First flight of unmanned K-MAX TITAN

On 21 April, Kaman Air Vehicles, a division of Kaman Aerospace Corporation, announced the first flight of its new unmanned helicopter, the K-MAX TITAN. The prototype, flying as N131KA, is the latest version of the well-known K-MAX, a unique concept which is used in firefighting, humanitarian assistance, and specialised aerial transport. The TITAN version is the world’s first heavy lift unmanned helicopter for the commercial market.

Concurrent with commercial development, Kaman is working with the U.S. Marine Corps on upgrading the autonomous capabilities of their two USMC K-MAX air vehicles through a funded government contract. Flight-testing is expected to start in May 2021. The USMC experiment includes Kaman’s K-MAX TITAN unmanned system and Near Earth Autonomy’s sensor-based autonomy suite.

The new K-MAX TITAN system will be available for existing K-MAX aircraft as well as on new production K-MAX helicopters. The K-MAX is a rugged, low-maintenance aircraft that features a counter-rotating rotor system and is optimized for repetitive external load operations. The aircraft can lift up to 6,000 pounds (2,722 kg) with unmatched performance in hot and high conditions.

Photo: Business Wire