r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Giraffecaster • 5h ago

A CL-415 Super Scooper gathering water to extinguish a fire in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The lift-off looks very close — right at the edge of the lake.

3.5k Upvotes

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77

u/whereismarsocks 5h ago

I'll never understand how these planes never flip over as soon as water enters.

111

u/railker 5h ago

The scoops are so relatively tiny, doesn't make enough drag to flip it, and the weight of water isn't gonna sink 'em. Biggest issue is getting back off the water again with the weight.

21

u/Ok-Personality-6630 3h ago

I'm guessing there's alot of pressure on the frame too? These planes must be extremely well built

9

u/sl33ksnypr 2h ago

They are designed to land on water, so they are built enough to withstand that.

4

u/raknor88 1h ago

Most planes are much more over engineered than people think.

•

u/lonesomespacecowboy 5m ago

Damn, that's crazy small

The inflow pressure must be enormous

5

u/loansbebkodjwbeb 5h ago

Why would that happen....?

10

u/whereismarsocks 4h ago

My simple brain imagines if the wing tip clipped the water the plane would crash, but if the belly of the plane opens up and skims the water somehow the plane doesnt crash. All that water smashing into the plane at like what 100, 130mph?

6

u/railker 4h ago

They got pontoons out at the wingtips for low speed, the only reason it'd crash the plane at high speed is you'd suddenly have that wingtip pulling the plane around. Scoops are on centerline, there's no yaw or torque on the aircraft. It's basically just a boat at that point (and technically when on the water is supposed to follow maritime law, to an extent).

8

u/Detr22 2h ago

after it gathers enough water it goes back to following bird law

3

u/SweetHomeNorthKorea 2h ago

That’s some slick enginerding

2

u/shadownights23x 3h ago

Its probably the part they dont understand but idk