Kaman Aerospace, a division of Kaman Corporation (NYSE:KAMN), announced today that it received a new order for the K-MAX® medium-to-heavy lift helicopter, bringing the total number of firm orders since the relaunch of production to twelve aircraft. The most recent order is from Rotex Helicopter AG, of Balzers Liechtenstein, which currently operates multiple K-MAX® aircraft focused on aerial construction and logging. Delivery of this aircraft is expected in the fourth quarter of 2019.
“Rotex Helicopter AG has been a K-MAX® operator for over 22 years and has flown over 45,000 flight hours. A new production K-MAX® will add to our proven aerial lift operations, while providing our customers with a highly reliable low cost solution”, stated Urs Riebli, Owner of Rotex Helicopter AG.
“We are thrilled that Rotex has selected a new K-MAX® to add to their fleet and we look forward to continuing our relationship with a long-term customer who values the unique capabilities of the aircraft. The reputation of the K-MAX® as a highly versatile and capable aircraft is translating into the increased level of interest we are seeing from operators around the globe. The order book for K-MAX® is filling in nicely and we look forward to increasing sales for many years to come”, stated Darlene Smith, VP & GM, Kaman Air Vehicles Division.
Development of the K-MAX® was led by Kaman founder and former CEO, aviation pioneer Charlie H. Kaman, and received Federal Aviation Administration certification in 1994. The 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).