Kaman Develops Composite Rotor Blade for K-MAX Helicopter

Kaman Aerospace Group, a unit of Kaman Corp. (Bloomfield, Conn., USA), announced on 5 March that it has launched a composite rotor blade development program for the K-MAX helicopter. The multi-year program for Kaman's intermeshing rotor system consists of the design, manufacturing, testing and qualification of a fully composite rotor blade. Kaman aims to develop a product offering the benefits of a composite rotor blade, including a smoother blade profile, higher performance, lower maintenance, reduced inspection overhaul requirements and extended rotor blade life. Following certification, Kaman stated that the composite rotor blade will be added to new production aircraft and the company will work with customers to upgrade existing fleets. Doug Perreault, Executive Director of K-MAX Programs, said, "The ability to provide our K-MAX aircraft operators with the most advanced rotor blade technology represents another step in our efforts to improve best-in-class performance."