Aerial- and ground-operations specialist develops equipment to assist with helicopter firefighting operations worldwide.
MACORI of Barcelona, Spain, began assisting helicopter operators long before its official founding in 2017. One of the company’s cofounders, who worked for decades in ground firefighting operations and as a helicopter pilot, sought to develop products to improve comfort for all firefighters. These ideas soon became drawings, then prototypes, and finally a project big enough to warrant setting up a company.
Since 2017, MACORI has offered firefighting equipment globally for both aerial and ground operations while continuing to develop innovative products that help professionals in the industry perform their jobs with greater efficiency and comfort.
MACORI develops equipment that helps firefighters in the air and on the ground.
Although still relatively young, MACORI has big ambitions fueled by its belief that helicopters have an enormous potential to carry out all types of missions. For example, recognizing that climate change is making wildfire seasons around the world longer, hotter, and more dangerous, the company has accelerated product development and is adapting its product portfolio to meet the needs of today and anticipate the demands of the future.
In addition to developing textile products in its lab, MACORI specializes in aerial firefighting equipment.
Firefighting Buckets and Water Tanks
MACORI’s arial products include the Leo System, a firefighting bucket, and the Heliwinder.
The Leo system drops a mix of foam and water from a bucket attached to a helicopter to help put out fires.
Designed by pilots, the Leo System is a slung firefighting device for helicopters that generates a pressurized stream of biodegradable class A foam and water. Filling its 211-gal. (800-l) tank takes only three seconds during immersion. Once the bucket is filled, the pilot controls the foam percentage that is added and the pressure and flow of the stream that is released over the fire. The pilot has full control over the system through an ergonomic paddle joystick on the cyclic control as well as through the cabin control box. The multipurpose Leo System features a long line that allows pilots to reduce downwash.
MACORI’s firefighting bucket comes in different sizes that can hold between 211 gal. (800 l) and 1,135 gal. (4,300 l). It features high abrasion resistant polyurethane laminate fabric and a large butterfly gate for quick release.
The Heliwinder is a hose winder manufactured specifically for helicopters to help deploy a fire hose from the water source to firefighters. The device attaches to the helicopter’s cargo sling and, as the helicopter flies from the water source—whether it’s a fire truck, pump, or water tank—toward the firefighters, the pilot controls deployment of the hose. The Heliwinder uses the same connector as the firefighting bucket, and the pilot can detach the reel when necessary.
The MACORI team consists of professionals who have experience across different fields, including helicopter pilots, wildland firefighters, technical textile experts, and mechanical engineers. The company believes that the diversity of its staff’s disciplines gives MACORI the ability to develop products that meet the needs of operators.
