Cessna 208 Caravan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_208_Caravan

The Cessna 208 Caravan is an American single-engined turboprop, fixed-tricycle
landing gear, short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft that is built 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 operations.

The Cessna 208 is a high-wing braced cabin monoplane powered by a single Pratt &
Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop in tractor configuration. It has a fixed tricycle
landing gear but can also be fitted with floats or skis. The cabin has room for
nine passengers and two crew when used as a passenger aircraft with four doors:
one for each crew member, an airstair door on the right side of the cabin and a
cargo door on the left. The aircraft can be optionally fitted with an underslung
cargo pod.

The Caravan interior can be outfitted with seats or as a cargo compartment. The
standard high-density airline configuration has 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.


Role
Light turboprop transport

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
Cessna

First flight
December 9, 1982

Introduction
1984

Status
In production

Primary users
FedEx Feeder
Brazilian Air Force
Afghan Air Force
Colombian Air Force

Produced
1982-present

Number built
2,500

Unit cost

208 Caravan: US$1.95 million, 208B Grand Caravan EX: US$2.53 million (2017)

Variants
Soloy Pathfinder 21

The prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified
by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October 1984. A freighter
variant without cabin windows was developed at the request of Federal Express as
the Cargomaster. Another cargo variant for Federal Express, with a longer
fuselage and a cargo pod under the belly, was developed as the 208B Super
Cargomaster and flew for the first time in 1986. A passenger model, the 208B
Grand Caravan, was derived from the Super Cargomaster. Since then, the Caravan
has undergone a number of design evolutions, including upgrading the avionics in
2008 to provide a glass cockpit with the Garmin G1000 system. In January 2013 a
higher-powered (867 shp from P&WC PT6A-140) version, the Grand Caravan EX,
received FAA certification.

In August 2016, Textron announced that it would move the Cessna 208 production
line from its Wichita headquarters to its Independence, Kansas production
facility, for manufacture alongside along the piston-powered 172S Skyhawk, 182T
Skylane, T206H Turbo Stationair and Cessna TTx; and the Citation M2 light jet.
The move was made to make room for production of the Citation Longitude and
Denali in Wichita.

In May 2012 Cessna announced that an assembly line for the 208 would be
established in China, with the government-owned China Aviation Industry General
Aircraft (CAIGA) conducting final assembly of Caravans at its plant in
Shijiazhuang for the Chinese market. Chinese government approval was granted in
September the following year and the first Chinese assembled Caravan was
delivered in December 2013. By April 2016 about 30 aircraft, assembled from kits
of parts shipped from the US by Cessna, had been delivered to Chinese operators
by the joint venture.

Specifications (208 Caravan)

General characteristics
Crew: one or two
Capacity: nine passengers or 13 with FAR Part 23 waiver
Length: 37 ft 7 in (11.46 m)
Wingspan: 52 ft 1 in (15.88 m)
Height: 14 ft 11 in (4.55 m)
Wing area: 279 sq ft (25.9 m2)
Aspect ratio: 9.702
Airfoil: wing root: NACA 23017.424, wing tip: NACA 23012
Empty weight: 4,730 lb (2,145 kg)
Gross weight: 8,000 lb (3,629 kg)
Maximum landing weight : 7,800 lb (3,538 kg)
Fuel capacity: 2,224 lb (1,009 kg/332 gal/1,257 l)
Cabin height: 54 in (1.37 m)
Cabin width: 64 in (1.63 m)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A turboprop, 675 shp (503 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed McCauley Constant speed, full feathering, reversible pitch

Performance
Cruise speed: 214 mph; 186 kn (344 km/h) true air speed
Stall speed: 70 mph; 61 kn (113 km/h) calibrated air speed
Range: 1,232 mi; 1,070 nmi (1,982 km)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Rate of climb: 1,234 ft/min (6.27 m/s)
Wing loading: 28.674 lb/sq ft (140.00 kg/m2)

Avionics

Garmin G1000 with GFC700 integrated digital automatic flight control system




*