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Royal Thai Army To Acquire Three Kodiak 100 Aircraft

Yulian Ardiansyah - : Aug 24, 2021 - : 12:13 am

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) is acquiring three Daher Kodiak 100 aircraft to replace four of their Cessna U-17B Skywagon fleet that will be retired soon.

With a budget of around THB300 million (about US$8,9 million), the planned purchase will also include support as well as pilot and mechanic training packages.

The RTA has been operating nine U-17B aircraft since 1981. In 2018, an aircraft of the type crashed 4 km from Myanmar border in Mae Hong Son province, killing four people onboard. Aside from acquiring Kodiak 100, the RTA is currently also in the process of acquiring two Cessna C208B Caravan and a Pilatus PC-12 NGX to replace the aging Skywagons.

It is currently unknown whether all these different aircraft will also be operated by the RTA’s 21st Aviation Battalion based in Korat air base, which previously operated the Cessna U-17B, or whether they will be distributed to other RTA’s aviation units as well.

The Daher Kodiak 100 is a single engine turboprop aircraft capable of transporting 10 people on board (1 pilot + 9 passengers). Due to its Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) ability, the unpressurized, high-wing, fixed tricycle landing gear aircraft is suitable to be operated on the improvised airstrip. With a dimension of 10.41 meters length, 13.72 meters wingspan and a height of 4.65 meters, the aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of about 3,300 kilograms.

Formerly produced by Quest Aircraft of the United States before the company was sold to Daher conglomerate group of France in 2019, the Kodiak 100 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop, delivering 750 shp (560 kW) takeoff power to drive a 2.44 meter diameter, four bladed, constant speed propeller. The aircraft has a rated cruising speed of about 339 km/h and a maximum range of about 2,100 kilometers.

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