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and fly was a huge understatement, and I briefly wondered how I was going to run everyone else away from the aircraft long enough to get the doors closed and the engine started. After I was positive I touched every surface, moved everything movable, opened and closed everything with a door, read all placards, and asked all the questions I could think of with- out sounding like I had not done any homework on the aircraft, we finally closed it all up and made our way to the cockpit – sitting high above the Series III’s standard 29-inch tires.
I was thrilled to find that my 5-foot tall self had no trouble climbing into the high cockpit and adjusting the seat so I would have a full range of travel from all control surfaces. Being able to see over the panel and out the window was a bonus as far as I was concerned. I had long ago learned that most pilots are over 5 feet tall, and I was used to giving up my forward-viewing range out the window for full control reach, unaided, in many aircraft. I mentally added this aircraft to the list of planes I would love to fly regularly simply because the functional, ergonomic cockpit design left me not having to compromise viewpoint for control reach without adding cushions to the seat. It’s the little things that make or break a flying experience and this ex- perience was off to a good start before I ever started the engine.
Time to Fly
Eager to see the Kodiak’s touted short field takeoff characteristics in action (and mildly disappointed we were on pavement and not grass), I taxied to the runway to see if we could really get this aircraft airborne in less than 1,000 feet. Mark talked me through the takeoff procedure after we ran the pre-takeoff checklists and I lined up, ready to watch for the 1,000- foot runway markings as we rolled down the runway. Did it take off in less than 1,000 feet? I have no idea! As I applied power during the rolling start, I glanced down at the torqueme- ter momentarily to ensure takeoff power was set and by the time I looked back up, literal seconds later, we were airborne. I’d bet most of what was in
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK BROWN
my pocket at the time it was pretty close to the advertised 1,000 feet, even with my slow power application.
After running the climb checklist, we headed out to the local practice area for maneuvers. While interest- ing to look at for its unique design, the Kodiak’s “discontinuous leading edge” wing allows the pilot to retain full aileron control in a stall, offering a huge safety advantage that other aircraft of comparable size can’t com- pete with. I maneuvered the plane into a slow, circling turn, trimmed the controls, removed my hands from the yoke, and watched while the aircraft pivoted about a point on its wingtip with no effort and a turning radius less than that of a small Cessna. With the autopilot disengaged, the aircraft continued the turn in a stable, 30-de- gree bank at 70 KIAS with no change until I stopped the turn with a nudge
PHOTO BY AUTHOR
to the yoke. It truly is one of the most stable platforms I’ve ever f lown. Low, slow, and controllable even in a stall, the Kodiak was living up to all its ad- vertised hype on this demo flight.
When I had seen all I needed and was done playing with various con- figurations, we headed back to the airport for the requisite three takeoffs and landings I insisted I needed to get “Kodiak current.” My first approach was a little faster than necessary be- cause who would have guessed the Kodiak approaches a runway slower than a Cessna 172? The second land- ing I felt better about, but Mark noted I was hesitant to really raise the nose for a proper flare. By the third land- ing, I felt comfortable that I’d be able to hit my target airspeed and landing attitude. The aircraft settled to the runway and we effortlessly made the first taxiway located 2,400 feet from
September 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 7