Comments on: Why Don’t We Have… FIRECOPTERS? (Aug, 1953) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/08/25/why-dont-we-have-firecopters/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:19:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Al Bear http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/08/25/why-dont-we-have-firecopters/comment-page-1/#comment-1059691 Al Bear Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:03:58 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5182#comment-1059691 Do'H! you can't post pictures. I now know! http://home.att.net/~bugs-bunny/firecopter.JPG Do’H! you can’t post pictures. I now know!

http://home.att.net/~bugs-bunny/firecopter.JPG

]]> By: Al Bear http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/08/25/why-dont-we-have-firecopters/comment-page-1/#comment-1059690 Al Bear Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:03:01 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5182#comment-1059690 An actual real live LAFD FIRECOPTER in action today on TV! An actual real live LAFD FIRECOPTER in action today on TV!

]]> By: Eliyahu http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/08/25/why-dont-we-have-firecopters/comment-page-1/#comment-1059687 Eliyahu Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:56:35 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5182#comment-1059687 It's clear from the article that the author didn't know much about either helicopters or firefighting. As a former firefighter, I can say without contradiction that the pressure required to pump water up to a helicopter (above what can already be reached by ladder trucks or hose evolutions up a stairwell using standpipes) would almost certainly exceed the burst strength of any fire hose on the market. There would also be other issues when you tether a chopper to the ground or to the engine down there that's pumping the water to it, not to mention the limits of the pumping capacity of a fire engine. Water is also quite heavy and it takes a lot of it to put out a structure fire. That's why large choppers are used for wildfires, but they also just carry a huge bucket and dump it all at once. They don't try to pump the water bit by bit. On top of that, putting a helicopter over the fire would not only fan the flames big-time, but would also create serious ventilation issues for ground-based firefighters as it drove both heat and smoke back down to where they're trying to work, and puts the chopper up where there's tremendous heat and turbulence. It makes for dangerous flying and places everyone at risk, both in the air and on the ground below. It’s clear from the article that the author didn’t know much about either helicopters or firefighting. As a former firefighter, I can say without contradiction that the pressure required to pump water up to a helicopter (above what can already be reached by ladder trucks or hose evolutions up a stairwell using standpipes) would almost certainly exceed the burst strength of any fire hose on the market. There would also be other issues when you tether a chopper to the ground or to the engine down there that’s pumping the water to it, not to mention the limits of the pumping capacity of a fire engine. Water is also quite heavy and it takes a lot of it to put out a structure fire. That’s why large choppers are used for wildfires, but they also just carry a huge bucket and dump it all at once. They don’t try to pump the water bit by bit. On top of that, putting a helicopter over the fire would not only fan the flames big-time, but would also create serious ventilation issues for ground-based firefighters as it drove both heat and smoke back down to where they’re trying to work, and puts the chopper up where there’s tremendous heat and turbulence. It makes for dangerous flying and places everyone at risk, both in the air and on the ground below.

]]> By: Tracy B. http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/08/25/why-dont-we-have-firecopters/comment-page-1/#comment-1059685 Tracy B. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:51:33 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5182#comment-1059685 We got fire 'copters now We got fire ‘copters now

]]> By: Al Bear http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/08/25/why-dont-we-have-firecopters/comment-page-1/#comment-1059676 Al Bear Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:46:41 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5182#comment-1059676 It answered it's own question! Why Don’t We Have… FIRECOPTERS? <b><i>because it's</i></b> (Aug, 1953)! that's why. It answered it’s own question!

Why Don’t We Have… FIRECOPTERS? because it’s (Aug, 1953)! that’s why.

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