Skip to main content
Page of

The Helicopter-Inspired Guitar: The Story of Charles Kaman and Ovation Guitars

2009 US 3 pages

This article from Invention & Technology magazine (Summer 2009) details how aerospace engineer Charles Kaman applied his helicopter design expertise to create the Ovation guitar, founded Ovation Instruments, and introduced innovative models including the Balladeer, Adamas, and iDea. The piece covers Kaman's background in aeronautical engineering, his development of fiberglass-backed guitars using aerospace materials like Lyrachord, and the company's growth into one of the world's biggest instrument distributors. The article also notes that Fender Musical Instruments Corporation purchased Ovation in January 2008 for $117 million.

Download PDF (4.5 MB)