The FAA has granted a full production certificate to Quest Aircraft Co., of Sandpoint, Idaho, manufacturer of the 10-seat Kodiak single-engine turboprop utility aircraft. The company has been in business since 2001 and employs more than 300 workers, who are currently producing about three airplanes per month. “Achieving this final step in the process of designing, producing, and delivering a brand-new aircraft is an important milestone for Quest,” said CEO Paul Schaller in a news release this week. With the production certification in hand, the company now can issue standard airworthiness certificates for each of its airplanes. “[This] will allow us to streamline the production and delivery process over time, as we take responsibility for inspections and coordinate changes with the FAA’s Seattle Manufacturing Inspection District Office,” Schaller said. The company has so far delivered 22 copies of the airplane, for a range of customers — charter operators, government agencies, individuals, and mission and humanitarian groups.
The Kodiak is built of aluminum and powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine engine. It can take off in less than 700 feet at full gross takeoff weight of 6,750 pounds and climb at over 1,500 feet per minute, the company says. Floats can be added without structural upgrades. A three-panel Garmin G1000 integrated avionics suite is standard. Quest also offers Synthetic Vision Technology as an option.
