Seen at the Musée de l'Air in Le Bourget, Île-de-France, CL-215 1023 is on static display outdoors. It is one of 125 units built between 1969 and 1990. The CL-215 amphibian was designed in the 1960s as a waterbomber but was also envisioned for use as a transport or for carrying passengers. In many cases it was replacing WW2 era Catalina flying boats. When introduced, the CL-215 was powered by a pair of 2,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines, considered to be the most reliable engine for maritime use, in 1987 a turboprop version was introduced. Apparently retrofit kits were available for earlier units. In 1990 production ended and development of a successor the CL-415 was started and introduced in 2003.
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