Quest Kodiak

Kodiak
Role Light transport aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Quest Aircraft
Designer Evan Mortenson[1]
First flight October 16, 2004
Introduction May 13, 2005
Status In production
Primary users Mission Aviation Fellowship
JAARS
Produced 2007-present
Number built 163 (2015)[2]
Unit cost
$1.7 million ("green aircraft") (2012)[3]
Quest Kodiak
Quest Kodiak on floats

The Quest Kodiak is an American high-wing, unpressurized, single-engine turboprop-powered fixed tricycle landing gear aircraft built by Quest Aircraft, suitable for utility applications on unimproved airfields. A skydiving version has been certificated.

The Kodiak is intended more for the utilitarian market, although an executive "Summit interior" with club seating was introduced in 2014.[4]

Design and development

Engineering design began in 1999, while the company organization was being finalized.[5] The goal was to create a utilitarian vehicle capable of carrying 10+ persons, using aluminum construction, short-field capability, and good useful load.[6] Large contributors to the Kodiak's STOL performance are a fixed, discontinuous leading edge on the outboard wing and the high performance Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop engine of 750 hp (559 kW).

Passenger seats in the Kodiak are track-mounted and easily removed. It has standard access doors for pilot and co-pilot positions, with a clamshell door (48.5" × 50") in the aft fuselage for cargo loading or for access to the other eight passenger positions (the lower half of the clamshell door has automatically extending/retracting steps).

In June 2010, Wipaire, Inc. was granted Supplemental Type Certification allowing Wipline 7000 Amphibious Floats to be installed on Kodiaks.[7] In November of that same year it was also certified for flight into known icing after the installation of a TKS system, which protects exposed surfaces via glycol-based fluids.[8]

Operational history

The first Kodiak was delivered to launch customer Spirit Air in January 2008.[9] As of September 2013, a total of 100 Kodiaks had been built, with the 100th aircraft being delivered to US operator Sunstate Aviation.[10] The Kodiak was designed for use by mission societies, and several aircraft have been delivered to organisations such as Mission Aviation Fellowship and JAARS.[11][12] Some of the Kodiaks built have been produced under Quest Aircraft's Quest Mission Team (QMT) program.[12] The QMT program aims to sell one of every eleven Kodiaks built to a mission organisation at cost price.[12]

The largest single order was announced on 15 November 2016 for 20 aircraft from Sky Trek, to be delivered within a year. Toyko-based Sky Trek plans to begin air charter services in the first half of 2017 and is a start-up membership-based operator owned by Mitsui and Setouchi Holdings. [13] Setouchi was the Quest dealer for Japan and purchased Quest Aircraft in 2015.[14]

Variants

Kodiak 100
Basic model, FAA certificated 31 May 31, 2007.[15]
Air Claw
A surveillance modification by Northrop Grumman with a FLIR systems Star Saphire sensor and a Persistent Surveillance Systems Hawkeye wide area sensor.[16]

Operators

 United States
 Indonesia
 Papua New Guinea
 Canada
 Ecuador
 Panama
 India
 Japan

Specifications

Data from Flying, February 2009;[24] FAA Type Certificate.[15][25]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. ↑ Evan Mortenson (January 28, 2013). "Creating Kodiak". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  2. ↑ "2015 General Aviation Statistical Datebook & 2016 Industry Outlook" (PDF). General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  3. ↑ Amy Butler (September 3, 2012). "New Bedfellows". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  4. ↑ Thurber, Matt (July 30, 2014). "Summit Interior Certified in Quest Kodiak Turboprop". AIN Online. The Convention News Company Inc. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  5. ↑ AW & ST, Creating Kodiak
  6. ↑ Homepage, Quest Aircraft website
  7. ↑ Quest Aircraft, June 21, 2010. "Wipaire Announces Certification of Wipline 7000 Float for Quest KODIAK". Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  8. ↑ Grady, Mary "Kodiak Icing System FAA Certified", November. 29, 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010
  9. ↑ "Quest begins customer deliveries". Wings Magazine. January 28, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Kodiak centenarian goes to Sunstate". Flight International. Reed Business Information. 184 (5409): 24. 2013. ISSN 0015-3710.
  11. 1 2 "JAARS Takes Quest Kodiak Delivery". AINonline. Aviation International News. January 29, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 Pew, Glenn (August 10, 2010). "Quest Kodiak Fulfills Promise, Delivers Aircraft "At Cost"". AvWeb. Aviation Publishing Group. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Quest secures record order for Kodiak". Flight Global. 16 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Turboprop builder Quest Aircraft sold to Japanese group". Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  15. 1 2 "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET A00007SE, Rev. 15" (PDF). Department of Transportation – Federal Aviation Administration. April 17, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  16. ↑ Amy Butler (September 3, 2012). "New Bedfellows". Aviation Week and Space Technology.
  17. ↑ Grady, Mary (August 10, 2010). "Layoffs At Quest Aircraft, Despite Recent Sales". AvWeb. Aviation Publishing Group. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  18. ↑ Rasmusson, Cameron (April 5, 2011). "RCMP buys Quest plane". Bonner County Daily Bee. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  19. ↑ "#TameAmazonía - Twitter Search". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Nicolás Larenas✈ on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Bienvenidos a Arrendamientos Aereos - Vuelos Charter Panama". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Seabird Seaplane Private Ltd". Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Setouchi Seaplanes". Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Quest Kodiak". Flying: 40–45. February 2009.
  25. ↑ questaircraft.com/the-kodiak/specifications-option Quest website
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