On Monday, Daher Aircraft handed over the first Kodiak 900 to a European customer. The first Daher Kodiak 900 will be delivered to a Swiss couple, Roland and Claudia Primus, who will use the turboprop aircraft for adventure flying across Europe.
The Kodiak 900 program continues to accelerate worldwide, helping to reinforce its strong market presence alongside Daher’s existing high-speed turboprops.
The Kodiak 900
The Kodiak 900 has a maximum cruise speed of 210 ktas and incorporates refinements including optimised airflow through the ducts and landing-gear wheel fairings. The aircraft is powered by a 900-shp (shaft horsepower) Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop engine and incorporates a 3.9-foot fuselage extension from the Kodiak 100.
The Kodiak 900 also offers improved operating economics, with a nine per cent reduction in specific fuel consumption. The efficiency gains can reach double-digit percentages compared with competing aircraft, reducing both cost per seat-mile and direct operating costs.
Daher noted that the Kodiak 900 has a high-wing configuration for improved visibility, and that the aircraft’s extended cabin provides room for mountain bikes, windsurfing equipment, and the gear needed for the expeditions in Northern Europe. The company has delivered 35 Kodiak 900s to operators to assist multi-mission users in law enforcement, wildfire suppression, and public safety, among others.
European Expansion of the Kodiak 900
The Primuses will use their turboprop single for flying to small airfields, with plans to explore Northern Europe, as well as skiing along Greenland’s west coast, mountain biking in the Alps, and surfing on the Mediterranean.
They have taken delivery of the aircraft at Daher’s factory in Sandpoint, Idaho, and plan to base it at Bad Ragaz Aerodrome (LSZE) in Switzerland, which has a 495m runway.
Roland Primus said:
“After reviewing the various product solutions, the Kodiak 900 was a perfect fit for us.”
“We wanted to transition to a turbine-powered aircraft, and the Kodiak 900 ‘ticked the boxes’ on speed and performance, along with the ability to operate on grass and gravel strips. Its short takeoff and landing capabilities—as well as its stable handling qualities at near-stall speeds—also are important for our mission profile.”
“Its short takeoff and landing capabilities – as well as its stable handling qualities at near-stall speeds – also are important for our mission profile.”
This is not the first route launched in Switzerland this year, with European partners having more involvement in the testing and assisting of aircraft. Daher Aircraft has expanded on its integration capabilities for multi-mission Kodiak applications as the business continues to grow, and that includes moving it to European territory.
Recent applications include a Kodiak 900 for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for use in aerial fire attack and conservation activities.
Daher is displaying the Kodiak 900 this week at NBAA-BACE.
How comfortable would you feel flying a large single-engine aircraft across European airspace? Let us know in the comments!
