Tue, May 23, 2017
Delivery Of First Two Production Aircraft Expected In The Next Few Weeks
A successful first flight of a K-MAX helicopter from the newly reopened commercial production line took place on Friday, May 12, 2017. Delivery of the first two production aircraft to customer Lectern Aviation of China for a firefighting mission is scheduled to occur in the next few weeks.
“Thanks to the expertise and hard work of the men and women working on the aircraft the first flight went extremely smoothly,” said Bill Hart, Kaman Chief Pilot. “This new aircraft performed flawlessly and I look forward to successfully completing our production flight test schedule over the coming weeks.”
K-MAX aircraft from the reopened production line have been ordered by customers from around the world including China, Europe and North America. The aircraft is currently in use worldwide for firefighting, logging and other missions requiring repetitive aerial lift capabilities. The U.S. Marine Corps maintains two unmanned K-MAX aircraft developed with Lockheed Martin. These aircraft successfully supported the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan for thirty-three months from 2011-2014 carrying more than 4.5 million pounds of cargo. Additional unmanned firefighting and humanitarian missions for K-MAX are also being developed and tested.
Development of the K-MAX was led by Kaman founder and former CEO, aviation pioneer Charles H. Kaman, and received Federal Aviation Administration certification in 1994. The single-engine, single-seat K-MAX is a rugged low-maintenance aircraft that features a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for external load operations and designed specifically for vertical reference flight. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds.
(Image provided with Kaman news release)
More News
Runway Centerline Lighting Flush centerline lights spaced at 50-foot intervals beginning 75 feet from the landing threshold and extending to within 75 feet of the opposite end of t>[...]
Aero Linx: Air Force Global Strike Command Air Force Global Strike Command, activated August 7, 2009, is a major command with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, i>[...]
Also: Viasat-uAvionix, UL94 Fuel Investigation, AF Materiel Command, NTSB Safety Alert Norges Luftsportforbund chose Aura Aero's little 2-seater in electric trim for their next gli>[...]
Also: USCG Retires MH-65 Dolphins, Irish Aviation Authority, NATCA Warns FAA, Diamond DA42 AD This summer, history enthusiasts will have a unique opportunity to experience World Wa>[...]
Also: Moya Delivery Drone, USMC Drone Pilot, Inversion RAY Reentry Vehicle, RapidFlight UAVOS has recently achieved a significant milestone in public safety and emergency services >[...]