 205 Helicopter The Bell 205 is a direct evolution of the Bell 204, with its primary distinction being its …
The invention and development of the “Bambi Bucket” revolutionized aerial firefighting by enabling helicopters to drop large volumes of water on fires in remote or hard-to-reach locations. This innovative tool has become an essential component of firefighting efforts worldwide, and its evolution has greatly improved firefighting capabilities. The Bambi Bucket was first developed in the early 1980s by Don Arney, …
The Kaman K-Max is a unique helicopter that was developed by the American aerospace company Kaman Aircraft Corporation. It was designed to be a highly versatile aircraft capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from lifting heavy loads to fighting fires. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the development, history, and civilian uses of the Kaman …
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is a versatile military helicopter, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, that has been in use since the 1970s. Over the years, it has been used in a variety of roles, including medical evacuation, search and rescue, troop transport, and as a gunship. Despite its reputation as a military workhorse, many UH-60 Black Hawks have been …
Firefighting planes and helicopters come in all shapes and sizes, but few of them are quite as pricey and state-of-the-art as the machine that the state of Colorado recently ordered. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) has signed a pledge of $24 million for the delivery of a single state-of-the-art helicopter that will presumably deliver some truly …
There seems to be no machine quite like a helicopter when it comes to dashing in to save people from remote and dicey spots. Three hikers discovered this the hard way when they became trapped on a large rock in Mission Trails Regional Park close to Gorge Road in East County, near San Diego, California this past Sunday. A fire …
Sudden, rampaging forest fires are hardly uncommon in the frequently dry national forests of California, and one of these almost spilled out of control in a single day this past Wednesday, July 14th. Firefighters were rapidly called in to contain a blaze of close to 5 acres that had been reported at 6:27 am on July 14th and which had …
Cal Fire, the department of wildfires and other fire fighting services based in California has stationed a former US army Boeing Chinook helicopter at Napa County where they plan to use it with other firefighters to contain water and unleash the water if there is a wildfire or a building on fire. Even though the aircraft has been placed in …
The CAL FIRE organization, a company responsible for producing and designing technology that will take care of wildfires in the forest and other environmental disasters, have released a look of their new CAL FIRE Hawk in tribute to the mass profit their company had made by selling a dozen of their new helicopters to the state of California for a …