DHC-515 Firefighter
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada is pleased to provide a production update for the DHC-515 Firefighter that is now in production in our Canadian manufacturing facilities.
De Havilland Canada, through our partners at the Canadian Commercial Corporation have signed contracts with Greece, Croatia and Portugal for 11 aircraft as part of the European Union’s consortium of countries that have announced their intention to initially purchase 22 aircraft and become the launch customers for this program.
View the video here or below:
ADDITIONAL INFO
- The DHC-515 Firefighter will build on the history of the iconic Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft which have been a critical part of European and North American aerial firefighting fleets for over 50 years. Important upgrades are being made that will increase the functionality and effectiveness of this legendarily rugged firefighting aircraft.
- De Havilland Canada acquired the Canadair CL program in 2016 and has been contemplating a return to production since 2019. The new DHC-515 Firefighter matches the other aircraft in the De Havilland fleet in terms of lifespan, ruggedness and Canadian aerospace engineering quality. The final assembly of the aircraft will take place in Calgary, Alberta where work on the CL-215 and CL- 415 aircraft currently takes place. It is anticipated that more than 500 people will need to be recruited over the coming years to successfully deliver this program.
- De Havilland Canada expects first deliveries of the DHC-515 by the middle of the decade, with deliveries of aircraft 23 and beyond to begin at the end of the decade, providing other customers the opportunity to renew existing fleets or proceed with new acquisition opportunities at that time.
2 thoughts on “De Havilland Canada Provides Production Update for DHC-515 Firefighter”
Gorgeous pic of a simultaneous drop!
They don’t happen here in North America very often but in Europe as they fly their aircraft in groups unlike here
Where was it taken & what fleet was it.
I started at de Havilland of Canada in Downsview back in 1979. As an assembler and eventually became a hydraulic mechanic ( l retired back in 2022) I worked on Twin Otters, Dash 7’s and little on Buffalo. When Bombardier took us over in the early 90’s I also worked on the Global Express however most of my career I spent on the Dash 8’s. I worked on almost everyone ever built. One of my fondest memories though was the 6 CL-215’s we converted into CL-215t’s back in 1993 for the Spanish Air Force . I’m very glad that production of the new DHC-515 has begun. Long overdue!
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