Water bomber

This US Navy PBY-6A Catalina has been converted into a fire-fighting aircraft.

A water bomber is an aircraft used in fighting fire, which drops water, or a mixture of water and special fire-fighting additives.

In the USA water bombers are sometimes called "air tankers".

The first aircraft used as water bombers were retrofits. After World War 2 PBY flying boats were converted to water bombers.

Amphibious aircraft, which can lower a probe and refill their tanks from a nearby lake or reservoir, were the aircraft seen as the best to convert to fight fires.

Canadair was the first company to develop an aircraft designed to be a water bomber - the Canadair 215.