K-Max helicoptor

[SUBMAN1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaman_K-MAX

Interesting. Is this America being innovative? Or is it simply catching up to Russia?

-S

[Max2147]

I don't think it's either. The K-MAX is a neat chopper, but it's not particularly innovative. The aerial crane concept isn't new (although the K-MAX takes it further than previous choppers), and contra-rotating rotors are certainly nothing new (just ask Kamov).

I don't think there's much catching up to do, since contra-rotating rotors aren't new in the US: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HH-43_Huskie

[XabbaRus]

That's old, the K-MAX has been around for years so nothing novel about it.

I admit it is nifty same problem, different solutions.

BTW quite a few have crashed.

[Sailor Steve]

Is this America being innovative? Or is it simply catching up to Russia?
In the article it refers to the Huskie, which was also from Kaman and first flew in 1947:
The K-MAX series are the latest in a long line of Kaman synchropters, the most famous of which is the HH-43 Huskie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HH-43_Huskie). The first turbine-powered helicopter was also a synchropter.

I was building models of the Huskie back in the '50s.