A fire helicopter carries a bucket of water

[physicschico]

Homework Statement

A fire helicopter carries a bucket of water at the end of a cable 20.0 m long. The empty bucket's mass is 580 kg. As the aircraft flies back from a fire at a constant speed of 49.5 m/s, the cable makes an angle of 35.0 deg with respect to the vertical.
a) Determine the force of air resistance on the bucket. Use g=9.81 m/s2.

b) After filling the bucket with sea water, the pilot returns to the fire at the same speed with the bucket now making an angle of 6.30 deg with the vertical. What is the mass of the water in the bucket?

Homework Equations

f=ma
Vf^2=Vi^2-2ad
mgsinX
ax=gsinX

The Attempt at a Solution

i found acceleration using Vf^2=Vi^2-2ad then i made
Fa-mgsinx=ma
but... i"m not getting the right answer!
b)i would use the same equation as a?

 

[nasu]

You found the acceleration of what?

A diagram containing the forces acting on the bucket may help. Right now you seem confused about what is going on.