Six years after opening its doors, two-and-a-half months after flying its first fully conforming aircraft and less than a month after losing company chairman Bruce Kennedy in the crash of a Cessna 182, Quest Aircraft has been awarded the type certificate for its turboprop utility single. The FAA awarded full day/night, VFR/IFR certification for the $1.3 million Kodiak after 32 months of development. The 10-place aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 that produces 750 shp for takeoff. Quest said the Kodiak has a three-year order backlog. The airplane is said to be able to take off in less than 700 feet at its max weight of 6,750 pounds, a figure that allows for a useful load of 3,450 pounds. A Garmin G1000 avionics suite is standard, and floats can be added without structural upgrades, the company said. Delivery of the first aircraft, which was designed for mission and humanitarian work in remote parts of the world, is expected later this quarter.