The Helicopters Division of Kaman Aerospace Corp. has been awarded a five-year contract with a potential value of $53 million to build composite helicopter blade skins and skin core assemblies for Bell Helicopters. Under the terms of the contract, Kaman will provide 18 different assemblies for H1, 406, 407, 412, 427, 429, 430, and BA609 aircraft. All work will be performed at the Kaman HeliworX aerospace innovation and manufacturing support center in Bloomfield, CT. Initial deliveries to Bell's Hurst, TX, facility will begin in late 2009. Kaman’s Helicopters Division also recently received an $864,000 contract from the U.S. Marine Corps on behalf of Team K-MAX—composed of Kaman and Lockheed Martin—to demonstrate the ability of the unmanned K-MAX helicopter to deliver cargo to troops in extreme environments and at high altitudes. The team will later this year demonstrate the unmanned helicopter's capability to deliver cargo a roundtrip distance of 150 mi.