Kaman Aerosystems, a division of the aerospace segment of Kaman Corporation, announced today that it has signed a contract with Columbia Basin Helicopters for the purchase of a K-MAX aircraft to be delivered in 2018.
“We are pleased that Columbia Basin’s president and owner, David McCarty, has selected the K-MAX helicopter to expand his fleet of aircraft,” stated Drake Klotzman, GM, Air Vehicles & Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Division. “With this
“With this agreement we have sold out our initial production lot of ten aircraft and look forward to offering additional aircraft in the marketplace.”
Columbia Basin Helicopters, Inc. of La Grande, Oregon has been operating for over twenty years. Primary operations include aerial application and firefighting. In addition to helicopters, the company operates a number of fixed-wing single-engine air tankers for state and federal agencies.
Development of the K-MAX was led by Kaman founder and former CEO, aviation pioneer Charles H. Kaman, and received Federal Aviation Administration certification in 1994. The single-engine, single-seat K-MAX is a rugged low-maintenance aircraft that features a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for external load operations and designed specifically for vertical reference flight. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg).
Kaman Aerosystems is a division of the Aerospace segment of Kaman Corporation, which was founded in 1945 by aviation pioneer Charles H. Kaman. Headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, Kaman Corporation conducts business in the aerospace and distribution markets. The company produces and markets proprietary aircraft bearings and components; super precision, miniature ball bearings; complex metallic and composite aerostructures for commercial, military and general aviation fixed and rotary wing aircraft; safe and arming solutions for missile and bomb systems for the U.S. and allied militaries; subcontract helicopter work; restoration, modification and support of our SH-2G Super Seasprite maritime helicopters; manufacture and support of K-MAX manned and unmanned medium-to-heavy lift helicopters; and engineering design, analysis and certification services.
The company is a leading distributor of industrial parts, and operates approximately 240 customer service centers and five distribution centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Kaman offers more than four million items including bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical, material handling, motion control, fluid power, automation and MRO supplies to customers in virtually every industry. Additionally, Kaman provides engineering, design and support for automation, electrical, linear, hydraulic and pneumatic systems as well as belting and rubber fabrication, customized mechanical services, hose assemblies, repair, fluid analysis and motor management.