Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Single-turboprop engine fixed-tricycle gear short-haul regional airliner and utility light high-wing transport, U.S.A.

Archive Photos 1

Cessna 208B "Caravan" (N713FX) at the 2000 NAS Point Mugu Airshow (Photos by John Shupek)

Overview 2

The Cessna 208 Caravan is a Single-engine turboprop, fixed-tricycle landing gear, short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft that is built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers with a single pilot, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver it can seat up to fourteen passengers. The aircraft is also used for cargo feederliner operations.

Design and Development 2

The prototype first flew in December 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984. Since then, the Caravan has undergone a number of design evolutions. Working with FedEx, Cessna produced first the Cargomaster and followed that with the stretched and upgraded Super Cargomaster. The passenger model, the Grand Caravan, was derived from the Super Cargomaster. In January 2013 a higher-powered (867 shp from P&WC PT6A-140) version, the Grand Caravan EX, received FAA certification. This higher-powered version will be produced by a Cessna-AVIC joint venture in China.

Cessna offers the 208B in many configurations. The basic 208 airframe can be outfitted with various types of landing gear, allowing it to operate in a wide variety of environments. Some common adaptations include skis, enlarged tires for unprepared runways and floats on the Caravan Amphibian model.

The Caravan interior can be outfitted with seats or cargo holds. The standard high-density airline configuration features four rows of 1-2 seating behind the two seats in the cockpit. This variant is capable of holding up to thirteen passengers, although it is marketed as being able to make a profit carrying just four. The cabin can be configured in a low density passenger configuration, with 1-1 seating, as a combination of passengers and cargo, or as a strictly cargo aircraft. Many variants include an underbelly cargo pod, which can be used for additional freight capacity, or for passenger baggage. A number of Caravans are operated as skydiving aircraft with the left-side cargo hatch converted to a roll-up door.

On April 28, 2008, Cessna announced that the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit will be standard equipment on all new Caravans. In May 2012 Cessna announced that an assembly line for the 208 would be established in the People’s Republic of China. The government-owned China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) will conduct final assembly of Caravans at its plant in Shijiazhuang for the Chinese market. In August 2016, Textron announced that it is moving the Cessna 208 production from its Wichita headquarters to its Independence, Kansas production facility, where it will be built alongside along the piston-powered Cessna 172S Skyhawk, Cessna 182T Skylane, Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair and Cessna TTx, and the Cessna Citation Mustang and Cessna Citation M2 light jets. The move was made to make room for the Cessna Citation Longitude and Cessna Denali in Wichita.

Civilian Variants 2

Military Variants 2

Civilian Operators 2

The Cessna 208 is used by governmental organizations and by a large number of companies for police, air ambulance, passenger transport, air charter, freight and parachuting operations. FedEx Feeder is the largest operator of the Cessna 208, with over 250 aircraft.

Military Operators 2

Specifications (Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX) 2

General Characteristics

Performance

Avionics

References

  1. Shupek, John. Photos, copyright © 2000 Skytamer Images (Skytamer.com). All Rights Reserved
  2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Cessna 208 Caravan

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