Evergreen 747 Supertanker
| 747 Supertanker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Original 747-200 N470EV, tanker #947 | |
| Role | Firefighting |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| First flight | FAA Certified October, 2006 |
| Retired | N479EV 747-100 & N470EV 747-200 |
| Status | One N744ST 747-400 operational |
| Primary user | Currently Global SuperTanker Services, LLC. Formerly Evergreen International Aviation (now defunct) |
| Number built | 1 (active) 2 (retired) |
The 747 Supertanker is an aerial firefighting aircraft based on a Boeing 747 widebody aircraft. Initially developed by Evergreen International Aviation, the first Supertanker was based on a 747-200 (N470EV, tanker/tail number 947), and never entered service. The second Supertanker (N479EV, tanker/tail number 979) was based on a 747-100 originally manufactured by Boeing in 1971 for Delta Air Lines. It entered service for the first time in 2009, fighting a fire in Cuenca, Spain, and made its first American operation on 31 August 2009 at the Oak Glen Fire. On 31 December 2013, Evergreen International Airlines filled a Chapter 7 petition in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware, USA with all of the assets (including all 747 airframes) subsequently sold to a parts salvage re-seller, Jet Midwest Aviation.
As of August 2015, Global SuperTanker Services, LLC (the successor to the defunct Evergreen Supertanker Services), has since purchased all the physical assets and intellectual property related to Evergreen’s original Supertanker (except the 747-100 airframe itself) from Jet Midwest. They have transplanted the existing sprayer tank system from the 747-100 into a newer Boeing 747-400 (N744ST) airframe.
The 747 Supertanker can carry up to 19,600 gallons (74,200 liters) of retardant or water for 4,000 miles (6,400 km), and is the largest aerial firefighting aircraft in the world.
Development started after the 2002 fire season, which saw the fatal crashes of two air tankers in the United States. The accidents, involving a Lockheed C-130A Hercules and a Consolidated PB4Y-2, prompted the U.S. Department of Interior to issue an official Request for Information on next-generation airtankers.
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