Chas. B Kirkham (1882-1969) was a friend and collaborator of Glenn Curtiss. He made motorcycle engines from about 1900, and in 1910 an aero engine. In 1915 he joined Curtiss in engine work and is chiefly known in connection with the famous D-12. Wanting a fighter worthy of his K-12 engine, with its small frontal area, Kirkham planned a two-seat triplane with excellent streamlining, first flown July 5,1918. To this record-breaker the name Kirkham Fighter, 18-T or Curtiss-Kirkham was applied, though the Curtiss name alone was later used for land and sea versions. U.S. Army had 18-B biplane equivalent, also sometimes called Curtiss-Kirkham. Navy’s two 18-Ts were later adapted for racing. In 1920s Kirkham’s company Kirkham Products designed aircraft to special order.
Manufacturer
Kinner Airplane & Motor Co
Formed in 1919. Known chiefly for its air-cooled radial engines. Aircraft designed by the company round its own engines included Courier two-seat parasol monoplane of late 1920s. In 1930s was producing Sportster strut-braced low-wing monoplane with open side-by-side seats. Sportwing was refined version, Playboy was wire-braced and enclosed and Envoy was scaled-up Playboy seating four. Three Envoys acquired by U.S. Navy as XRK-1 were not experimental, but staff transports. During 1937 company still offered six types of engine and was working on twin-engined Invader, but in 1938 was in receiver’s hands, though continuing operations under control of a trustee.
1920s-1935:
635 West Colorado Boulevard
Glendale
California
USA
Kingsford Smith Aviation Service Pty Ltd
Australia
Formed in 1946 from Kingsford Smith Air Service. Undertook sales, servicing and overhaul of light and medium aircraft, and in 1955 began design of special agricultural type which materialised as PL-7 Tanker biplane. Fuselage was mild-steel tank, tail carried on tubular booms, tricycle landing gear. Flew September 1956. Later Cropmaster was entirely different low-wing monoplane, and special Auster conversions were offered. To these were added (1959/1960) E.P.9 conversion, details of which were supplied to Lancashire Aircraft. Company sold out in 1963 to Victa Ltd. of Milperra, Sydney.
Kimfly
Sandie Marincie set up Kimfly.
1998: pot NA Crno 28, SLO-1217 Vodice, Slovenia
Paraglider builder
Kimberley
1983: Gary Kimberley, 255 Woniora Road, Blakenhurst, NSW 2221, Australia.
Built the UL Skyrider
Kimball Aircraft Corp
Naugatuck
Conn
USA
Circa 1920s built the Beetle K engine
Kilya OKB
Russia
Has been developing the Yrbis six-seat executive transport and the turboprop two-seat Orka.
Kilborne, Dave
Dave Kilborne was a California water skier who met Bill Bennett in 1969 and, with a little help from the Australian, began to build his own kites. These first Kilbo-kites were, like the ski kites they were patterened after, small with a 13 foot keel. After Kilborne had taught himself to fly over water, he began to consider the possibility of foot launching. After some low level practise and the construction of a larger, 16 foot kite, he was making self-launched flights over Mission Ridge near San Jose. On 6 September 1971, Dave Kilborne soared for an hour and four minutes.
Khevenhüller, Graf Georg
Graf Georg Khevenhüller had begun in 1905 with a glider he himself built and in 1911, to further his experiments, the Count partnered with Franz Xaver Wels. From here the bar was set higher: to realize a glider with flapping wings. A machine seems to have been built, yet it was not successful and the men parted company soon after.
Keystone Aircraft Corp
Originally Huff-Daland; became Keystone March 1927, still centered at Bristol, Pennsylvania.
The XLB-1 three-seat, single-engine light bomber was tested in 1923 and was developed as the twin-engined XLB-3, with a crew of five. In 1924 Huff-Daland was reorganized as Keystone Aircraft Corporation and the production bomber aircraft was known by this latter company name.
Keystone was main supplier of twin-engined bombers to U.S. Army from 1927 to 1932, when James McDonnell (later of the McDonnell Douglas Company) was chief engineer. LB- 5A (25 delivered in 1928) was first true Keystone bomber. Largest USAAC bomber order in a decade was for 63 LB- 10A (all converted to B-3A and B-5A on change of Army categories).
Last production contracts for bombers placed 1931 (for 25 B-4A and 39 B-6A).
Keystone Aircraft Corporation built a total of 220 aircraft in the US Army Air Corps LB (light bombardment) category, venturing briefly also into the B (bombardment) and HB (heavy bombardment) classifications. All except ten of the LBs were twin engined aircraft, but had their origins in the single-engined XLB 1 prototype and nine pre series LB 1 biplanes produced in 1925 by Keystone’s predecessor company, Huff Daland and Co Inc of Ogdensburg, New York, which became Keystone in March 1927.
Pathfinder was three-engined civil transport; NK a biplane trainer for a 1928 competition (19 built); PK a twin-engined flying-boat based on NAF design (18 delivered in 1931). Patrician was three-engined 20-passenger low-wing monoplane.
Later absorbed Loening, becoming Keystone-Loening, and then became part of Curtiss-Wright.
Other types were characteristically Loening, including the OL-8 biplane amphibian; the Air Yacht civil amphibian; and the Commuter four-seat cabin amphibian.
All Aero 