Kaman KSA-100 SAVER

National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Kaman Aerospace Corporation
First flight: 28 December 1971
Number built: 1

The Kaman KSA-100 SAVER (Stowable Aircrew Vehicle Escape Rotorseat) is an American aircraft-stowable gyroplane escape device designed and built by the Kaman Aerospace Corporation for the United States Navy. Designed to used in naval combat aircraft to deploy as part of the ejection sequence, only one was built and it did not enter service. It was the first jet-powered gyroplane.

Design and development

The United States Navy Air Development Center awarded a number contracts to aerospace companies to find a method for ejected aircrew to escape from the scene of the crash. Kaman proposed a turbofan powered gyroplane it called the Stowable Aircrew Vehicle Escape Rotorseat or SAVER, it was a gyroplane with an unpowered rotor, the blades were telescopic and along with the turbofan engine would fold into the aircraft seat during normal use. When the pilot ejected the seat would leave the aircraft and a drogue parachute would slow the seat and deploy the blades within four seconds, it would take two more seconds for the turbofan to run up to full power and the seat becomes a gyroplane. Kaman made over 1500 air drops to test the self-deploying rotor system and a full-scale unpowered SAVER was tested by NASA in the Ames Research Laboraatory wind tunnel in 1970. The SAVER was equipped with ground handling frame for tests, which was a tricycle landing gear and support frame, it was also fitted with basic flight instruments. The SAVER first flew in a towed flight on 28 December 1971 and the following day made a free flight, although it was fitted with a 16 ft non-telescoping rotor, fitted with the 14 ft telescopic rotor it first flew 10 January 1972. The SAVER was fitted with a Williams WRC-19 turbofan, it was too powerful for the seat but was available off-the-shelf. The program was to test the seat unmanned in an air-launch but the program was cancelled as the military didnt think the idea was a viable proposition.

The SAVER was an aircraft ejection seat with a Williams WRC-19 turbofan engine and a two-bladed non-powered rotor attached to the seat structure. It had a parachute in the headrest assembly and a seat back fitted with a life raft and survival gear.

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Main rotor diameter: 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m)
Empty weight: 444 lb (201 kg)
Gross weight: 710 lb (322 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x— Williams WRC-19 turbofan engine, 430 lbf (1.91 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed: 115 mph (185 km/h)
Range: 57 miles (92 km)

Bibliography

Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74. London, United Kingdom: Jane's Yearbooks. 1973. ISBN 0 354 00117 5.

Kaman KSA-100 SAVER Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia