By Dan Catchpole

(Reuters) -In a warehouse on the southern edge of Calgary International Airport, De Havilland Canada is developing the DHC 515, a rugged flying boat and the only airplane solely designed to scoop water from a lake, river or ocean and drop it on a wildfire.

Growing wildfires have given new life to this amphibious airplane, whose lineage goes back to the late 1960s. Canadair built the first version, the CL-215. The CL-415 followed in the early 1990s. Both remain mainstays in wildfire fleets around the world.

The DHC 515 has significant upgrades to the old model’s avionics, water-drop control system, rudder control system and air conditioning, De Havilland Canada Vice President Neil Sweeney said.

The first flight is slated for 2027, followed by the first delivery to the G

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