Kaman K-MAX: The Bizarre Helicopter joins the Marine Corps (Interview)

The Marine Corps' first two Kaman K-MAX Helicopters arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona on Saturday May 7, 2016. Chief K-MAX pilot, Jerry McCawley, explains what makes the helicopter so unique.

The cockpit houses a single crash- and impact-resistant seat supplied by Simula and fitted with a five point harness. The pilot has an excellent forward, side and downward view from the narrow fuselage. The curved windscreen is fitted with a demister. The panels in the domed side windows can be opened to provide a clearer direct view and in hot weather the helicopter can be flown with the side doors removed. The cargo compartment behind the pilot, capacity 0.74m³, is fitted with cargo tie-down rings. One or two passenger seats can be attached externally to the sides of the helicopter forward of the main wheel legs. The Kaman designed-and-built K-MAX helicopter features a unique intermeshing rotor system that eliminates the need for a tail rotor, directing all of the power from the Honeywell T5317A-1 gas turbine engine to the main rotors. The design gives the aircraft a one-to-one lift ratio, enabling the K-MAX aircraft to lift up to 6,000 pounds - more than the aircraft's own weight - and providing superior high altitude and hot environment performance and low noise signature. Currently flown as a manned power lifter by the logging and construction industries, the aircraft has low operating costs per flight hour, and has maintained a high reliability rate over more than 225,000 flight hours in demanding environments.

The helicopter is powered by a single Honeywell turboshaft engine, type T53-17A-1, with a take-off power of 1,007kW. The engine is derated to provide a high standard of reliability and long operating life. The fuel tank of 865l capacity is installed at the helicopter's centre of gravity for stability. The fuel system is equipped with two electric fuel pumps.

Specifications

Armament
No
a
Country users
Prototype United States
Designer country
United States
Accessories
Day and night capacity, cargo tie-down rings.
Crew
1/2 or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Type
Firefighting - Cargo - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV Drone
Weight
2,334 kg empty
Speed
185 km/h
Range
556 km
Dimensions with rotors
Lenght, 18.85 m; Width, 15.67 m; Height, 4.14 m

More Info: http://www.kaman.com/aerosystems/solutions/air-vehicles-mro/k-max

Watch More Jets & Helix:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZQOSvw9c4k&list=PLsWKNvuOwNpLZI1UXweNpxJywqvSGgu--

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