California-based, Caylym Technologies announces the completion of formal flight and ground tests with Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi and the Romanian Air Force.
The international team conducted an extensive evaluation of the Caylym Guardian™ System, a cost-effective, solution to meet the world’s need for additional aerial firefighting options.
This need was recently identified in the Wildfire Suppression Transfer Act of 2012 (S. 3441), by U.S. Senators McCain, Feinstein, Nelson, Boxer and Johanns. The innovative Guardian System™ uses containers that each carry one ton (1000 L) of water, or fire suppressant.
When dropped from the back of cargo aircraft in succession, they open and release their contents, combating wildfires by raining retardant on target areas in overlapping bursts, enabling planes to target fires accurately from a safe distance, with more frequent drops.
Tests were executed over the course of 12 days by the Romanian Air Force’s C-27J Spartan, in early November. The C-27J is used extensively in a wide range of cargo hauling and aerial delivery missions.
The Guardian™ System fit seamlessly into the aircraft’s missions and capabilities. Expectations from testing were surpassed -- all aspects of safety, handling and deployment of the Guardian System by the C-27J are anticipated to achieve certification from the Alenia test and evaluation team. Follow-up training is planned for the spring of 2013 in Romania.
The C-27J Spartan is an ideal aircraft for the aerial firefighting mission,” said Rick Goddard, managing director of Caylym. “The versatility and responsiveness of the C-27J in a firefighting mission, using the Guardian System gives the Romanian Air Force the ability to drop more than 1,500 gallons (6000 L) per mission, from a safe altitude over all types of terrain, day and night.”
The Romanian Air Force, Alenia Aermacchi and Caylym have reached a major milestone in expanding available resources for aerial firefighting missions. With many parts of the world still recovering from last summer’s devastating season of wildfires, the RoAF C-27J Spartan the Guardian System may be the cost-effective relief vulnerable regions have been looking for.
“We have achieved our goal of testing and confirming that a rear-loading cargo plane such as the C-27J is able to load and safely deploy the Guardian System without any modification to the airframe. This capability may enable dozens of C-27s and other cargo aircraft to join the fight this year in combating wildfires,” Goddard said. “The reason we are all here is to help save lives, homes and the environment.”
Versatility was a driving factor in Caylym’s development of the Guardian System. The system can function safely with all cargo and military planes, with no aircraft modifications, using container delivery system (CDS), airdrop standards. “There are thousands of aircraft worldwide which use standard CDS protocols for airdrops. The Guardian System would enable most of these aircraft to enter the fight to protect life, property and land, which we sum up in our motto: Save one home,” said Garrett Miller, a Caylym representative. “Caylym is excited to contribute solutions in response to the Senate’s call for new, cost-effective alternatives to aerial fighting. We believe the Guardian System will become a true force multiplier in this effort.
The prospect of using more readily available cargo planes and helicopters to swiftly attack wildfires as early as possible is where we believe we can contribute the most in the battle against wildfires.”
To learn more about the Guardian Aerial Firefighting System and Caylym at http://www.caylym.com.
