The American based DC-10 has been dubbed the super soaker for its huge 45,000 litre capacity - dwarfing a typical fire bomber's capacity of 3000 litres.

The Victorian Government has invested millions of dollars into a three-month trial of the aircraft to determine if it would be a suitable firefighting tool in Australian conditions.

Bushfire cooperative research centre chief executive officer Gary Morgan said during Friday's Trentham flight the aircraft was tested for how well the fire retardant released would penetrate the Wombat State Forest canopy.

"There's a lot of matter to stop whatever is dropped from hitting the ground,'' he said.

"When it's been used in America it's only been used in scrub lands.''

The 3.15pm drop of red fire retardant liquid was a coordinated effort of DSE, CFA and Parks Victoria with more than 100 people on the ground at the trial site.

The agencies laid large sheets of paper on the forest floor to determine how much liquid had made it through the canopy to the ground.

Aerial pictures were also taken of the mission.

Bushfire CRC Communications manager David Bruce said it was "a successful test'' and was the first of a number planned in different Victorian terrain that would determine if the Victorian Government would continue to lease the plane in subsequent years.

The aircraft will also be available between now and the end of March to fight real fires in the state.

It was used for the first time on Sunday to help quell a blaze in remote Mallee scrub in Victoria's far northwest.

"Each time it has dropped it has been in different conditions and it will all be put together to form an assessment," Mr Bruce said.