French startup Hynaero has unveiled the Fregate-F100, a twin-engine amphibious firefighting aircraft designed to give Europe a home-grown alternative to ageing Canadair water bombers. The shoulder-wing aircraft is pitched with a 10,000-litre retardant or water payload, fly-by-wire controls and more than three hours of endurance from a 250-kilometre base radius, with entry into service targeted for around 2030.
The programme is aimed at a market under pressure from more frequent and severe wildfires across Europe, where fleets of aerial firefighters are ageing and replacement aircraft are slow to arrive. Hynaero’s design carries around 50% more than the Canadair CL-515, but it would need roughly 800 metres of water surface for refuelling, about twice the distance required by the Canadian aircraft.
The project is led by David Pincet, a former member of the French air force and civil protection service, giving the programme a clear French identity at a time when European governments are looking for more sovereign industrial options in emergency aviation. A provisional partnership with Latécoère has also been linked to the effort, adding industrial backing to a development path that remains several years from service.