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.