Quest Aircraft Co., manufacturers of the Kodiak—a 10-seat, 172-knot single-engine turboprop designed for short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) and utility operations—July 30 delivered nine amphibious versions of the Kodiak to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
The airplanes will be used in the USFWS’s migratory bird management program, where their mission will be to monitor and manage waterfowl and other migratory bird populations. In addition, the Kodiaks will be used to conduct aerial damage assessments due to environmental disasters such as hurricanes, and to conduct remote sensing and survey work.
Quest also announced that a weeping-wing ice protection system—manufactured by CAV Aerospace—is in flight test and awaiting certification. On display at the 2010 EAA AirVenture were two other new options for the $1.67 million Kodiak: air conditioning (a $33,500 option) and an external cargo compartment ($55,500). The external cargo compartment offers 65 additional cubic feet of storage and can carry up to 750 pounds.
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