Comparison of the Kaman HTK-1 from 1957 and the Kaman KMAX of today

The two unmanned systems I’d like to compare are the Kaman HTK-1 and the Kaman KMAX helicopters. Both are full-sized helicopters that employ remote piloting. The Kaman HTK-1 was utilized in 1953 and the Kaman KMAX is still in use today, but was developed in the early 1990’s.

The Kaman HTK-1 was essentially an H-43 Huskie, the most successful search and rescue aircraft in Vietnam, but outfitted with remote piloting capability. The H-43 Huskie was unique in many ways. Its most pronounced feature is its inter-meshing rotors. Eliminating the tail rotor allowed 100% of the engine power to be applied to the main rotors, losing nothing to counter-rotating effects that other helicopters employ.

Produced in 1957, the HTK-1 was the first remotely controlled and non-tethered aircraft ever flown (Kaman, 2015). It employed radio controls that were limited by line-of-sight radio frequencies. Additionally, the remote pilot’s visual capabilities were limited to primitive cameras and black and white television sets. That might not seem like a substantial limitation by today’s television and camera standards but the recording capabilities of that time were far more rudimentary. Even with the weight savings of a pilotless helicopter, the HTK-1 only saw limited use – its full potential was never realized.

With the advent of modern warfare, including improvised explosive devices and guerilla type warfare employed by American adversaries in the War on Terror, a new need was spawned. Convoys delivering goods and supplies to soldiers and marines in hostile territory often proved dangerous and deadly. Even flying goods to austere places not only risked lives but increased monetary costs as well. As a result, the Kaman KMAX unmanned helicopter, still employing the iconic inter-meshing rotors but upgraded in countless ways for true remote piloting, found an essential niche to become a viable option for the military. The KMAX can be loaded with supplies (up to 6,000 pounds), and delivered remotely to troops. The cost of doing the same mission using the Black Hawk or the CH-47 Chinook are substantially greater, not to mention the risk of lives lost. The Kaman KMAX flew its first operational mission in 2011 (Dorr, 2012).

With the existing camera tracking and sensing technology, and the emerging adversary engagement technology, these supply moving helicopters could even have self-defense capabilities. This could eliminate or reduce the chance of aircraft loss to enemy attack. However, the benefits of such a system would need to outweigh the added cost and weight.

References

Unmanned Aerial Systems. (2015). Retrieved November 22, 2015, from                           http://www.kaman.com/aerospace/aerosystems/air-vehicles-mro/products-  services/unmanned-aerial-systems/

Dorr, R. (2012, January 19). Less Than a Year After His Death, Charlie Kaman's Helicopters Achieve Another First. Retrieved November 22, 2015, from http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/                 stories/charlie-kamans-helicopters-achieve-another-first-nearly-a-year-after-his-death/