External Firefighting Tank for S-70 Firehawk® Helicopter

Project goal: To develop a new firefighting water tank design for the S-70C Firehawk helicopter. The team explored alternative functional design concepts for firefighting techniques, and created a new system for a more efficient drop pattern. The new tank incorporates a door with a simple gear mechanism that ensures a more dependable output of water. The tank’s doors also use a funneling system that increases the boundary layer for the water, allowing a greater head pressure. The Firehawk pilot can select specific drop durations and rates from the cockpit depending on the targeted fire.The new tank, which will be used by the Los Angeles Fire Department, allows more reliable surface area coverage than the previous version, and enables the Firehawk to deliver water quickly and efficiently to a fire in terrain inaccessible by ground personnel.