Inter-Wars

Kellner-Bechereau

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France
Avions Kellner-Bechereau was founded at Billancourt in 1931. The company was founded in 1931 by Louis Béchereau together with the French automobile carriage-builder Georges Kellner. The factory, located at Boulogne-Billancourt, began building light monoplanes.

Kellner had built car bodies; also SPAD fighters under contract from 1916. Bechereau was experienced in aircraft design (Deperdussin and SPAD types) and had patented new kinds of wooden construction, using molds. In 1936–37 Avions Kellner-Béchereau built a short series of small monoplanes exploiting one of Louis Béchereau’s patents, a full span lateral division of the wing into two sections forming a “double wing”. The wing was first tested on the single-seat Kellner-Béchereau E.1 on 1936, which was followed by two larger and more powerful two-seaters, the Kellner-Béchereau EC.4 and ED.5. Both of these were designed to meet the French Air Ministry’s requirement for a pre-military trainer aircraft to be used by the clubs set up in the “Aviation Populaire” programme.

During the 1930s the company made 60 fuselages for recently-ordered SPAD 510 fighter biplanes, using Bechereau system. Built monoplane with Delage inverted engine for Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe.

In 1936 built a single-seat lightplane using Bechereau-patented “double wing” (divided laterally, with rear parts hinged differentially to act as slotted flaps or ailerons), and in 1937 two side-by-side-seater developments were built, one of metal and one of wood. With low-powered Train engine, aircraft of this type (E-1 single-seater) established class records. The Kellner-Béchereau designs, however, were not ordered for the Aviation Populaire programme, the Air Ministry opting in favour of the Caudron C.270 and the Salmson Cri-Cri which were both bought in large numbers. Instead, Kellner-Béchereau, along with other manufacturers, built the Cri-Cri under licence.

In 1939 Georges Paulin, who in 1934 had designed the Peugeot 601 Éclipse convertible automobile, joined the aerodynamical department of the Kellner-Béchereau factory. A member of the French Resistance, he was arrested in 1941 and executed the following year.

On the eve of the Second World War, Louis Béchereau conceived a monoplane, the Kellner-Béchereau E.60, also known as K.B.E 60, an embarked monoplane for the aircraft carriers of the French Navy, but its development was frustrated by events.

The Kellner-Béchereau factory was destroyed by bombing in 1942 and the Avions Kellner-Béchereau company was subsequently merged with Morane-Saulnier. Louis Béchereau was given a post as a director at Morane-Saulnier until his retirement in 1950.

Kellett YG-1

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YG-1B

Cierva and Pitcairn licensed the Kellett Autogiro Corporation of Philadelphia to build autogiros and the developed Kellett YG-1 of the late 1930s became the US Army’s first rotary-winged aircraft.
Seven YG-1B autogyro were procured by the US army in 1937 for observation duties.

YG-1A
Year: 1936.
Seats: 2.
Engine: Jacobs L4MA7, 225 hp.
Gross wt: 2205 lbs.
Empty wt: 1586 lbs.
Rotor dia: 40 ft.
No of blades: 3.

YG-1B
Year: 1937.
Seats: 2.
Engine: Jacobs L4MA7, 225 hp.
Gross wt: 2400 lbs.
Empty wt: 1617 lbs.
Rotor dia: 40 ft.
No of blades: 3.

Kellett KD-1

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KD-1B

Cierva’s C30 series and Pitcairn’s PA-22 and Luscombe-built aluminum body PA-36, and the KD-1 series constructed by Kellett Autogiro Company of Philadelphia were capable of jump take-offs and direct-control without wings.

KD-1
Year: 1935.
Seats: 2.
Engine: Jacobs L4MA7, 225 hp.
Gross wt: 2050 lbs.
Empty wt: 1345 lbs.
Rotor dia: 40 ft.
No of blades: 3.

KD-1A
Seats: 2.
Engine: Jacobs L4M4 seven-cylinder radial

KD-1B
Year: 1939.
Seats: 1.
Engine: Jacobs L4MA7, 2225 hp.
Gross wt: 2295 lbs.
Empty wt: 1670 lbs.
Rotor dia: 40 ft.
No of blades: 3.

Kellett K-4

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Dr.Wynn Laurence LePage designed the first line of autogiros, K-2, K-3, and K-4, establishing Kellet as manufacturer of good performing autogiros.

The K-4 was developed in 1933.

Year: 1934.
Seats: 2.
Engine: Continental R-670, 210 hp.
Gross wt: 2400 lbs.
Empty wt: 1620 lbs.
Rotor dia: 40 ft 6 in.
No of blades: 4.

Kellett

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Under Pitcaim-Cierva license developed and built autogiros at Philadelphia from 1929. A K-3 was taken to the Antarctic by Admiral Byrd on his second expedition in 1933, piloted by William S. McCormick. K-4 had two side-byside seats with demountable enclosure but retained wings. KD-1 of 1934 had tandem seats but was wingless and had direct-control rotor. In 1938 U.S. Army Air Corps bought seven Kellett autogiros for experimental use. From 6 July 1939 a Kellett KD-1 B of Eastern Airlines operated the first scheduled mail service by a rotary-wing aircraft, from the roof of the Philadelphia Post Office and the Camden airport. In 1939 Kellett exported an autogiro to Japan (see Kayaba). YG-1 was developed into XR-2 and XR-3 for the U.S. Army. XR-8 and XR-8A of 1943/1945 had twin side – by- side rotors. As Kellett Aircraft Corporation the company later undertook research and development contracts and subcontracting. Built its own KH-15 single-seat research helicopter (1954), the world’s first rocket-driven helicopter. In late 1950s attempted unsuccessfully to resume production of pre-war KD-1 A direct-control autogiro.
Hughes owned Kellett designs.