Kaman Aircraft - History

History

Charles Kaman founded the company in December 1945 with $2,000 of capital and his invention of the servo-flap controlled rotor.

January 15, 1947

K-125 - Kaman's first helicopter; Kaman selected an intermeshed contrarotating twin rotor design.

July, 1949

K-225 - An improved version of the K-125; the U.S. Navy bought two and the Coast Guard one for $25,000 each. Later, they received the H-22 designation.

December 1951

A modified K-225 equipped with a Boeing 502 (YT50) engine becomes the world's first gas turbine powered helicopter. This aircraft is now at the Smithsonian

1953

Kaman produced the first electrically powered drone

April 1953

Ordered for the U.S. Marine Corps, the HOK-1 first flies; Air Force version was the H-43A Huskie

1954

K-16 A V/STOL designed around a rotoprop

March 1954

A modified Kaman HTK-1 becomes the world's first twin-turbine powered helicopter

September, 1956

HH-43 Huskie — A variant of the OH-43, equipped with a Lycoming T-53 gas turbine engine

July 1957

QH-43 - A HTK-1 modified as a UAV

In the late 1950s, Kaman built the Kaman K-17, an experimental tipjet powered helicopter using a Blackburn Aviation-built Turbomeca Turmo turbine powering a compressor delivering cold air to the rotor tips.

The HU2K-1, selected by the USN as a general purpose naval helicopter, makes its first flight on July 2, 1959. It enters service as the UH-2A Seasprite in 1962.

March 1960

Kaman develops and flies the first all composite main rotor blade.

In October 1961 the H-43 Huskie set an altitude record of 10,000 m (33,000 ft) and rate of climb records.

During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Huskie flew more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined — with the best safety record of any U.S. military aircraft.

1962

UH-2A / B production begins

January 1964

First flight of Kaman's experimental Convertiplane equipped with a GE J-85 engine and wings from a Beechcraft Queen Air. The aircraft achieves speeds of over 320 km/h

1965

Tomahawk — A Seasprite modified with stub wings and a pair of twin guns side-by-side under the nose. Kaman's proposal for the US Army 's interim gunship helicopter between the AAFSS (AH-56) and AAH (AH-64) competitions. Lost to the Bell 209 (AH-1 HueyCobra)

Due to the limited power of its single engine, the Seasprites are modified for the USN into twin turbine helicopters.

1969

US Navy begins LAMPS (Light Airborne Multipurpose System) development to obtain an on board helicopter for escort ships

1971

SAVER — The Stowable Aircrew Vehicle Escape Rotoseat is the first jet-powered autogyro with telescoping rotor blades

May 1973

SH-2F Seasprite - The LAMPS Mk I enters US Navy service

July 1976

Kaman designs and begins manufacturing the K-747 blade, the world's first production all-composite rotor blade for the Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Total production exceeds 4,000 blades.

January 1991

Magic Lantern, a new laser-based mine countermeasures system, is deployed in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. It is highly successful in locating mines.

February 1993

SH-2G Seasprite - The new version of the Seasprite, with new avionics, mission electronics and GE T-700 engines, enters US Navy service

August 1994

K-1200 K-MAX - a purpose-built helicopter with intermeshing rotors specializing in external load operations.

November 1998

The Egyptian Air Force accepts delivery of its 10th SH-2G Super Seasprite for use in anti-submarine warfare missions, completing the order and becoming the first international customer to operate the aircraft.

August 1999

New Zealand approves purchase of SH-2G(NZ).

January 2000

Australian SH-2G(A) begins initial flight testing.

January 2001

U.S. Government purchases 5 K-MAX for Peru.

October 2002

The 5 Peruvian K-MAX are transferred to the Colombian Army where they are still in service as of 2008.

June 2008

All Royal Australian Navy SH-2G Seasprite helicopters are withdrawn from service and returned to supplier as budget blew-out and contract specifications unable to be met.

January 31, 2011

Charles Kaman, founder of Kaman Aircraft died in Bloomfield, CT.

In June 2008 Kaman acquired Brookhouse Holdings Limited, a world leading composite development company based in the UK, and renames it Kaman Composites UK Ltd