Simplex Aerospace announced the receipt of an FAA STC for its High Rise Firefighting System, Model 516, for the Airbus Helicopters H225. The High Rise Firefighting System, nicknamed the SkyCannon™, also recently received a Japanese JCAB. This Simplex SkyCannon™ will be the first helicopter based high-rise firefighting system to be operated in Japan.
The Simplex Model 516 SkyCannon™ was delivered to Japan Aerospace for delivery to Tokyo Fire Department. The flight test was performed September 2015 at Tokyo Fire Department.
President and CEO Mark Zimmerman explained, “The SkyCannon™ is a rapid response skyscraper firefighting system with the capabilities of a ground-based fire truck. The SkyCannon™ allows aerial firefighters to arrive at a fire quickly, free of traffic congestion, and prevent the fire from spreading as ground firefighting crews combat the fire from within the building, thereby providing occupants valuable time to evacuate. To date, Simplex has produced SkyCannon™ systems for the Avicopter AC313 and Airbus Helicopters H225, and the company plans to adapt the system to additional aircraft platforms in the future.
The Simplex Aerospace SkyCannon™ High Rise Firefighting system is the result of several years of research and development into determining an efficient and safe method for fighting high-rise building fires. Fires in high-rise buildings can quickly grow out of the range of conventional ground based firefighting equipment. Using an aerial firefighting system mounted in a helicopter allows firefighters to reach the fire before it spreads to the upper floors of the building. The Simplex Aerospace SkyCannon™ gives fire fighters a valuable new tool to save lives and property in the event of a high rise building fire.
Founded in 1946, Simplex has built a reputation as the leader in design, manufacturing, and certification of aerial application systems and mission equipment for helicopters. Simplex maintains its industry leadership by incorporating the latest technology in designing and manufacturing systems from high-strength, low-weight composite materials to produce reliable and cost-effective solutions for firefighting, agriculture, utilities maintenance, and other aerial applications. For more information, please visit them at www.simplex.aero.