Cessna 208

infobox Aircraft
name = Cessna 208 Caravan



caption = A 2004 Cessna 208B
type = Turboprop
manufacturer = Cessna
designer =
first flight = 8 August 1982
introduced = 1984
retired =
status =
primary user = FedEx Express (253)
produced =
number built = 1,500+
unit cost = $1.5 million to $1.9 million USD
variants with their own articles = Soloy Pathfinder 21

The Cessna 208 Caravan, also known as the Cargomaster, is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the USA by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, 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

The prototype first flew in December 1982 for two years of certification and testing. 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.

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.

In the cabin, the Caravan 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. [cite web| title =Cessna Caravan. Sure Thing - Airline| publisher = Cessna Inc.| url =http://caravan.cessna.com/airline.chtml#| accessdate =2006-07-19 ] The cabin can also 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 under-belly 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.Fact|date=September 2008

On April 28, 2008, Cessna announced that the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit will be standard equipment on all new Caravans. [cite web| title = Cessna Certified to Build Caravans with Garmin G1000, TKS Ice Protection| publisher = Cessna Inc. | url =http://www.cessna.com/news/article.chtml?ID=M8FD18hKcfHm9INZRmOXtY5k7b3Oi74EWFqgkU0f1y9Z8qMKPw| accessdate =2008-06-23 ]

Variants

Civilian

* 208A Caravan I The basic introductory model, outfitted for passenger operation.*
* 208A Caravan 675 The current production model of the basic Caravan, with higher-powered PT6A-114A engine.
* 208A Cargomaster Developed with FedEx, a pure cargo version of the Caravan. Fedex took delivery of 40 of these aircraft.
* 208B Grand Caravan A stretch of the Caravan I by 4 feet. The 208B also features a more powerful PT6A-114A engine.
* 208B Super Cargomaster The cargo variant of the 208B series. FedEx took delivery of 260 of these.
* Caravan Amphibian A 208A Caravan with Wipaire 8000 floats in place of the landing gear, for water landings. Amphibious versions of the floats are available to permit land operations.
* Soloy Pathfinder 21 A twin engine stretch of the 208 developed by the Soloy Corporation. This aircraft features two PT6D-114A engines driving a single propeller, and a 70 inch stretch behind the wing. [cite web| title =The Soloy Pathfinder 21| publisher = Soloy Corporation| date =1999/2000| url =http://www.soloy.com/path21.html| accessdate =2006-07-19 ]

Military

* U-27A A military offering of the 208A.
* C-98 The Brazilian Air Force designation for the standard U-27.
* C-16 The proposed United States Army designation for an armed version of the U-27 that was intended to be used in Central America for counter guerrilla/insurgency warfare. However this aircraft was rejected due to the aircraft's vulnerability to ground fire.Fact|date=June 2008

Operators

Civil operators

;BRA
*SETE Linhas Aéreas;CHI
*Patagonia Airlines;COL
* UAEAC
* Aerocusiana
* Viana;CRC
* Sansa Airlines (Taca)
* Paradise Air;FRA
* Air Caraïbes
* Atlantic Air Lift
* Finist'air;GRE
* Aeroland Airways;NZL
* Sounds Air;PAN
* Aeroperlas (Taca)
* Air Panama;PAR
* Concret-Mix S.A;THA
* SGA Airlines;UK
* Loch Lomond Seaplanes;USA
* Airnet Express
* Air Serv International
* Bering Air
* Castle Aviation
* CSA Air
* FedEx
* Kenmore Air
* Mokulele Airlines
* New Mexico Airlines
* Pacific Wings
* Priority Air Charter
* Seaplanes of Key West

Military operators

;BRA
* Brazilian Air Force cite web|url = http://www.rudnei.cunha.nom.br/FAB/en/c-98.html|title = Cessna 208 Caravan I - HISTORY OF THE BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE|accessdate = 2008-08-09|last = |authorlink = http://www.rudnei.cunha.nom.br/ |year = 2008|month = August] ;COL
* Colombian Air Force
* Colombian Army
* Colombian National Armada;CHI
* Chilean Army;IRQ
* Iraqi Air Force cite web|url = http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20080219.aspx|title = Iraq Seeks Cessna Solution|accessdate = 2008-02-19|last = Strategy Page |authorlink = |year = 2008|month = February] ;MEX
*Mexican Navy 2 aircraft ordered under the Mérida Initiative;RSA
* South African Air Force (12) cite web|url = http://www.af.mil.za/equip/aircraft.html|title = Republic of South Africa Air Force Aircraft|accessdate = 2008-02-13|last = Department of Defence
authorlink = |year = 2007|month = October] ;THA
* Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation
* Green Hawk Aerobatic Team

pecifications (208B)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=158
crew=1-2 (Aircraft is certified for single pilot operation)
capacity=14
length main=41 ft 7 in
length alt=12.67 m
span main=52 ft 1 in
span alt=15.88 m
height main=14 ft 2 in
height alt=4.32 m
area main=279.4 ft²
area alt=26 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 4570 lb
empty weight alt=2078 kg
max takeoff weight main=8750 lb
max takeoff weight alt=3970 kg
engine (prop)= Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114
type of prop= turboshaft
number of props= 1
power main= 675 hp
power alt= 505 kW
max speed main=171 mph
max speed alt=324 km/h
range main=1080 nautical miles
range alt=2000 km
climb rate main=770 ft/min
climb rate alt=3.9 m/s

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Soloy Pathfinder 21
similar aircraft=
* Pilatus PC-12
* PAC 750XL
* Technoavia SM92 Finist
* Gavilán G358
lists=
see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=158 Cessna 208] - Technical Data
* [http://caravan.cessna.com Cessna Caravan] - Cessna's Caravan website
* [http://www.caravanpilots.com/ Caravan Pilots] - Cessna Caravan website; Pilot related