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
Read more about this topic: Kaman Aircraft
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