Kaman Corporation

Charles Kaman founded the company in December 1945 with $2,000 of capital and his invention of the servo-flap controlled rotor.[3]

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 U.S. 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) turboshaft engine becomes the world's first gas turbine powered helicopter.[4] This aircraft is now at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

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.[5]

In the late 1950s, Kaman built the Kaman K-17, an experimental tip jet powered helicopter.[6] using a Blackburn Aircraft-built Turbomeca Turmo turbine powering a compressor delivering cold air to the rotor tips.[7]

July 2, 1959

The HU2K-1, selected by the U.S. Navy as a general purpose naval helicopter, makes its first flight. 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. Anton Flettner who emigrated to the United States and became the chief designer for Kaman Aircraft, creating the Kaman HH-43 Huskie.

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 turbojet 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 U.S. 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 U.S. Navy into twin-turbine helicopters.

1969

U.S. Navy begins Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) development to obtain an onboard 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 U.S. 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 Super Seasprite — The new version of the Seasprite, with new avionics, mission electronics, and GE T-700 engines, enters U.S. 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. federal government purchases 5 K-MAX for Peru.

July 24, 2002

Kaman Acquires RWG Frankenjura-Industrie Flugwerklager GmbH, a manufacturer of spherical and ball bearings, rod ends, bushings and specialty components primarily for the aerospace industry.[8]

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[9] as budget blew-out and contract specifications unable to be met.

Kaman acquires Brookhouse Holdings Limited, a world leading composite development company based in the United Kingdom, and renames it Kaman Composites UK Ltd.[10]

January 31, 2011

Charles Kaman, founder of Kaman Aircraft, died in Bloomfield, Connecticut.[11]

November 2015

Kaman announces that it was acquiring GRW Bearing GmbH for $142.9 million. GRW designs and manufactures precision ball bearings, and has production facilities in Europe.[12]

August 26, 2019

Kaman announced that it has completed the sale of its "KAMAN Distribution Group" segment to affiliates of Littlejohn & Co. for total cash consideration of $700 million [13]

January 20, 2020

Kaman completes acquisition of Bal Seal Engineering Inc., which designs, develops, and manufactures highly engineered products including precision springs, seals, and contacts.[14][15]

May 2022

Kaman announced it had acquired Parker-Hannifin's aircraft wheel and brake division for $440 million US.[16]

January 18, 2023

Kaman Corporation announced it will end the K-MAX production line, citing “low demand and variation in annual deliveries, coupled with low profitability and large working capital inventory requirements”, according to an 18 January statement.[17][18]

• K-16B
• K-125
• K-190
• K-225
• K-1125
• Kaman HH-43 Huskie/HOK/HUK
• Kaman SH-2 Seasprite
• Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite
• Kaman K-1200 K-Max
• Kaman KSA-100 SAVER

• Kaman Corporation
• Kaman Aerospace
• "Patents owned by Kaman Aerospace". US Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved December 5, 2005.
• Bill Kaman Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2007)

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