Just about the weirdest helicopter

[helosailor]

Kaman has never been one to think inside the box, but this one is wayyyy out there. The amazing thing is how much they can lift relative to their size, they are one of only a few that can lift more than their own weight.
The K-Max...

[347Mike]

Odd...

[8mpg]

man..I just dont trust the 2 props going at intersecting angles to eachother

[helosailor]

Yeah, it's not forgiving at all, that's for sure. Kaman is the only company that's had any success with the design. The HH-34 Huskie was in service from the 1950s until the 1970s and had a pretty good track record. The K-Max works on the same principle, just a smaller fuselage and updated design.

[TheTRiM]

looks like it takes some crazy mechanical calculating to design this sort of thing to where the blades never touch one another. wierd.

[YALE]

Yeah, it's not forgiving at all, that's for sure. Kaman is the only company that's had any success with the design. The HH-34 Huskie was in service from the 1950s until the 1970s and had a pretty good track record. The K-Max works on the same principle, just a smaller fuselage and updated design.

Didn't the Russians have one?

[Sgt Beavis]

Better make sure your blade tracking and balance are perfect on that one.

[Lason]

They are probably both driven off the same gear so there is no issue with anything syncing. Only way they can contact is if the gear sheds a tooth. Pretty smart idea, twice the lift and no need for tail rotor.

[Ratt]

They are probably both driven off the same gear so there is no issue with anything syncing. Only way they can contact is if the gear sheds a tooth. Pretty smart idea, twice the lift and no need for tail rotor.

This.

[helosailor]

Didn't the Russians have one?

The Russians (and Soviets before them) used and still use helicopters with coaxial rotors, where one is above the other and rotate in opposite directions, but both on a horizontal plane. It's actually a more complicated design, mechanically speaking, but they've had good success with it.

They are probably both driven off the same gear so there is no issue with anything syncing. Only way they can contact is if the gear sheds a tooth. Pretty smart idea, twice the lift and no need for tail rotor.

Right, one engine feeding one main gearbox, which feeds two auxiliary drive gear boxes. If anything in either aux gearbox lets go, it's an express ride to a smoking hole in the ground. That design does not allow for autorotation if something like that happens.

[Ruffdaddy]

It's a close call between this and the Sikorsky X2 in terms of cool design factors. I like the way this us set up though!

[Z06killinsbf]

At 0:40 was he pumping the gas pedal? lol

[helosailor]

At 0:40 was he pumping the gas pedal? lol

Lol, it kind of looked and sounded like it. The clicking sound before the engine lights off is actually the igniters in the engine.

[onemeangixxer7502]

As he's holding the starter down he's watching the Tot's or TGT's to raise and fall before he injects any fuel. HArt starts are no bueno!

[LANTIRN]

Pretty cool but I would be nervous to fly in it. I know they probably did their homework on the design, but I would not be able to get the thought out of my head about the rotors hitting each other. Kind of like zombies; I know it's probably not going to happen but it still scares the piss out of me.