breiz From France, joined Mar 2005, 1808 posts, RR: 2 Posted (2 years 3 months 2 weeks 4 days ago) and read 2274 times:
Here is an article by flightglobal.com: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...pter-pioneer-kaman-dies-at-91.html
Charles H. Kaman's helicopters were maybe not as famous as the likes of Sikorsky and Bell, but they were remarkable machines.
I have always wondered how came that the two main proponents of un-ortodox helicopters, intermeshing or co-axial rotors, were Kaman and Kamov.
A play of fate?
warden145 From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 426 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (2 years 3 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 2102 times:
I had to admit, I hadn't heard of him before your post...quite an impressive list of accomplishments! May he rest in peace.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13334 posts, RR: 64 Reply 4, posted (2 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 1731 times:
Actually the intermeshing rotor system was pioneered in Germany by Anton Flettner, who designed the FL-282 Kolibri helicopter in 1942 (which was based on the proof of concept FL-265, also with intermeshing rotors from 1938).
Flettner used his contacts with highranking Nazis to protect or to warn various people persecuted by the Nazis of impeding arrest, including his own Jewish wife, whom he managed to bring to safety in Sweden.
After WW2 Flettner moved to the US as one of the first postwar German immigrants and started a company for helicopters. This company failed and he got hired by Kaman as chief designer.
Kaman contributed inventions of his own to the successfull range of helicopters.
trigged From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 497 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 1558 times:
Rest well Charles. Job well done. Very interesting work and design!
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