K Max on the Speirs Fire

Aviation resources supporting the #SpeirsFire 🚁
There's an old saying that goes, 'boots on the ground put out fires.' And it's true, hardworking men and women digging line, dropping snags, and generally trying to outflank Mother Nature are the ones who get the job done. But firefighters do have some exciting gadgets in their toolbox.
One of those innovative tools is the K-Max Sky Crane. This aircraft is unique - it has a narrow fuselage, just wide enough for the pilot's seat, and big windows on each side that give the pilot an unobstructed view of the ground.
The K-Max is designed for repetitive lift operations like logging and pipeline construction, but it's not a helicopter. It's actually a synchrocopter - an aircraft that uses two sets of synchronized rotor blades spinning in opposite directions to create lift. That means it doesn't need a tail rotor like a helicopter does, so whereas a helicopter must use 30% or more of its power to drive the tail rotor, the K-Max dedicates every ounce of energy to lifting heavy loads.
The K-Max weighs in at 5,145 pounds, and at sea level, it can lift more that its own weight, over 6,000 pounds. As you go up in altitude, the lifting capacity decreases, of course.
Any helicopter pilot will tell you that hovering is one of the most challenging and dangerous maneuvers they perform. Helicopters are most stable when they're flying forward into the wind, but when they need to stop to lower a bucket into a lake or hover over a hot spot to make a water drop, they're in their most unstable position. But the synchrocopter is designed specifically for this task. Its twin inter-meshed rotors create an air cushion that serves as a stable platform for controlled hover and lift, making it a reliable and safe solution for wildland firefighters."
🎥 and story by Michael Davis, Great Basin IMT 3 Public Information Officer.