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]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

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. The first turbine-powered helicopter was also a synchropter.

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