A frame assembly for a collapsible firefighting bucket for helicopters and being operable to open a rim of the bucket for filling with water and to collapse the rim for storage of the bucket, the frame assembly comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes radiating from the hub and being connected to the rim, each spoke having an inner end near the hub that is pivotably connected to the hub and an outer end near the rim that is pivotably connected to the rim, and a stop positioned below each pivotable connection of the inner end and the hub to limit the downward pivoting of the spoke relative to the hub. A collapsible firefighting bucket for helicopters having such frame assembly.