Kellett Helicopters & Autogyros List

[hesham]

Hi,

The Kellett Aircraft was formed by W. Wallace Kellett and C. Townsend Ludington and their brothers, Rodney Kellett and Nicholas Ludington. In 1931,Kellett Autogiro licensed from the Autogiro Company of America, Juan de la Cierva's and Harold Pitcairn's patents for rotary-wing aircraft.The firstthree designed were all typical Cierva designs and the more advanced KD-1 was similar to the contemporary Cierva C.30. The KD-1/G-1 was the first practical rotary-wing aircraft used by the United States Army. The company stopped building autogyros in the late 1940s and switched to the design
of helicopters. In the 1950s it built some ultra-light helicopters the RH-1 to test some rotor features and its last design the K-25 was an experimental convertiplane using tilt-rotors.

In fact,after some research,I discovered that,there are three different series; K,KD & KH,and I will start with KH

1944/45 was a utility and rescue helicopter project of 1944/45
KH-1 it was XR-8 (later redesigned as XH-8),a two-seat single engine experimental helicopter 1944
KH-2 civil version of XR-10,project only,may later developed as below ?
KH-2A it was intended to accommodate 12-16 passenger,powered by two Wright C7B6 radial engines in external nacelles.A development of the XH-10 military helicopter, the KH-2A was expected to have a maximum speed of 115 m.p.h., range of 200 miles and a gross weight of 14,1421b, with 3,300 Ib payload. Folding rotors will be fitted
KH-2B ? may it was the same as XR-10 (XH-10),a twin engined mlitary transport helicopter,based on XR-8,could accommodated 2 pilots and 10 troops
KH-3 was a Skycrane helicopter tandem-rotor project of 1946
KH-4 ? may it was a three-seat naval helicopter,1945,project
KH-5 was a project for a helicopter,no more details are known
KH-6 ? maybe a project of a large helicopter to compete in XH-16 helicopter contest
KH-7 ? may it was the same as XH-17,heavy flying crane helicopter prototype,which Kellet sold the design to Hughes
KH-8 ? may it was observation helicopter project of 1949/50
KH-9 was ASW helicopter project
KH-10 ? was unknown,but may it was twin anti-torque rotors drone,and Standby Rocket Engines for Rotary Wing Aircraft,1950s
KH-11 was USMC assault transport helicopter project,1951
KH-12 ? was unknown,but may it was an investigation of airplane design requirement,with respect to reducing complexity and cost,1952
KH-13 Rocket was flying testbed (like KH-15) project
KH-14 was liaison/observation helicopter for USN,project
KH-15 it was a flying test-bed developed with the Office of Naval Research as sponsor to study the behaviour of a small helicopter in which the significant parameters of the rotor could be altered,this single-seater was powered by two hydrogen peroxide rocket engines mounted one at each blade tip, and fuel was stored in two spherical tanks situated to the right and left of the pilot.
KH-16 -----?
KH-17 or K-17 was experimental helicopter and had gas-turbine-powered,cold cycle and tip jet,the engine was Turbomeca Turmo of 400 hp.
KH-17A basically, this was a KD-1B autogyro with a Jacobs engine in the nose, originally built in 1939 and converted by the addition of stub wings, each tip of which was to carry an engine
KH-18 ? was unknown,but may it was an experimental study of a tandem helicopter,employing cocked vertical blade,1956
KH-19 or K-19 was an one-man helicopter project,1956
KH-20 ? was unknown,but may it was a two-seat helicopter project,1957
KH-21 ? was unknown,but may it was flying crane helicopter project,1957
KH-22 ? was unknown,but may it was Army two-seat helicopter project,1957
KH-23 ? was unknown,but may it was two-seat civil helicopter project,1957-58
KH-24 ? was unknown,but may it was proposed low-cost helicopter configuration,
using reinforced plastic,1958
KH-25 or K-25 was a project of convertiplane powered by two Lycoming XT53-L-1 gas turbine engines
K-26 ? was unknown,but may it was two-seat army helicopter project,1958
K-27 was Army two-seat helicopter project,1958
K-28 or KD-28 was a rotor-jeep VTOL project
K-29 ? was unknown,but may it was Army observation two-seat helicopter
project,1958-60
K-30 ? was unknown,but may it was a drone ASW helicopter project,1959
K-31 ? was unknown,but may it was a lift systems for VTOL vehicles,1959
K-32 ? was unknown,but may it was airborne support platform preliminary
design,1960

 

[hesham]

Hi,

there was a utility and rescue helicopter project of 1944/45 also,but had no designation ?.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

for KD series;

KD-1 was a two-seat multi-purpose autogyro,powered by one 230 hp Jacobs L-4MA engine,later developed for US Army as G-1,XR-2,XR-3 and XO-60,1934
KD-2 ? was a single seat autogiro project,had a tricycle undercarriage and a
motor,mounted above the front of very small fuselage,in nacelle,with main
large rotor
KD-3 to KD-9 -----?
KD-10 was a two-seat closed cabin autogyro project of 1960,intended as liaison or observer aircraft; 260 hp Continental IO-520 or Allison T63-A-1 turboprop
KD-11 ? may it was an Air Rescue Aircraft Project of 1961

 

[Apophenia]

You could add in the KD-1 sub-types ... although most of them lack Kellett designations

KD-1 - 1934 tandem 2-seat C-30-inspired autogiro
- KD-1 : 1 x 225 hp Jacobs L-4, rotor dia. 12.19 m
- KD-1A: 1935 production version of KD-1
- KD-1B: KD-1A single-seat mail-carrier deriv.
-- YG-1 : 1935, USAAC desig'n for KD-1, x 1
-- YG-1A: 1935, USAAC desig'n for KD-1A, x 1
-- YG-1B: 193?, USAAC KD-1A variant, x 7
-- YG-1C: KD-1A/YG-1B conv., later into XR-2
-- XO-60: 1936, USAAC YG-1B/KD-1A deriv., x 7
-- YO-60: XO-60 conv. to XR-2 standards,* x 6
-- * 1 x 300 hp Jacobs R-915-3, cockpit canopy
-- XR-2 : YG-1C conv., 330 hp Jacobs L-6, x 1
-- XR-3 : YG-1B conv. w/ fixed rotor dead, x 1
-- XR-3 acted as blade test for XR-8 helicopter
-- XR-3 later rebuilt as Cropmaster duster, x 1
-- Kayaba Ka-Go: Rebuilt damaged Kellett K-1A
-- Kayaba Ka-1 : 1941 prod'n derivative for IJAAF
-- Kayaba O-1 : Late-war IJAAF Ka-1 redesignated
-- Kayaba Ka-1 : 1 x 240 hp Kobe (Argus As 10C)
-- Kayaba Ka-1 KAI : Rocket-assisted rotor, x 1
-- Kayaba Ka-2: 1941 development for IJAAF, x 75
-- Kayaba Ka-2: 1 x 240 hp Jacobs L-4MA-7 **
-- Kayaba O-2 : Late-war IJAAF Ka-2 redesignated
-- ** Some sources say 225 hp Jacobs L-4M4

 

[hesham]

From Air Pictorial 1961,

what was this Air Rescue Aircraft ?.

 

[hesham]

From All Hands 1966/1.

 

[hesham]

I edit KH-4 and KH-6.

 

[hesham]

From Bernard Collection,

I add the real Kellett KH-3.

 

[hesham]

From Bernard Collection,

the K-19 or KH-19.

 

[hesham]

From Bernard Collection,

there was a project for Kellett as a three-seat naval helicopter,could be KH-4,so I edit
the list,please watch.

 

[hesham]

From Naval Aviation News 1952,the KH-17A.

 

[hesham]

A big Surprise,

I found a site which contains many Projects for Kellett,so please check from the K list again,they are;
K-10,K-12,K-18,K-20,K-21,K-22,K-23,K-24,K-26,K-28,K-29,K-30 and
K-31,that's only my speculations for existing concepts.

Also K-19 and K-27,real designs as in the reports.

Albert Yackle papers

 

[Stargazer]

I found a site which contains many Projects for Kellett,so please check from the K list again,they are;
K-10,K-12,K-18,K-20,K-21,K-22,K-23,K-24,K-26,K-28,K-29,K-30 and
K-31,that's only my speculations for existing concepts.

Also K-19 and K-27,real designs as in the reports.

When it comes to Kellett, there are three different numbering systems:

• From 1930 to 1933, Kellett's autogyros (or "Autogiros", since he has the rights to the Cierva-patented designation) are designated in "K-", with K-1X, K-2, K-2A, K-3 and K-4.
• From 1934 to 1937, Kellett's autogiros use direct control, and the new models are therefore prefixed "KD-", with KD-1, KD-1A, KD-1B and KD-2X. A KD-10 autogiro project has also been quoted for 1959, suggesting there may have been unbuilt 3-9 designs.
• From 1944 onwards, Kellett develops helicopters under a separate list beginning in "KH-", of which I know the following: KH-1 Synchropter (XR-8/-8A), KH-2X-C Synchropter (XR-10), KH-3 Skycrane, KH-5 and KH-9 (Navy proposals), KH-10 Flying Crane (XR-17), KH-11 (Marines proposal), KH-13 Rocket, KH-14 (Navy proposal), KH-15 Stable Mabel (Navy test-bed), KH-17A (tip-jet experimental helicopter), KH-19 (one man helicopter).

After that, it seems the designations are not so logical: K-25 Flying Test Bed (so-called "YH-32" Convertiplane), K-27 (Army helicopter) and KD-28 (rotor jeep). I do not know the other numbers you have listed, hesham, so if you have sources to back them up, I'm all ears!

 

[hesham]

I agree with you about three designations,but when I came cross KD-28 and
I thought it was from KD series,for K-25,they also called it KH-25,and for the
concepts which I put already question mark for it,that's only my speculations
according to the year of designing,and in reply # 12 the source.

 

[hesham]

After that, it seems the designations are not so logical: K-25 Flying Test Bed (so-called "YH-32" Convertiplane), K-27 (Army helicopter) and KD-28 (rotor jeep). I do not know the other numbers you have listed, hesham, so if you have sources to back them up, I'm all ears!

From Army Aviation 1960/4,a surprise,may that was K-32 ?.

And regarding to this Info about KD-28 is in K series,so I edit the list.

 

[persil]

Hi,

I cannot find the dedicated thread to the XR-8, so for the time being I will put it here:

The only remaining XR-8 prototype is now undergoing restoration in Dayton, Ohio, USA, at the National Museum of the U. S. Air Force.
There is a video update of the works and also a couple of pictures on the museum's page:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIQyq095J_k

Photos