K-Max Returns to Production

摘要

Kaman Aerospace will restart production of the K-Max heavy lift helicopter after a gap of over ten years. The single-seat K-Max, of which there were 37 built, has Kaman's unique inter-meshing dual rotor system which eliminates the need for a tail rotor. The aircraft is designed to lift oversize loads up to 6,000lb (2,720kg), such as electrical pylons, into inaccessible locations. Two examples (registered N357KA and N359KA) were used as unmanned lifters for US Marine Corps operations in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2014. The initial production batch will be ten aircraft, with the first deliveries due in 2017 to Rotex Helicopter in Switzerland and Helicopter Express of Georgia, USA.