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] |
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
- Arrendamientos Aéreos[21]
- Seabird Seaplane Private Ltd[22]
- Setouchi Seaplanes[23]
Specifications
Data from Flying, February 2009;[24] FAA Type Certificate.[15][25]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 9 passengers
- Payload: 284 ft³ (no passengers) (8.04 m³)
- Length: 33.4 ft (10.2 m)
- Wingspan: 45.0 ft (13.7 m)
- Height: 15.4 ft (4.69 m)
- Wing area: 240 ft² (22.30 m²)
- Aspect ratio: 8.44
- Empty weight: 3,770 lb (1,710 kg)
- Useful load: 3,535 lb (1,603 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 7,255 lb (3,291 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop, 750 hp takeoff, 700 hp continuous (560 kW takeoff, 522 kW continuous)
- Propellers: Hartzell four-blade, full-feathering, reversible propeller
- Propeller diameter: 96 in (2.44 m)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 183 KIAS (211 mile/hr) 339 km/hr
- Stall speed: 77 knots (flaps retracted), 59 knots (flaps extended) (89 mile/hr (flaps retracted), 68 mile/hr (flaps extended)) 143 km/hr (flaps retracted), 109 km/hr (flaps extended)
- Range: 1,032 nautical miles at 12,000 ft (3,700 m), 179 knots (332 km/h) ()
- Endurance: 5.9 hours at 10,000 ft (3,000 m), high-speed cruise
- Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7620 m)
- Rate of climb: (max. cont. at Sea Level) 1,371 ft/min (6.96 m/s) 874 ft/min @ 10,000 ft
- Wing loading: 30.22 lb/ft² (147.6 kg/m²)
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
References
- ↑ Evan Mortenson (January 28, 2013). "Creating Kodiak". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
- ↑ "2015 General Aviation Statistical Datebook & 2016 Industry Outlook" (PDF). General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ↑ Amy Butler (September 3, 2012). "New Bedfellows". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
- ↑ Thurber, Matt (July 30, 2014). "Summit Interior Certified in Quest Kodiak Turboprop". AIN Online. The Convention News Company Inc. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ↑ AW & ST, Creating Kodiak
- ↑ Homepage, Quest Aircraft website
- ↑ Quest Aircraft, June 21, 2010. "Wipaire Announces Certification of Wipline 7000 Float for Quest KODIAK". Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ↑ Grady, Mary "Kodiak Icing System FAA Certified", November. 29, 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010
- ↑ "Quest begins customer deliveries". Wings Magazine. January 28, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Kodiak centenarian goes to Sunstate". Flight International. Reed Business Information. 184 (5409): 24. 2013. ISSN 0015-3710.
- 1 2 "JAARS Takes Quest Kodiak Delivery". AINonline. Aviation International News. January 29, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- 1 2 3 Pew, Glenn (August 10, 2010). "Quest Kodiak Fulfills Promise, Delivers Aircraft "At Cost"". AvWeb. Aviation Publishing Group. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Quest secures record order for Kodiak". Flight Global. 16 November 2016.
- ↑ "Turboprop builder Quest Aircraft sold to Japanese group". Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- 1 2 "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET A00007SE, Rev. 15" (PDF). Department of Transportation – Federal Aviation Administration. April 17, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ↑ Amy Butler (September 3, 2012). "New Bedfellows". Aviation Week and Space Technology.
- ↑ Grady, Mary (August 10, 2010). "Layoffs At Quest Aircraft, Despite Recent Sales". AvWeb. Aviation Publishing Group. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ↑ Rasmusson, Cameron (April 5, 2011). "RCMP buys Quest plane". Bonner County Daily Bee. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ↑ "#TameAmazonía - Twitter Search". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Nicolás Larenas✈ on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Bienvenidos a Arrendamientos Aereos - Vuelos Charter Panama". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Seabird Seaplane Private Ltd". Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Setouchi Seaplanes". Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Quest Kodiak". Flying: 40–45. February 2009.
- ↑ questaircraft.com/the-kodiak/specifications-option Quest website
- Quest Aircraft Website
- Marsh, Alton K. AOPA Pilot 2006
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quest Kodiak. |