Aerial Firefighting
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Air Tanker
ICAO: DC10
Overview
The Boeing 747 Supertanker was a modified 747 designed for large-scale aerial firefighting. Introduced in the 2000s, it aimed to deliver high volumes of fire retardant over wide areas. The aircraft represented one of the largest firefighting platforms ever deployed.
Live Fleet Activity (GST)
📡
Fetching live data…
Specifications
Units
- Engine
- 4 × GE CF6-50E2
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Thrust
- 4 × 54,750 lbf · 244 kN
- Avionics
- —
- Wing tips
- No winglets
- Seats
- 4
- Crew
- —
- Cabin width
- —
- Cabin height
- —
- Cabin length
- —
- Exterior length
- 231 ft 11 in · 70.70 m
- Tail height
- 64 ft 4 in · 19.60 m
- Fuselage diameter
- 21 ft 4 in · 6.50 m
- Wing span
- 195 ft 6 in · 59.60 m
- Baggage volume
- 2,613 ft³ · 74.0 m³
- Gross weight
- —
- Empty weight
- —
- Max takeoff weight
- 833,000 lb · 378,000 kg
- Max landing weight
- 564,000 lb · 256,000 kg
- Max payload
- 306,500 lb · 139,000 kg
- Fuel capacity
- 54,000 gal · 204,400 L · 163,500 kg (Jet A)
- Max cruise speed
- 520 kt · 598 mph · 963 km/h
- Maximum speed
- —
- Cruise speed
- —
- Approach speed
- 141 kt · 162 mph · 261 km/h
- Range
- 5,680 nm · 6,540 mi · 10,520 km
- Fuel burn
- —
- Ceiling
- 35,000 ft · 10,700 m
- Rate of climb
- 1,000 ft/min · 5 m/s
- Takeoff distance
- 7,850 ft · 2,400 m
- Landing distance
- 6,150 ft · 1,870 m
Gallery
(/)
tap to zoom
(/)
Live fleet activity details
📡
Operational Context
Boeing 747 Supertanker — large-capacity aerial firefighting aircraft
The Supertanker first flew in firefighting configuration in the mid-2000s. It was converted from existing 747 airframes and fitted with internal tanks. The system allowed rapid dispersal of retardant over wildfires.
Four turbofan engines producing approximately 60,000 pounds of thrust (267 kN) each powered the aircraft depending on donor variant. Cruise speed approached Mach 0.85. Maximum takeoff weight exceeded 800,000 pounds (362,874 kg).
The 747 Supertanker operated in wildfire response across multiple continents. High operating costs and limited demand ultimately curtailed the program. It remains notable for its unprecedented payload capacity in aerial firefighting.
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.