Hampidjan’s Specialty Longline Shown off by Renowned Water Bombing Chopper ‘Mad Max’
Lightweight, yet stronger than wire rope – just one of many reasons why Hampidjan’s Helicopter Longlines are used by one of the biggest helicopters in the world ‘Mad Max’ in the fighting of the Australian and Indonesian Bushfires.
Privately owned by Hevilift Aviation LTD and sub-contracted to Aero power, ‘Mad Max’ the renowned water bombing chopper was brought in specifically from Papua New Guinea to operate in the Australian states of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales to fight the bushfires.
The massive Mil8 MTV helicopter has an impressive eight-hundred-kilometer range. In a utility role and depending on bulk, up to four thousand kilograms of cargo can be transported inside the cabin and up to five thousand kilograms can be transported externally.
Mad Max, using an SEI Industries Bambi Max Bucket, dropping up to five thousand litres of water at a time, played an important role in supporting ground-based firefighters battling the raging bushfires of 2019 and 2020 throughout Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland.
The helicopter uses DynIce Dux longlines supplied by Hampidjan New Zealand. The long lines are made from Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. It is a versatile, high strength, lightweight High Modulus Polyethylene fiber which offers a high strength-to-weight ratio and is treated with a Polyurethane for extra abrasion protection and to have a high UV resistance.
The longlines are fitted with highly visible fire-retardant protective covers that contain the long line, control cables and hoses down to the Bambi Max fire bucket.
The Hampidjan helicopter longlines are crafted with immense care and detail to create a long-lasting product which can withstand the toughest of conditions as demonstrated by ‘Mad Max’ in combating the disastrous bushfires in Australia and Indonesia.
DynIce SK 75 and Dux ropes ‘Light as a feather – Stronger than steel™ are used in many other industries including commercial fishing, marine, construction, sport and recreation as well as aviation lifting.
