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The Kodiak 900 measures 4.5 feet longer than the Kodiak 100 and incorporates several aerodynamic improvements, such as wheel fairings.
knots. That’s a lot of speed. What Daher did to the TBM was bolt on bigger engines and find every pos- sible aerodynamic efficiency to turn the latest and greatest TBM 960 into the current pinnacle of owner-flown, six-seat flying.
So, when Daher bought the Kodiak production line, their highly profi- cient and experienced research and development (R&D) team went to the task of making the Kodiak product line sleeker and faster. The compa- ny took plans in development and brought more to the table. Instead of the new Kodiak just being a little bit faster or a little bit bigger, they looked at every aspect of the project to ensure its reputation aligned with the TBM.
Regarding speed, two sides of a coin must be considered: increase the horsepower and reduce the drag. With its TBM line, the Daher team draws experience in both.
Horsepower is King
To find more horsepower, Daher needed to move up in engine. They selected the PT6-140A, which easily produces 900 HP. That’s 200 more horsepower (in cruise) than the Ko- diak 100. The PT6-140A is the biggest of the “small PT6s.” I personally love the small PT6s because they inher- ently weigh less than their “big block”
Lead-Up to the 900
Originally designed to fill a niche for a turbine-powered airplane to support missionary and humanitar- ian endeavors in remote parts of the world, the Kodiak 100 quickly gained the trust and admiration of its owners and pilots as an honest, reliable and incredibly safe airplane. Though ad- mittedly slow and, in its early years, unremarkable in terms of amenities, the Kodiak 100 excels in exactly what it was designed to do: move a lot of people and cargo in and out of short, unimproved landing strips.
In 2018, the Kodiak 100 Series II came to market with an upgraded interior and much-needed avion- ics upgrade to the G1000 NXi. But it didn’t go faster or farther or look much different from the exterior. There were refinements, but it was still a working airplane at its core.
And then something happened that surprised me. In 2019, Daher bought Quest Aircraft Company along with the production line of the Kodiak. Why would Daher, known for its super-fast TBM series of airplanes, purchase Quest and the Kodiak 100 production? I didn’t get it. I mean,
there’s no real way to make the Ko- diak fast or sleek, right? Wrong.
Daher has a long history of taking the TBM series of airplanes and mak- ing them go faster and farther and carry more. While the TBM 700 is a fine airplane, the TBM 850 goes 25 knots faster with more horsepower. And the 9XX series is almost 50 knots faster than its oldest sibling. Fifty
14 • TWIN & TURBINE / December 2022
Daher selected the PT6-140A, which easily produces 900 HP. That’s 200 more horsepower (in cruise) than the Kodiak 100.