In 1965 Mr. Franz Kavan, at that time a designer and manufacturer of ball-point pens, accompanied a friend to an R/C flying field. He enjoyed the flying and technical discussions with modellers wanting to improve the performance of their aeroplanes. One of these discussions resulted in the idea for Mr. Kavan‘s first accessory: an improved control linkage to the engine. However, because Mr. Kavan‘s test engine wouldn’t run reliably he temporarily put the control linkage “on the back burner“ and researched the engine problem. A year later a new carburettor was completed for his Super Tigre 60. This innovative KAVAN Carburettor, introduced at the World Championship in Corsica, France, became famous around the world.
Mr. Kavan was “hooked“ on model flying and became an excellent pilot. His passion for flying fast, high performance model aeroplanes made him realize that hardware for model aeroplanes needed improvement. Hence, KAVAN‘s accessory line grew quickly. In 1972 KAVAN introduced the ultimate mechanical challenge for model pilots, the first KAVAN R/C helicopter. The development of the KAVAN Bell Jet Ranger included extensive wind tunnel testing at the German Institute for Science in Braunschweig as well as engineering assistance from Bell Helicopters in Dallas, TX USA.
The Bell Jet Ranger‘s worldwide success came from the accurate scale design, outstanding flying performance and same attention to detail used in the production of the model aeroplane accessories.
KAVAN‘s product range has since been broadened with more accessories and the introduction of Slow & ParkFlyer model aeroplanes and associated accessories. Mr. Franz Kavan passed away in 1992. Having worked together with her father for ten years, his youngest daughter Andrea took over the company and had managed it successfully with her husband David Martin. In July 2003 SIG Manufacturing Company, Inc., USA acquired KAVAN.
The partnership had been working quite well for years making the outstanding SIG kits available throughout the Europe. Unfortunately, as the model hobby market had been changing and shifting in the new millennia the time for severing the KAVAN – SIG bond and seeking a new investor came in a couple of years ago.
Under the new owner the company worked well continuing to supply the high quality products had been loved and used by modellers all over the world for decades. However, as the time went by, the plans of the new owner changed, partially due to much higher profit being expected, partially due to continuous changes of the model hobby market.
It was 2019, when the Czech company PELIKAN DANIEL came into the picture. Being a distributor of KAVAN and SIG range of products for almost two decades and a well-established distributor of many other leading brands like Hitec, O.S. Engines, Futaba to name just a few, we were certain we would be able to continue the tradition of Mr. Kavan - offering high quality kits, electronics, accessories, materials and glues, simply everything a modeller might need. During 2020 we had been working on re-starting the company; assembling/completing and packing facilities being transferred to Pardubice, Czech Republic whilst keeping the production and traditional suppliers based in Germany, Czech Republic and other European countries.
Besides resuming the original KAVAN range production we have been adding new kits, electronics, glues, dopes and accessories since then. Our goal is to continue with the core of the products being manufactured in Germany, Czech Republic and other European countries well known for their keen modellers and decades of model hobby production; indeed expanded by carefully selected items from the rest of the world.
We will do our best KAVAN remained a reliable supplier of high quality model hobby products you all are happy to use.
