Hi Carrie, Re the speed of the Ilyushin IL-76, they have a specially- designed thrust reducers to reduce the speed. This as well as other interesting technical aspects of the planes are discussed here:
link In case I've made another mistake in posting the link, you can see the page by clicking on the "Other Uses" link once you're within the Global Emergency Response site. Here is the paragraph that specifically discusses the speed issue: "Leading edge wing designs and special flaps together with high-lift devices and thrust reversers on each of the four very powerful engines allow for low, slow flight, and safe landings on remote, rough and generally shorter runways. These are ideal features for remote drop missions of any kind including, for example, dropping relief supplies bundles, pre-fab hospitals, oil spill containment equipment, and the like."
OTOH, one would think that jets are more susceptible to sucking up debris than a prop plane. Interesting.
Thanks so much, stoat, for bringing this important issue
to FreeRepublic again.
Our information at Global Emergency Response is that
the IL-76 waterbomber issue should get to television
in the next couple of days and from there, who knows?
I caught the tail end of a DC committee meeting session
online today where the FS was being contratulated for
getting to 98% of the fires on time. The stats will show
that some small proportion of wildfires, say 5%, causes
95% of the damages.
Here's the latest, "Arson by Omission", a Ventura County
Reporter article from two reprint sources:
http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/media/2004/news_20031218_usa.htm -
Global Fire Monitoring Center in Gemany, and
http://www.desastres.org/ger/vcreportercom.htm We're not counting Reps Rohrabacher's and Weldon's efforts out.
The IL-76 is by far and away the most powerful firefighting
appliance in the world and the worst-kept secret in
firefighting. To keep it from Americans is in breach of a
civil defence duty. Im' in Canada. Canada said it would
follow the US Forest Service lead on this airplane. By
following the US lead, Canada defaults to the failure
position and we have damages to show for it. While these
damages may not approach Socal's 23 lives and 3,495 homes
from October and November, 2003, they are still serious
enough to have begun reconsidering their options.
When bureaucrats dig in for a fight, they, unlike business,
have a guaranteed salary and pension/benefits scheme to
rely on. Businessmen such as those promoting the
Il-76 do not. The Forest Service knows this. Ag Secretaries
come and Ag Secretaries go but the bureaucrats survive.