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The Canadair CL-415, also known as the Super Scooper or Bombardier 415, is an amphibious aircraft originally designed by Canadair and later manufactured by Bombardier and De Havilland Canada. The aircraft, along with its successor, the De Havilland Canada DHC-515, was based on the earlier Canadair CL-215. It was initially developed for aerial firefighting but has also been utilized for transport and search and rescue operations.
Development of this versatile aircraft began in the early 1990s after a successful program retrofitting several CL-215T aircraft highlighted demand for an upgraded version. Production of the CL-415 started in 2003 with improvements including advanced engines and modernized avionics to enhance performance and capabilities. The aerodynamics were optimized for fuel efficiency, while state-of-the-art cockpit systems were introduced.
By the end of production under Bombardier, 95 units of the CL-415 had been built. In October 2016, Viking Air acquired the program from Bombardier and began producing an updated variant called the CL-515 in collaboration with De Havilland Canada.
