Manufacturer: Revell
Scale: 1/72
Additional parts: none
Model build: Oct-Dec 2016
Canadair CL-87F "Firespotter"
Revell
1/72
1/72
Firespotter's Ballad
Made with Suno
Water Bomber's Dream
Made with Suno
The Last Dive of the Firebomber
The summer sun beat down mercilessly on Sproat Lake, turning the glassy surface into a shimmering mirage. Bill "Wild Bill" Mackenzie, a grizzled veteran with more flight hours under his belt than most pilots had birthdays, tightened his grip on the control stick. He wasn't flying tourists today. Not by a long shot.
"Bill, we got a real nasty one brewing up north by Peterson Creek," the crackling voice of Sarah, the fire spotter on the ground, came through the headset. "Looks like a lightning strike took hold. Those dry pines are going up like tinder."
Bill grunted, his weathered face grim. The CL-87F "Firespotter" rumbled beneath him, a relic of a bygone era repurposed for a new fight. Sure, it wasn't the sleek jet fighters he used to chase in the Korean War, but this old Stuka, retrofitted with floats and stripped of its bombs, had become a loyal companion in this new war against nature's fury.
He kicked in the engine, the whine rising in pitch as the plane surged forward. The "Firebomber," as some still called it out of habit, wasn't known for speed, but its maneuverability was legendary. Bill pushed the plane into a steep climb, the lake shrinking beneath them, replaced by the vast emerald tapestry of the Canadian wilderness.
As they reached cruising altitude, Sarah's voice crackled again, "Bill, you're approaching fast. Smoke's already billowing high. Looks like it might jump the firebreak."
Bill's stomach clenched. A fire jumping the firebreak meant it could spread into pristine, untouched territory. He gripped the stick tighter, a surge of determination coursing through him. This wasn't just about saving trees; it was about protecting the delicate ecosystem that thrived in their shade.
He spotted the plume of smoke rising from the horizon, a malevolent grey finger reaching for the sky. He banked the plane sharply, lining up for his dive. The familiar thrill of the descent coursed through him, a strange mix of fear and exhilaration. He wasn't dive-bombing with bombs anymore, but the maneuver felt ingrained in his bones.
The fire roared beneath him, a hungry beast devouring the landscape. He pulled the lever, releasing a marker flare, a crimson streak painting the sky. Sarah would use that to coordinate the ground crew.
He pulled the plane out of the dive, the world a blur as he banked sharply. His heart hammered in his chest. This was the most dangerous part. The updrafts from the inferno could easily throw him off course, sending the "Firebomber" plummeting into the flames.
But Bill held on, his years of experience guiding him. He leveled off, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. He wasn't done yet. He'd make as many runs as it took, until they tamed the beast or the "Firebomber" sputtered its last breath.
As the sun dipped towards the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues, a sense of weary triumph settled over Bill. The fire was contained, not extinguished, but controlled for now. He taxied wearily back to the lake, the "Firebomber" coughing and sputtering. It wasn't the most glamorous job, but as he looked at the smoldering remains of the fire and the untouched forest beyond, Bill knew he wouldn't trade it for anything. The Last Dive of the Firebomber might not have been a glorious one, but it was a fight well fought, a testament to the enduring spirit of a bygone era and the unwavering courage of a veteran pilot.
The Canadair CL-87F “Firespotter” – From Stuka to Firebomber
After the end of the Second World War, Allied nations seized vast amounts of German aviation research. Most attention naturally went to the revolutionary jet aircraft—the Me 262, Ar 234, and Ta 183—but among the crates of blueprints and damaged airframes was something far less modern: the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka.
At first, the old dive bomber was seen as little more than a relic of the past. Yet in 1947, a group of engineers at Canadair, working on post-war civil aviation projects, stumbled upon the Ju 87’s construction documents while searching for design inspiration. The team had been tasked with developing an aircraft capable of fighting the devastating forest fires in British Columbia, where rugged terrain often made ground access impossible.
According to later accounts, the idea was born during a long evening in Montréal involving too much beer and an offhand joke—“What if we used a dive bomber to bomb water?” The next morning, the concept still sounded interesting enough to pursue. Using the Ju 87 as a base, the engineers proposed converting it into a floatplane firebomber, capable of diving over fires and releasing water or fire retardant with pinpoint accuracy.
By 1948, the prototype Canadair CL-87F “Firebomber Mk I” took to the air. Outfitted with large twin floats, a reinforced airframe, and a 1,400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine, it could carry two 450-liter external tanks under its wings. Test flights over Lake Ontario showed that, despite the drag of the floats, the aircraft retained the Ju 87’s excellent stability in steep dives.
In 1949, the CL-87F performed its first operational trials in British Columbia. It could deliver water strikes with remarkable precision, earning it the nickname “AirSplash.” However, its total water capacity was too small to make a major impact on large fires. By the early 1950s, larger flying boats like the Martin Mars and PBY Catalina proved far more practical for sustained firefighting operations.
Rather than scrapping the aircraft, Canadair repurposed it into a fire reconnaissance and coordination role. The bomb shackles were removed, extra fuel tanks added, and the cockpit fitted with advanced cameras and radios. The re-designated CL-87F “Firespotter” became an invaluable asset for early detection and aerial fire mapping.
A total of 27 aircraft were produced between 1950 and 1955. They served faithfully across Canada for decades, with three lost to accidents. Remarkably, some remained operational into the early 2000s, beloved by their crews for their reliability and maneuverability.
Today, only one fully restored example remains airworthy—the CL-87F No. 12844, preserved at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni, British Columbia. Painted in its 1960s orange-and-silver firefighting livery, it continues to fly during summer festivals, a living reminder of the unlikely marriage between a German dive bomber and Canadian ingenuity.
The model shows the Canadair CL-87F "Firespotter" registration "12844" as it looks in December 2016.
The CL-87F is based on a Revell 1/72 Junkers Ju 87 kit. The floats were taken form a Matchbox/Revell Heinkel He 115. The landing gear was removed and instead the floats were added. Besides this the Junkers model was built as normal.
The paint scheme is like one of other Canadian waterbombers and made with Revell Aqua Color. Decals were taken from the spare part box (the Canadian ones) and from the original kit.
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