Being marketed as the next generation of backcountry STOL plane and called by Kodiak’s chief demo pilot as the “Jeep Wrangler of the sky,” Daher unveiled the Kodiak 900 on Monday at EAA AirVenture.
“The 900 builds on the legacy of the 100,” said Mark Brown, chief demo pilot and sales & marketing director for Kodiak.
Larger and faster, and configured with a more modern and versatile interior, Daher says the Kodiak 900 joins the TBM 910 and TBM 960 as very fast turboprop aircraft.
According to specs from the company, the Kodiak 900 is 3.9 feet longer, and Brown said it is 20% faster, with an airspeed of 210 knots. The Kodiak 900 can haul more and offers a maximum range of 1,129 nm. The airframe also adds a fifth set of passenger windows.
The engine for the Kodiak 900 is a Pratt & Whitney Canada 900-shaft horsepower PT6A-140A turboprop engine. The propeller is a new constant speed, full-feathering and hydraulically-actuated five-blade composite from Hartzell.
Brown called the instrument panel “more ergonomic,” allowing room below for pilots to retrofit additional instruments.
The wheel fairings have been certified as “secondary structures,” built to strict FAA standards and subjected to the same rigorous analysis and testing as the cargo pod.
“You can stand on them,” Brown said, also noting the durability of the wings. “It’s almost impossible for a wing to stall.”
The longer fuselage gives the Kodiak 900 a total cabin volume of 309 cubic feet, decked out with new Summit+ passenger seats that are multi-directional. Seats can be placed in a double club configuration or an all-forward configuration. Seats can also be removed to allow for additional cargo space. The new seats come with quick-release handles.
“Today’s official unveiling of the Kodiak 900 underscores the Daher parent company’s firm commitment to the constant improvement of its aircraft product line,” said Daher CEO Didier Kayat. “It follows our launch of the latest TBM family member, the TBM 960, three months ago.”
Daher offers a Kodiak Care four-year maintenance program that includes scheduled maintenance of the aircraft up to 1,000 total flight hours, or through the fourth annual inspection.
The Kodiak 900 was certified by the FAA, and it will be built along with the Kodiak 100 in its latest Series III version, at the Sandpoint, Idaho facility of Daher’s Aircraft Division. First deliveries are expected next year. The price tag is around $3.4 million, “well equipped,” according to Brown.
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