After Long Break, Canada Resumes Production of the Unique Canadair 515 Amphibious Aircraft

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has resumed production of the Canadair 515 (DHC-515) amphibious firefighting aircraft.

The company announced this on its website.

The Canadair 515 is an amphibious firefighting aircraft, a modernized version of the CL-415, featuring an updated design, modern avionics, and improved performance characteristics. Serial production of the previous CL-415 model was discontinued in 2015 due to a lack of new orders.

Production resumed amid the large-scale wildfires that swept through several European countries this summer. At that time, Ukraine actively joined the relief efforts, sending rescue workers and specialized equipment to France to assist.

One of the aircraft’s distinctive features is its ability to draw water directly from bodies of water. After this maneuver, the DHC-515’s weight can increase to 21,364 kg, allowing it to perform repeated drops without having to return to its base.

The aircraft’s empty weight is 12,995 kg, while its maximum fuel capacity is 4,626 kg. During takeoff from a water surface, the maximum weight is 17,170 kg.

The aircraft’s main water tank holds 6,137 liters of water. In addition, there is a separate 680-liter tank for foam concentrate, allowing for the use of specialized fire-suppression mixtures depending on the nature of the fire.

The maximum flight speed is 346 km/h, the normal cruising speed is 333 km/h, and the economical speed for long-haul flights is 259 km/h. The stall speed in landing configuration is 126 km/h.

The DHC-515 does not require long runways. It needs 783 meters to take off from a land-based airfield and 814 meters from a water surface. The landing distance is 674 meters on land and 665 meters on water.

The range with a full fuel load reaches 2,333 km. This allows the aircraft to be deployed between regions without frequent refueling.

The resumption of Canadair 515 production coincided, tellingly, with Russia’s rollout of propaganda in Europe, capitalizing on the topic of wildfires to promote its firefighting aviation.

Thanks to a European order for 22 aircraft and Canadian contracts, assembly of the first production models is already underway, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2028.