GIN120 Naval Fighter #120 - Kaman Synchropter (HTK-1/TH-43E HOK-1/OH-43D HUK-1/UH-43C)

By Tommy Thomason and Steve Ginter

80 pages, 174 B&W photos, 8 color photos, 51 drawjngs, 15 patches

In 1945, there were several aircraft companies involved in helicopter design, test and production in America. The smallest and least well financed one had just been incorporated by a 26 year old Charles Kaman to pursue a synchropter design and flight control concept which featured a pair of intermeshing rotors with small sero-tabs attached to the blades to twist them in flight. This design proved the Kaman’s to be much easier to control in a hover than a conventional helicopter and eliminated the need of a tail rotor. After flight testing two company-funded prototypes, Kaman sold or leased a handful of these synchropters primarily for use as crop dusters. Fortunately, just as the fledgling company was on the brink of bankrupcy in 1949, the Navy became interested. The Navy ended up purchasing for itself and the Marines; 29 small 3-place HTK-1/TH-43E trainers, 83 4-place Marine HOK-1/OH-43D observation and rescue helicopters, and 24 5-place HUK-1/UH-43C transport and utility helicopters. These aircraft were operated into 1965 and the design was eventually developed into the turbine powered H-43B/F Huskie used by the USAF in Vietnam.