The Badger Helicopter Tank Delivery System The Badger Helicopter Tank Delivery System Tower Aerospace Inc. designed the Badger in 2000. In the summers of 2002 to 2004, the Badger and the Tower Aerospace team were in Salmon Arm, BC to undergo Flight Testing with the RAPATTACK team. The Badger underwent major structural testing, and exceeded all design expectations. STC certification was issued in 2004. The Badger was on the fire line for the 2005 Fire Season in British Columbia and performed successfully all season, with no down time with a flawless operation. The Badger has the most unique drop pattern in the world today. The tank is capable of precision water drops in the 90% accuracy range, with 100% load delivery. This system also has the ability for Barrier Creation. The Badger loads faster than any other present day helitanker system. The tank onloads on average in 15 18 seconds. The Badger has offload capabilities as well for ground crew. With the tank installed, the helicopter also has Cargo Hook capabilities. When the Badger releases its full load, the water/foam clears the doors in 0.5 seconds and the entire load is intact when it hits the target area. This means that the Badger tanker system is very aggressive in massive canopy penetration. The Badger has surpassed all others in this area. View the Latest Newsletter Badger Specifications The Badger is designed for Rotor Craft: Bell 205/212/214/412 & UH-1 Series, Canadian Forces “Griffon” Purpose: Precision Water Bombing Barrier Creation Capacity: 310 US Gallons 155 US Gallons per side Overall Dimensions: 178″ x 76″ x 23″ Installation: Initial Helicopter Preparation: Hardwire: 2 Days Air Frame Strengthening Kit: 4 Days 2 hours at the beginning of the fire season after helicopter preparation In season on/off -1 hour Operational Cost Savings: Fill Time: 15-18 seconds Water Onload: 310 US Gallons Leakage: 0.0 Gallons Estimated Turn Around Time: 10.4 Minutes Effective Load Penetration: 95% 5.8 Loads/Hour Effective Load (Gal/Hr): 1430.8 Gallons Number of Missions (10,000 Gallons): 40.32 Effective Load on Fire ($/Gal): $1.47 (Presently there are 1300 Lbs Cargo Hook Capability approved & 2400 Lbs approval pending) Compared to other fire suppression units available, this is a significant savings and significant operational capability. Badger Models Basic Model: Weight: 625 Lbs Net Weight Features: Cam Lock Loading No Snorkel 0.5 Second Load Drop Fully Loaded Model: Weight: 690 Lbs Net Weight Features: Retractable Snorkel Cargo Hook Capabilities Foam Injection System Offload Capabilities – Tank onboard pump 0.5 Second Load Drop Average 15 18 Second Onload
