How do firefighting planes fill their tanks while flying right over lakes/sea without taking too much opposite force that would progressively stop them straight?

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How do firefighting planes fill their tanks while flying right over lakes/sea without taking too much opposite force that would progressively stop them straight?

In: Physics

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The scoops are quite small and designed so the drag for them in the water is not more than the aircraft can handle. The forces can be calculated and measured in tests during the design of the aircraft.

You can see the scope of [CL-415](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombardier_415_Probe.jpg) and it is tiny.

You can design them so the power that the engine can provide is enough to keep the speed or have the procedure so the initial speed is high enough so the speed you lose during the filling of the tanks is not enough to bring the speed down to close to the stall speed.

Anonymous 0 Comments

If you’re thinking of the Bombardier CL-415, its engines are specifically designed to maintain near-takeoff speeds during the 12 to 20 seconds it is in contact with the surface of the water.