Float plane technology

A firefighting float plane having a fuselage, first and second propellers, a wing, two tail booms, and first and second floats, the first and second floats being spaced apart from each other and mounted to the fuselage, the fuselage being equipped with a water tank having closed and open configurations, the water tank when in its closed configuration having a closed bottom, the water tank when in its open configuration having an open bottom, the first propeller being located at a nose of the fuselage, the wing being located at a higher position than a pilot position of the firefighting float plane so as not to obstruct downward viewing from the pilot position, the first propeller facing forward of the firefighting float plane, the second propeller facing rearward of the firefighting float plane, the second, rearward-facing propeller being located between the two tail booms, the wing being located at a higher position than a rotation axis of the first, forward-facing propeller but being located at a lower position than a rotation axis of the second, rearward facing propeller.

A firefighting float plane having a fuselage, a wing, first and second floats, a first propeller coupled to a first engine assembly and a second propeller coupled to a second engine assembly, the first and second floats being spaced apart from each other and mounted to the fuselage, the fuselage being equipped with a water tank having closed and open configurations, the water tank when in its closed configuration having a closed bottom, the water tank when in its open configuration having an open bottom, the firefighting float plane having a ratio of holding capacity of the water tank to total power of the two engine assemblies of greater than 0.5 gallons/horsepower in combination with the holding capacity of the water tank being greater than 1,000 gallons and the total power of the two engine assemblies being less than 4,000 horsepower.