Charles Kaman
| Charles Huron Kaman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 15, 1919 Washington, D.C. |
| Died | January 31, 2011 (aged 91) Bloomfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Aircraft designer, Musical Instrument designer |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Kaman (nėe Sylvander) (1945–1971; divorced); Roberta Kaman (nėe Hallock; married from 1971 until her death in 2010) |
| Children | C. William Kaman II, Steven W. Kaman and Cathleen Kaman Wood |
Charles Huron Kaman (/kəˈmɑːn/ kə-MAHN; June 15, 1919 – January 31, 2011) was an American aeronautical engineer, businessman, inventor and philanthropist, known for his work in rotary-wing flight and also in musical instrument design via the Kaman Music Corporation.
Charles Huron Kaman was born in 1919 to Charles William Kaman and Mabel Davis Kaman in Washington, D.C., the son of a construction supervisor. He later attended Catholic University of America, gaining an engineering degree magna cum laude in 1940.
Kaman's first aircraft experience was working for Igor Sikorsky. In 1945, he started his own aircraft company, Kaman Aircraft, to pursue his own designs. In January 1947, the Kaman K-125 helicopter first flew. It utilized intermeshing rotors and Kaman's patented servo-flap rotor control. In 1951, the Kaman K-225 also used intermeshing rotors with servo-flap control and was the world's first helicopter to be powered by a gas turbine.
Kaman was an aficionado of the guitar, and in 1966, he founded Ovation Instruments. The company would become the Ovation Guitar Company and developed an acoustic guitar using aerospace composite materials, featuring a rounded back design. Kaman also founded Kaman Industrial Technologies [1], one of the largest industrial distributors in North America. He and his second wife, Roberta, created the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and developed a breed of German Shepherd to act as guide dogs.
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