Canadair CL-415

The Canadair CL-415, nicknamed the Super Scooper and later marketed as the Bombardier 415, is an amphibious aircraft designed specifically for aerial firefighting, although it can also be used for search and rescue and utility transport. It is based on the Canadair CL-215, and its development began in the early 1990s after the CL-215T retrofit programme, which fitted turboprop engines to existing CL-215 airframes, had shown there was demand for a turboprop model. The CL-415 is powered by a pair of Pratt and Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines and has an updated cockpit, aerodynamic improvements and changes to the water-release system. It made its maiden flight on 6 December 1993, and first deliveries began in November 1994. It was built originally by Canadair, then by Bombardier, and its successor, the DHC-515, is built by De Havilland Canada.