St. Paul firm's float system boosts wildfire air attacks
Planes equipped with Momentum Aeronautics' Heatwave Floats are boosting aerial attacks on the Flanders Fire in northern Minnesota and on wildfires in Oregon, company and local officials said.[1]
The carbon-fiber pontoons' integrated scoop can take on roughly 800 gallons of lake water in about 15 seconds, the company says.[1] That rapid refill lets planes make as many as 25 drops per hour, compared with roughly two drops per hour when aircraft must return to shore to refill.[1]
Momentum Aeronautics of St. Paul developed the Heatwave Floats as a carbon-fiber pontoon system with an integrated water scoop to speed firefighting operations. The company says Heatwave Floats-equipped planes are already deployed on the Flanders Fire and on blazes in Oregon, and it has set a production goal of about 10-20 installations per year by 2028.
Fire managers and pilots say shorter refill times increase the number of hits aircraft can put on active flames, improving containment options for crews on the ground.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Momentum Aeronautics of St. Paul created Heatwave Floats, a carbon-fiber pontoon system with an integrated water scoop.
- The system can collect roughly 800 gallons of lake water in about 15 seconds, enabling up to 25 drops per hour versus about two when filling on land.
- Heatwave Floats-equipped planes are currently fighting the Flanders Fire in northern Minnesota and wildfires in Oregon, with a production goal of 10–20 installations per year by 2028.
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