The Kaman K-16B was an experimental vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft that was constructed by

Kaman Aircraft Kaman Corporation is an American aerospace company, with headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut. It was founded in 1945 by Charles Kaman. During the first ten years the company operated exclusively as a designer and manufacturer of several h ...

for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in 1959 to evaluate the

tiltwing A tiltwing aircraft features a wing that is horizontal for conventional forward flight and rotates up for vertical takeoff and landing. It is similar to the tiltrotor design where only the propeller and engine rotate. Tiltwing aircraft are typical ...

concept. Converted from a

Grumman Goose The Grumman G-21 Goose is an amphibious flying boat designed by Grumman to serve as an eight-seat "commuter" aircraft for businessmen in the Long Island area. The Goose was Grumman's first monoplane to fly, its first twin-engined aircraft, and i ...

amphibian, the K-16B underwent extensive

wind tunnel Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...

and tethered testing, but was not flown before the project was terminated in 1962.

Design and development

During the late 1950s, there was extensive interest in the

vertical takeoff and landing A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-win ...

concept for aircraft, with multiple experimental types ordered to develop the technology for potential service. The

contracted with Kaman Aircraft of Bloomfield, Connecticut to build a testbed based on the company's 'rotorprop' concept for tiltwing aircraft,Swanborough 1964, p.50. using a Grumman JRF-5 Goose amphibian and other existing parts to reduce the cost and time necessary.''Jane's'' 1959–1960, p.331. The fuselage and tail of the Goose were mated to a new tilting wing and engine configuration; the maximum angle of incidence allowed was only 50 degrees; the rotorprop was expected to provide sufficient thrust to allow VTOL operations despite the low angle.

Operational history

Delivered in late 1959, the K-16B underwent extensive wind tunnel testing, along with some tethered hops, to evaluate the tiltwing configuration's aerodynamic characteristics. Flight testing was originally anticipated to begin in the fall of 1960, however these preliminary tests continued into 1962. That year the project was cancelled with the aircraft having not conducted its first free flight.

Surviving aircraft

The prototype K-16B is on display at the

New England Air Museum The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its co ...

Windsor Locks, Connecticut Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxi ...

Specifications

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * *

External links