Replacement for Tanker 910, a DC-10, is about 50% complete

The Castle Airport Fire Department in California gave a final farewell to T-910 as it taxied out for the final time November 15. Photo via 10 Tanker Air Carrier.

The aircraft that is replacing Tanker 910, one of the three DC-10 air tankers, is about 50 percent through the process of being converting from an airliner into an 11,600-gallon air tanker.

10 Tanker Air Carrier announced today that it is scheduled to begin test flights in March of this year.

“The new T-910, like T-912, is one of the last DC-10s built, and will standardize our fleet on the DC-10 -30 model,” said Rick Hatton, President and CEO of 10 Tanker. He said the DC-10-30 is certified to fly at gross weights up to 590,000 pounds. On a typical firefighting mission with three hours of fuel the aircraft would lift off weighing approximately 390,000 pounds. The company says this allows a margin of nearly 200,000 pounds below the previously certified weight, which greatly enhances performance, maneuverability, and safety.

Mr. Hatton said three of their DC-10 airtankers will be available for the 2015 fire season — T-911, T-912, and the “new” T-910.

Fire Aviation first wrote about the retirement of T-910 in November.

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