OV-10 BroncoMedia Platforms Design TeamOriginally used for helicopter escorts and antiguerrilla operations in Vietnam, this two-seater carries the mission supervisor. Circling 1000 ft. above the other planes, he monitors the airspace and directs tanker runs.Grumman S-2F TrackerMedia Platforms Design TeamThe retrofitted “stoof,” as it’s known, carries a relatively small payload—but its 230-mph top speed and precise handling make the Tracker perfect for initial attacks in tight spaces. The S-2 was designed in the early 1950s to hunt and kill submarines, yet be agile enough to land on aircraft carriers.C-130Media Platforms Design TeamThe military’s 45-year-old transport workhorse pours 2700 gal. of retardant from a modular system mounted in its belly. The Air National Guard C-130s used in California also have fought fires as far away as Indonesia. Martin MarsMedia Platforms Design TeamDesigned in 1938 as a Navy bomber that could carry 300 men, the flying boat found its true calling as a firefighter. To fill its tanks, the Mars lowers intake scoops and skims a body of water at 70 knots; it can then dump 60,000 pounds of water on a fire with every trip.DC-10 (“Tanker 910”)Media Platforms Design TeamDC-10 (“Tanker 910”) This former passenger jet is now contracted out—at $5500 per flight hour—to lay down straight lines of fire retardant. The three-man flight crew operating the DC-10 can unleash 12,000 gal. in 8 seconds.(Illustrations by Gil Ahn)>In the Cockpit with America’s Wildfire Pilots »>Media Platforms Design Team
