(photo creds to Mark Wagner)
The Quest Kodiak
This aircraft is an American built high wing, single-engine turboprop-powered fixed tricycle landing gear STOL which is used as a utility aircraft. The first Kodiak was delivered to launch customer Spirit Air in January 2008.
By September 2013, 100 Kodiaks had been built, with the 100th aircraft being delivered to US operator Sunstate Aviation. The Quest is used by several mission organizations such as Mission Aviation Fellowship and JAARS. The largest single order was announced on 15 November 2016 for 20 aircraft from Skytrek.
Variants
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Kodiak 100
Basic model, FAA certificated 31 May 2007 -
Kodiak 100 Series II
Model introduced in May 2018, incorporating improvements, including a Garmin G1000NXi avionics suite, Flight Stream 510 tablet connection device, an angle-of-attack indicator and a digital standby four instrument group. -
Air Claw
A surveillance modification by Northrop Grumma with a FLIR systems Star Saphire sensor and a Persistent Surveillance Systems Hawkeye wide area sensor
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 9 passengers
- Payload: 248 cu ft (no passengers)
- Length: 34 ft 2 in
- Wingspan: 45 ft
- Height: 15 ft 3 in
- Empty weight]: 3,770 lb (1,710 kg)
- Useful load: 3,535 lb (1,603 kg)
- Max. takeoff weigh: 7,255 lb (3,290 kg)
- Powerplant]: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop (750 hp takeoff, 700 hp continuous )
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Propellers: Constant speed, feathering, reversible propeller
- Propeller diameter: 96 in
Performance
- Maximum speed: 183 knts
- Cruise speed: 174 knts 12,000 ft
- Stall speed: 77 knts flaps up, 60 knts flaps down
- Range: 1,132 nm 135 knts, 12,000 ft
- Endurance: 9.9 hrs 95 knts, 12,000 ft
- Service ceiling: 25,000 ft
- Rate of climb: (max. cont. at Sea Level) 1,371 ft/min 874 ft/min @ 10,000 ft
- Fuel consumption: at 174 kn: 48 gph,
- Takeoff Ground Roll: 934 ft / 285 m
- Braked Roll: (w/o reverse) 705 ft / 215 m
My Opinion
As we chase down more General Aviation aircraft, the Quest would be a great fit. This turbo prop would be really great to compete against the TBM930 being a back country operation. It gives people the ability to fly into smaller strips all over the world and be a bush operation!
