2fat2fly 0 #1 May 16, 2005 Quest Kodiak For a smaller DZ? Single PT6, 10 seats (how many jumpers with the interior stripped?), 700 ft take off, useful load 3840 lbs., climb at over 1700 fpm. http://questaircraft.com/questlive.htm I read that it comes in at just over $1.1 millionI am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #2 May 16, 2005 I think it's pretty much designed to be a caravan alternative. I'm guessing it'd be perfectly useable as a jump plane... if there are enough of them on the used market in the future to make it worthwhile. How many DZs are using brand new caravans? It's gonna come down to the used availability/price. And they aren't likely going to be made in anywhere near the numbers of the caravan so I just doubt you'll be seeing too many of them at dropzones. But if they have decent financing like the PAC-750 and try to sell to DZs, who knows. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #3 May 16, 2005 Check out airvanusa.com. I read about it in Flying magazine, and they projected a price around $500,000. It looked to me like a good jumpship, and when I saw the website, they've got a pic of a guy jumping from one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 232 #4 May 16, 2005 How about THIS: Pilatus P-12. There's one at our DZ's airport and we all drool when it rolls out."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #5 May 16, 2005 I think the Skyventure guy has (or had) one of those. He flew it to Nationals at Perris 7 or 8 years ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 5 #6 May 16, 2005 Quote I think the Skyventure guy has (or had) one of those. He flew it to Nationals at Perris 7 or 8 years ago. The SkyTruck flew at Quincy I remember years ago (96?). Thought it was pretty cool looking and climbed fast. Then I nothing was heard. I guess they finally got it certified in the US.Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpwally 0 #7 May 16, 2005 Are you talking about the Polish built SkyTruck?smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
koz2000 1 #8 May 16, 2005 [ url "www.skytruck.us/" ] SkyTruck [/url] has info about the certification process.______________________________________________ - Does this small canopy make my balls look big? - J. Hayes - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #9 May 16, 2005 If the Kodiak is $1.1 million new, isn't that significantly less expensive than a new Caravan? I seem to remember at about 10 years old a Caravan was $1 million, but I am not a professional in that field and I didn't spend a lot of time looking a lot of places. I love the Caravan, but I guess the single-sided exhaust is a double-edged sword: on the one hand it smells a lot nicer during hotloads, but on the other hand I am told it meant the stock engine has less horsepower than an engine of that size normally would and upgrading to the more powerful versions of that size engine is not an option. Maybe after I jump a PAC 750-XL a few times I'll have more of an opinion on two-sided exhausting centerline turbines. A question on the Kodiak: does anyone know if it has been certified to fly with the cargo door open? -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2fat2fly 0 #10 May 16, 2005 I don't think that the Kodiak has finished certification at all at this time. I believe that they're looking at '06. If I remember correctly, it gets 750 hp out of it's PT6.I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 0 #11 May 17, 2005 They don't yet have the money to get the plane to certification, never mind building a proper production line. This plane is a long long way from being commercially available. We'll see what happens - it's due to make its commercial debut in May at the Alaska Airmen's Trade Show. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 0 #12 May 17, 2005 According to the Baltimore Sun, the certification was part of a quid pro quo to gain Polish support for the latest Iraq war. edited to add reference; detail is right at the end of the article. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanglesOZQld 0 #13 May 17, 2005 In Australia there was a place from Victoria that made an Airvan I think they called it, Gippsland Aeronautics by memory. This Alaskan bird looks like a slightly bigger version of a similar design with a turbine. In Australia I have always said something quick with a ten jumper capacity would be good for us! (Don't have King Airs all over the place here like you guys in the states but our Let spoils us enough where I am!) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 0 #14 May 17, 2005 Quotesomething quick with a ten jumper capacity would be good for us! Like a Cresco? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #15 May 17, 2005 QuoteIn Australia I have always said something quick with a ten jumper capacity would be good for us! How about a 17 place aircraft for just a little less and the same operating costs? The PAC750.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DanglesOZQld 0 #16 May 17, 2005 Don't do too many fun jumps these days, but more than happy with our lil ol plane ;) BSBD! -Mark. "A Scar is just a Tattoo with a story!!!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adriandavies 0 #17 May 17, 2005 Dangles...does your LET stink of fuel after it is refuelled? Every LET410 I've jumped from (all of three) has! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #18 May 17, 2005 I`ve jumped from 3 different, but I havn`t noticed that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #19 May 17, 2005 QuoteQuoteIn Australia I have always said something quick with a ten jumper capacity would be good for us! How about a 17 place aircraft for just a little less and the same operating costs? The PAC750. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have discussed the question of jump plane size long and hard with my boss: Ian Flanagan. Over the last 20 years he has owned three DZs and leased airplanes to a few more. His first airplane was a Cessna 180. He owned a Beech 18 for a decade or so and his current fleet includes several Cessna 182s, a Cessna 205, a Cessna 206 and King Airs. Ian freely admits that King Airs have more capacity than he can use, but 40 year old king Airs cost about 1/3 as much as Twin Otters and they are better sized for Canadian DZs. He freely admits that Cessna Caravans would be near perfect, but can never seem to amass the down payment. From a tandem instructor's perspective, I would rather have a 10 seater that does 20 loads per day than a 20 seater that only does 10 loads per day, meaning that I can make more jumps/dollars per day because they airplane is going up more often. In conclusion, a 10 seat turbine is the perfect size for a 3 Cessna DZ that wants to expand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #20 May 17, 2005 QuoteQuest Kodiak For a smaller DZ? Single PT6, 10 seats (how many jumpers with the interior stripped?), 700 ft take off, useful load 3840 lbs., climb at over 1700 fpm. http://questaircraft.com/questlive.htm I read that it comes in at just over $1.1 million >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Kodiak looks like it will be a great jump plane. At first glance it looks like a Cessna Caravan that has been "pimped" for operation from short, rough airstrips, which translates into a better rate of climb. The "pimping" process includes more horsepower. Think about it, Cessna debuted the Caravan with only 600 horsepower and later upgraded it to 750 hp. Caravans were never the fastest of jump planes. Soloy is drawing up an 800 hp. STC for Caravans, but don't hold your breath. Meanwhile the Kodiak starts with 750 hp pulling a smaller airframe ... = faster climb. Actually, it looks more like the Kodiak is designed more as a Beaver replacement. And, by the way, Quest Corporation includes some heavy weights in the light airplane field, including John Stoddard-Hamilton who designed the successful Glasair and Glasstar kit planes and has spent the last decade quietly perfecting Aerocet floats. Their management team includes a retired Alaska Airlines exec and their production manager ran Aviat for many years. In conclusion, Quest has a serious chance of jumping through all the certification hurdles and actually manufacturing some tough little bush ... er jump airplanes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #21 May 17, 2005 The 750 HP hauling ten jumpers should have a great climb rate. I'm assuming that the plane has a cargo door to the rear, but I couldn't tell in the photos that I saw. The front doors are in front of the strut and landing gear, making them unsuitable for skydiving on a regular basis. Our DZ's first turbine was a Porter, kind of expensive plane that hauled 10 jumpers behind one PT-6. It was economically viable, and Porters are one of the most popular jumpships in Europe, I hear. Sounds like the Kodiak would work for the right size DZ. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #22 May 17, 2005 Quote Check out airvanusa.com. I read about it in Flying magazine, and they projected a price around $500,000. It looked to me like a good jumpship, and when I saw the website, they've got a pic of a guy jumping from one. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I jumped out of the North American AirVan demonstrator when it passed through Pitt Meadows a couple of years ago. The AriVan was comfortable, but I wished that it climbed better. Gippsland's AirVan is a straight replacement for Cessna's 206/207, albeit a more roomy replacement. Since the Airvan has the same "numbers (weight, rate of climb, fuel consumption, etc.) its short term costs will be about the same as a Cessna 207, leaving that "little" matter of the higher purchase price of new airplanes. That means that an Airvan would have been great for all the static-line students that I dropped last week in Beiseker, but its mediocre rate of climb will bore the pants off sport jumpers and tandem instructors. The "only" thing that will convert the ho-hum AirVan into a great jump plane is more horsepower. The demonstrator had about 300 horsepower, which is about the maximum you can pump out of 6 cylinders. "All" Gippsland has to do perfect the AirVan version with the small turbine engine that they have hinted about for the last couple of years. I suspect that gippsland's biggest hurdle is selling a few hundred piston-pounding AirVan's to finance their next round of R&D. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #23 May 17, 2005 QuoteThe 750 HP hauling ten jumpers should have a great climb rate. I'm assuming that the plane has a cargo door to the rear, but I couldn't tell in the photos that I saw. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Other photos show the Kodiak prototype with a Caravan/Otter-sized cargo door on the left side, just aft of the wing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 558 #24 May 17, 2005 QuoteHow about THIS: Pilatus P-12. There's one at our DZ's airport and we all drool when it rolls out. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PC-12 may be a pretty executive airplane, but let's face it, Pilatus' finest is really a King Air replacement. Few DZs can afford the maintenance on all the extra IFR, retractable, pressurized gadgets that are just not relevant to skydiving operations. The primary reason DZs operate King Airs is because they are cheap. You can buy three 1960s-vintage King Airs for the price of one Twin Otter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites howardwhite 4 #25 May 17, 2005 Aside from the expense, the Pilatus has (I think still) a fatal flaw for skydiving. A couple of years ago I got a ride in a brand new one flown by a ferry/sales pilot who was also a jumper. He said the big door is structural and therefore cannot be removed for flight. (He speculated Pilatus would work on this for the future when they might otherwise be cheap enough to be used as jump planes.) HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
riggerrob 558 #24 May 17, 2005 QuoteHow about THIS: Pilatus P-12. There's one at our DZ's airport and we all drool when it rolls out. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PC-12 may be a pretty executive airplane, but let's face it, Pilatus' finest is really a King Air replacement. Few DZs can afford the maintenance on all the extra IFR, retractable, pressurized gadgets that are just not relevant to skydiving operations. The primary reason DZs operate King Airs is because they are cheap. You can buy three 1960s-vintage King Airs for the price of one Twin Otter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 4 #25 May 17, 2005 Aside from the expense, the Pilatus has (I think still) a fatal flaw for skydiving. A couple of years ago I got a ride in a brand new one flown by a ferry/sales pilot who was also a jumper. He said the big door is structural and therefore cannot be removed for flight. (He speculated Pilatus would work on this for the future when they might otherwise be cheap enough to be used as jump planes.) HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
