Quest Aircraft Unveils New Bush Plane
Quest Aircraft, of Sandpoint, Idaho, is unveiling its new single-engine, turboprop, 10-place utility aircraft this week. The new airplane, called the Kodiak, will feature Pratt & Whitney’s PT6 turbine engine, landing gear designed for unimproved airstrips, 19-inch propeller ground clearance, 29-inch main tires, and short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) performance that beats any aircraft currently in its class, spokeswoman Julie Stone told AVweb yesterday. The company operates with a staff of 40 in a 27,000-square-foot facility built in October 2002. Stone said the first flight of the Kodiak will occur later this month. Tom Hamilton, formerly of Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, is Quest’s CEO, and Bruce Kennedy, former CEO of Alaska Airlines, is chairman of the board.
Turboprop And STOL...
Quest Aircraft, of Sandpoint, Idaho, is unveiling its new single-engine, turboprop, 10-place utility aircraft this week. The new airplane, called the Kodiak, will feature Pratt & Whitney's PT6 turbine engine, landing gear designed for unimproved airstrips, 19-inch propeller ground clearance, 29-inch main tires, and short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) performance that beats any aircraft currently in its class, spokeswoman Julie Stone told AVweb yesterday. The company operates with a staff of 40 in a 27,000-square-foot facility built in October 2002. Stone said the first flight of the Kodiak will occur later this month. Tom Hamilton, formerly of Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, is Quest's CEO, and Bruce Kennedy, former CEO of Alaska Airlines, is chairman of the board. In a news release, the company said it has "chosen to remain out of the public eye. ... In an industry where aircraft start-ups are watched closely, and often with skepticism, we at Quest have approached both the design and the marketing of the Kodiak with an eye toward delivering a proven product, not hopeful promises."
