See the all-new rugged $3.5 million Kodiak 900 plane that can seat 9 people and is built to land on gravel and sand runways

Daher

• Airplane manufacturer Daher recently unveiled its all-new $3.5 million aircraft — the Kodiak 900.
• The backcountry plane builds upon the company's robust Kodiak 100 with upgraded technology and comfort.

French airplane manufacturer Daher just unveiled its new rugged, backcountry plane — the single-engine Kodiak 900 turboprop.

Daher

Daher chief demo pilot and sales & marketing director Mark Brown told Insider that the plane builds upon the company's Kodiak 100 bush plane.

Austin Deppe/Shutterstock

The Kodiak 100 was actually first produced by manufacturer Quest Aircraft Company in 2007, but the planemaker was bought by Daher in 2019.

viper-zero/Shutterstock

The Kodiak 100 is a true "hardcore" bush plane that is designed to land on any surface, including mud, sand, gravel, and water, and can tackle rough missions that require flying in extremely remote places with little to no infrastructure.

Daher

Over the years, Brown said a market need opened for an aircraft with the same off-road capabilities as the Kodiak 100, but with less focus on its bush features.

Daher

"The Kodiak took the course of a Jeep or Range Rover that started their history maybe with military service or being off-road centric, and then high-net worth people started seeing these cars as really cool and liked the concept of being able to drive anywhere," Brown said.

Daher

He said that people started buying those cars, and they started getting nicer, which is how the evolution of the Kodiak 100 to the Kodiak 900 happened.

Kodiak 100.      Daher

Specifically, the Kodiak 900 took the robust features of its predecessor and combined that with the luxury and speed of the French-made TBM 960.

Kodiak 900 and TBM 960.      Daher

The result is a more refined, modern plane that can still tackle rugged landing strips made of things like gravel, grass, and sand.

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"Say there is a lodge with a 2,000-foot landing strip and they need to get people from Anchorage to the lodge, that would be a good mission for the Kodiak 900," he said.

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He said the multi-role design makes the “beefy” plane perfect for backcountry flying, like in the remote Alaskan wilderness or Australian Outback.

Flying over a small village in Alaska.      Courtesy of Hailey Zirkle

In Alaska, in particular, there are 6 times as many pilots per capita as any other US state. The bush pilots regularly fly to hard-to-reach places to deliver goods and mail.

Alaska bush pilot Chad Smith at the Pike Glacier Landing Area of Denali National Park known as Little Switzerland.      Courtesy of Chad Smith

Alaska has 6 times more pilots per capita than any other place in the US, contributing $3.8 billion to the state. Here's why they're essential.

Brown said that because the Kodiak 100 has been popular for these types of flights, the Kodiak 900 will be a more modern, yet still incredibly reliable, option for operators looking to upgrade.

Daher

However, Brown explained the plane is more intended to land on "unimproved" runways made of asphalt or concrete.

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It is not meant to land anywhere like the Kodiak 100 but is designed for shorter takeoff and landings under 1,500 feet.

Kodiak 100.      Daher

Moreover, the plane cannot be fitted with skis, and Daher does not have float options. Brown explained third party companies would need to design and sell floats for the aircraft.

Bush plane in Denali National Park shuttling tourists and workers (not Kodiak).      Taylor Rains/Insider

Despite the fewer bush features, the Kodiak 900 still offers owners improved speed, cargo space, comfort, safety, and technology compared to the Kodiak 100 and other rugged planes, like the 70-year-old De Havilland Beavers and Otters that frequent the Alaskan skies.

K2 Aviation De Havilland bush plane in Alaska.      Chad Smith

Specifically, the plane, which is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140A engine, can cruise at 210 nautical miles, carry 3,700 pounds of cargo, and seat nine people, including a pilot and eight passengers.

Daher

This means the Kodiak 900 can reach places faster for lower costs. Brown compared the new plane to the popular PC-12 aircraft made by Swiss planemaker Pilatus.

Tradewind Aviation Pilatus PC-12.      Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock

He said the $6 million PC-12 is "more airplane than needed" in many cases, and is extremely costly and complex for operators, costing $1,200+ per hour.

The Pilatus PC-12 NGX.      Abby Wallace/Insider.

The $3.5 million Kodiak 900, on the other hand, will only cost companies an estimated $300-$400 per hour, mostly because of its 9% lower fuel consumption compared to competitors.

Daher

Brown also explained the "overbuilt" plane is strong with reduced maintenance costs. Combining this with lower fuel consumption means there is more profit opportunity for operators.

Daher

Moreover, the Kodiak 900 is unpressurized, unlike the PC-12. The plane's cruising sweet spot is 10,000-12,000 feet, so passengers would still feel comfortable.

Inside the Pilatus PC-12 NGX.      Abby Wallace/Insider.

However, the aircraft can fly up to 25,000 feet and the Kodiak 900 has supplemental oxygen for those flights. According to Brown, the unpressurized cabin makes the plane less complex, reduces metal fatigue, and lowers its overall operating costs.

Daher

As a result, the Kodiak 900 fits a market niche between the old Kodiak 100 and the more expensive PC-12, giving operators a good low-cost, short-mission option.

Daher

"Operators needed more speed or space than the Kodiak 100 could give them, but did not need the complexity or cost of the PC-12 or King Air, so that's where the Kodiak 900 comes in," Brown said.

Inside the Kodiak's 900 engine.      Daher

"For operators in Alaska, which only have five to six months to make all of their money during the summer, the airplane can make them a lot more because it's cheaper to operate and it can still fly a 100-150 nautical mile mission nearly as quick as the PC-12," he continued.

Daher

Daher opened its order book for the Kodiak 900 on July 25 and Brown confirmed the company has a handful of preorders but did not name specific operators.

Daher

He said the plane's $3.5 million price tag comes well-equipped with six passenger seats, de-icing capabilities, air conditioning, and supplemental oxygen, among other features.

Daher

According to Brown, the Kodiak 900 is good for medical evacuations because it is large enough to fit two stretchers and a nurse station.

Inside cabin space.      Daher

Moreover, the aircraft is faster than a helicopter, which is commonly used in places like Alaska, but cheaper than a jet.

Air ambulance picking up a mountain ranger in Denali National Park.      Menno Boermans/Getty Images

Government entities have also taken interest in the plane for special missions, Brown told Insider.

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Buyers can expect a modern cabin onboard the Kodiak 900. Specifically, the plane has reclining seats with dual armrests, car-style seatbelts, headrests, USB charging ports, and cup holders.

Daher

The seats have been specially designed to be easily removed or added to the aircraft depending on need. For example, if an operator wants more cargo space, they can remove the seats using two simple latches.

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Or, the seats can be adjusted to face each other so business passengers can talk while flying. They can also all face forward in a commuter configuration, according to Brown.

Daher

Meanwhile, the Kodiak 900 has an external cargo compartment in the belly of the plane. A rear hatch flips down so operators can easily load long items, like lumber, fishing poles, skis, and snowboards, adding to the plane's versatility.

Daher

On the fixed landing gear are "wheel pants," which are robust enough to stand on.

Daher

Brown said the aircraft can land on sand and gravel without worrying about debris getting stuck in the wheel pants, which was rigorously tested by the company and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Daher

The most important improvement on the Kodiak 900 is modern safety. Specifically, the cockpit has a synthetic vision system that displays a topographic map to pilots, which is useful when flying in the dark or through clouds.

Daher

"If there's a giant mountain in front of you that you can't physically see with your eyes, you can actually see it on the Garmin screens in the cockpit, so it's like eyes outside," Brown said.

Daher

Moreover, the plane's innovative "discontinuous leading edge" wing design helps pilots better control the aircraft and avoid stalls and spins.

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Brown said the plane is good from a pilot’s perspective because it is safe and efficient.

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"The plane is extraordinarily stable and can fly at extremely low speeds for an airplane of its size," he said. "It's nice on the controls, easy to fly, and the reliability is unmatched."

Daher