AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 57

The nose section is new-all composite and
completely fairing in the cargo pod, which
is now standard and integral
to the airframe.
pounds per hour with the engine running at
2,120 pounds of torque and the new Hartzell
five-blade composite propeller loafing at 1,900
rpm. Brown said that at standard temperatures,
without the radar pod, and with final
production airframe changes, the new model
will likely see 210 KTAS-35 knots faster than
the 100. Brown estimated an airplane without
the wheel fairings would cruise seven to 10
knots slower. The Daher engineers found that
changing the angle and position of the wheel
fairings slightly resulted in a five-knot increase
in speed. Details matter!
The new model carries the same 322 gallons
of fuel as the 100. With the new engine's greater
efficiency and ability to get to altitude faster, he
expects range to be about the same as the 100:
about 1,000 nautical miles. Most customers, he
noted, have missions that are closer to 450 nm.
At just more than 1,400 pounds, the new
model has about 70 pounds greater useful load
than a Model 100. The maximum takeoff weight
of 8,000 pounds is about 745 pounds more than
the smaller model. Most customers were seeking
more volume, not necessarily the ability to
carry significantly more weight, Brown said.
The handling characteristics changed
very little with the longer fuselage and greater
weight. It feels a little more stable in yaw,
thanks to the extra length. As with the original
model, the automatic trim system kicks in
with flap deployment to mostly eliminate pitch
changes as the boards come out. For as big as
it is, the airplane is fairly light on the controls.
Integrating the cargo pod into the fuselage
allowed the engineers to drop the gear structure
to underneath the cabin floor and move it
aft slightly, which simplifies cable runs for the
flight controls, raises the airplane about five
inches higher off the ground, and allows it to
sit more level on the ground, rather than nose
high. With the change in gear position, the airplane
will not need a tail stand in most cases,
simplifying ground operations.
One thing that didn't change as much is
the cockpit, which, like the latest models of
the Kodiak 100 Series III, includes the Garmin
G1000 NXi cockpit and the GFC 700 autopilot.
The latest variant includes Garmin WireAware.
Developed for the helicopter industry, the
system graphically and aurally alerts to powerlines-a
handy feature for an airplane like
the Kodiak that often flies in challenging terrain
and obstacle situations. In addition, the
audio system compensates for changing cockpit
noise levels.
Less evident is the all-new four-bus electrical
system that includes auto load shedding and
allows for simplified troubleshooting. Brown
noted that they could have gone with a Garmin
G3000 cockpit, the Home Safe Autoland system,
and other upgrades, but that would have
increased development and certification time
and costs. As it is, the new model will sell for
about $500,000 more than the Kodiak 100,
which will remain in production. The new
model " pretty much fully loaded " with the
Executive Package and six passenger seats
will sell for just under $3.5 million, including
a four-year maintenance program for Part
91 operators. Weather radar and additional
passenger seats are among the options not
included. The Kodiak 100 without the cargo
pod was certified for floats several years ago.
No company has certified a single-engine turboprop
with a cargo pod on floats, according
to Brown. It remains to be seen whether that
could be an option later.
Brown said the new model will most
likely appeal to the commercial and special
mission markets. He expects their ownerflown
customers for the most part to stick
with the Kodiak 100 because it fits their
needs and budgets.
Look for Kodiak 900s to start showing
up around the country in early 2023.
Thomas B. Haines is the former editor in chief
of AOPA media.
The new 900-shaft-horsepower
PT6A-140A engine and fiveblade
prop dial up the speed,
while the all new faired-in nose
section and wheel fairings help
dial down the drag on the Kodiak
900 (left). It looks beefy but has
nicely balanced controls and
lands about like your average
Cessna Skylane.
AOPA PILOT / September 2022
57
EXTRA: Not sure if you're
looking at Kodiak 100 or a
900 on the ramp? Count
the cabin windows. The
new model has five on each
side, one more than the 100.
Also, note the nose section.
The 900 has the nose gear
and cargo pod completely
faired in.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022

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