http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news ... hwest.html
A Northwest aerospace company has bought six Boeing Co. 737 passenger jets from Southwest Airlines to convert them into aerial firefighting tankers.
It appears to be the first time that Boeing's single-aisle workhorse will be enlisted to fight wildfires from above, dumping 4,000 gallons of fire retardant chemicals at low speed and low altitude.
Coulson Group CEO Wayne Coulson says the converted Boeing 737-300 jets will dump 2,100 gallons per minute using systems the company originally developed for its fleet of four Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.
They'll also have room for 63 passengers, or enough for three strike teams of 20 firefighters each to drop at airports in fire zones.