Kaman Composites expands Part 145 capabilities to ATR, ERJ composite repairs

Kaman Composites – Wichita Inc. (Kan., U.S.), an indirect subsidiary of Kaman Corp. (Bloomfield, Conn., U.S.), announced that its FAA Part 145 Repair Station in Wichita, Kansas, has earned Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of two new composite repair capabilities, to include ATR and ERJ airframes.

“We aligned our strategic plan last year to assure composite repair capabilities on platforms where there were immediate needs. Specifically, we focused on the regional aircraft market, due to the amount of demand that we see,” says Malissa Nesmith, senior director of business development. “Kaman has historically performed most of the repair services of the Part 145 station for military support programs. As part of our ongoing growth strategy, we have extended those repair services to include the commercial aftermarket. With the most recent FAA approvals, we are now offering composite repairs for structures on the ATR and ERJ aircrafts.”

Kaman Composites specializes in the production and repair of flight structures, including radomes, fairings, winglets and rotor blade repair. Kaman Composite Structures, which includes facilities in Wichita, Kansas and Bennington, Vt., has been a trusted supplier for major OEMs, with established program experience in both rotorcraft and fixed wing platforms. Kaman also offers design and engineering services for new program development.

“One specific area that sets Kaman Composites apart is our agility and our short turn-times,” explains Shawn Hawks, general manager for Kaman Composites – Wichita Inc. “In today’s strained aviation travel environment, keeping our regional customers in the air is critical. With that as our key focus we will not only offer repairs to customer units, but we will have rotable units available for immediate exchange.”