Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Charles Kaman graduated
from Catholic University with a degree in Aeronautical
Engineering in 1940. Working in the emerging field of
helicopter design, he perfected a servo-flap, controlled
rotor system to improve controllability.
Kaman founded his own company in 1945 and introduced his first
production helicopter, the K-225, four years later. In 1951,
a redesigned K-225 became the world's first turbine-powered
helicopter. Other innovative developments flowed from Kaman's
company such as the world's first remotely controlled helicopter
and the first all-composite rotor blade.
In the 1950s and 1960s Kaman Corporation became a
significant producer of military helicopters. These
included the prolific Navy H-2 series, first flown in
1959, and the Air Force's record-setting H-43 "Husky,"
the only military helicopter to go through its entire
service life with no accidents attributable to the
aircraft's design.
In the 1990s, Charles Kaman has received many national and
international honors, and his corporation continues its
reputation for innovation with the K-MAX, the world's first
helicopter designed specifically for heavy lift operations.
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