Canadian terrain and weather
Canadian SAR crews put their lives on the line on a daily basis, relying on their aircraft to deal with extremes of weather and terrain in the course of their duties. From demanding mountain contour search, Arctic and North Atlantic storms, to extremes of temperature, icing and precipitation, the requirements for a SAR aircraft have been well-documented. In the face of a SAR emergency, crews will face pressure to launch even when conditions are beyond the limits of their aircraft. This situation need not occur if the aircraft is capable of meeting the demands of the SAR role.
Extreme cold and ground and cross wind
In 1992, the CN235 obtained Department of Transport Canada certification after having passed a two-week cold-soak test conducted at Resolute Bay. Building on this experience and certification, the CN235 and C295 operate flawlessly in Arctic conditions.
After passing rigorous cold-weather trials, the Finnish Air Force decided on the C295 as its primary air lifter, flying now twice a week to Afghanistan as troop support. Regularly operating inside the Arctic Circle year-round, no flight has been cancelled as of today due to weather conditions.
The C295 design enables takeoffs and landings in crosswinds of 30kts, as well as operations with airport winds in excess of 60kts.
Remote areas and unprepared runways
The landing gear structure can absorb the impact loads resulting from high rate of descent landings typical of STOL operations; the allowable vertical speed is 10 feet per second at the landing weight of 20.700 kg (45,640 lb), and 9 feet per second at the maximum landing weight of 23.200 kg (51,150 lb), which coincides with the maximum take-off weight.
The floatation characteristics of the undercarriage, which uses low-pressure tires, allows operation from soft field surfaces, with a CBR index (California Bearing Ratio) lower than 3. CBR index 3 is equivalent to clay or soft sand.
The C295's ability to withstand the cold weather rigors of Finland was an important decision-point in its selection as the country's new tactical transport aircraft. Full-scale cold weather evaluations were performed with the C295 in the Finnish Arctic region.
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The CN235 is shown at Resolute Bay during its Canadian cold weather operations certification evaluations in 1992. Systems and hardware aboard the aircraft demonstrated their capabilities in realistic Canadian climatic conditions. |
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