Cessna 208 Caravan

The Cessna 208 Caravan is the definitive utility turboprop single. First flown December 9, 1982 and FAA-certified October 1984, it was conceived by Cessna Pawnee chief engineer John Berwick as a large-payload, single-engine high-wing hauler. FedEx was the launch customer for the windowless Cargomaster freighter, and the subsequent 4-foot-longer 208B Super Cargomaster (1986) became the basis for the 208B Grand Caravan passenger model (1990). By 2022 over 3,000 Caravans had been delivered and the fleet had logged more than 24 million flight hours.

The Caravan is the airplane you see hauling overnight freight out of every feeder airport in North America, dropping skydivers in Spain, flying medevac in Kenya, running floatplane sightseeing in Alaska and Vancouver, and operating 9- to 14-seat regional passenger service in Brazil, Indonesia, and the South Pacific. It is strutted, fixed-gear, unpressurized, and almost indestructible — a twin-row airstair door and a huge left-side cargo door allow pallet loading, and the underbelly cargo pod adds roughly 111 cubic feet of lockable baggage/freight volume. Typical mission: single pilot, 9 revenue pax, 1,000-pound cargo pod, 3+ hours of fuel, useful out of a 2,500-foot strip. FedEx Feeder remains the largest single operator; the Brazilian Air Force, Afghan Air Force, and numerous militaries operate armed C-208B variants. In 2023 Textron listed the 208 at US$2.32M and the 208B Grand Caravan EX at US$2.61M; 2026 list is around $2.8M+.

Book cruise is 186 KTAS at FL100 for the short-body 208 and 185 KTAS at FL100 for the Grand Caravan EX with the PT6A-140. Real-world operators typically plan 170–180 KTAS at 60–62% torque burning 50–56 GPH. The short-body 208 burns about 48 GPH at 170 KTAS per Cessna, and the 867-SHP EX burns closer to 56 GPH at max cruise.

The Caravan is unpressurized, so long legs at FL200+ require supplemental O2. Service ceiling is 25,000 ft but most operators cruise FL080–FL120 where the PT6 is efficient and the cabin is comfortable without masks. Hot-and-high performance improved dramatically with the PT6A-140: the EX climbs 38% faster at gross than the legacy -114A-powered Grand Caravan per Textron. On floats, expect an 8–15 KTAS cruise hit, reduced useful load (~500 lb), and a much longer takeoff run. Ice on the wing is punishing — the Caravan is large, has a thick airfoil at the leading edge, and is notoriously draggy when contaminated; two-minute altitude losses of thousands of feet have been reported in heavy ice even with boots operating.

The Grand Caravan EX at 8,807 lb MTOW with 5,145 lb empty weight gives a useful load of roughly 3,662 lb. Full fuel (2,224 lb / 332 US gal) leaves 1,438 lb of cabin payload — roughly 7 FAA-standard adults with modest baggage, or a pilot plus 1,300 lb of freight. With half fuel (166 gal, ~2.5 hours + reserve, ~400 NM range) you can carry the full 9-passenger cabin at real weights plus bags, or pilot + 2,550 lb of cargo in the cabin and pod.

Typical operator profiles:

• FedEx Feeder freight run (150 NM legs): Pilot + 3,000+ lb of cargo + pod + 1.5 hours of fuel. Payload-limited, not fuel-limited.
• Remote passenger run (400 NM): 9 pax + bags + 2 hours fuel. Hits MTOW before volume.
• Long-range ferry (800+ NM): Full fuel, pilot only, maybe 800 lb of cargo.
• Skydive (20 min sorties): 14 jumpers + 50 gallons. Climb-rate and cycle-count limited.
• Bush camp supply: Pilot + 2,000 lb cargo + 2 hours fuel, operating out of 2,500-foot strips.

The short-body 208 has ~300 lb less useful load than the 208B but the same fuel capacity, so payload-range shifts proportionally. Float-equipped 208s lose roughly 500 lb of useful load to the Wipline 8750s and gain water access.

Compare and contrast with pilatus-pc12 (pressurized, faster, longer range, ~2x acquisition cost), daher-kodiak-100 (direct Part 23 utility competitor, shorter-field capable but less payload), and the twin-turboprop cessna-441-conquest-ii for the pressurized multi-engine alternative.

Cargo Hauling (10/10): This is the purpose-built mission. Huge cargo door, flat floor, belly pod, 3,000+ lb useful load with the pod, single-pilot turbine operation, and Part 135 ubiquity. Nothing in general aviation moves freight as economically into as many airstrips as a Caravan. See cargo-hauling.

Business Travel (8/10): With the Grand Caravan EX you get jet-like reliability, 9-seat cabin, 900+ NM range, and the ability to use 2,500-foot grass strips inaccessible to a PC-12 owner. Unpressurized cabin and 185 KTAS make it slower and less comfortable on legs over 600 NM than a pilatus-pc12.

Cross-Country (8/10): 900–1,070 NM range, autopilot + G1000, turbine reliability. Unpressurized cabin caps practical cruise altitude unless you want masks, and headwinds at low altitude hurt.

Backcountry / Bush (7/10): Fixed gear, huge tires available, short-field capable, proven on Alaska gravel bars and African dirt. Wingspan is 52 ft — too wide for some tight Idaho strips where a cessna-185-skywagon or Kodiak owner would feel more at home. See daher-kodiak-100 for the closest direct competitor.

Surveying (8/10): Stable platform, big cabin for sensors, belly pod real estate, endurance, and ability to haul operator-plus-equipment crews. Widely used for aerial mapping, lidar, and pipeline patrol.

Flight Training (3/10): Only as a type-specific transition platform for commercial/Part 135 initial training. Operating costs are prohibitive for primary instruction.

Local Fun Flying (2/10): Direct operating cost of $600–$900/hr makes weekend pattern work absurd for a private owner.

Aerobatics (1/10): Utility category, not remotely aerobatic.

2008 and later Caravans shipped with Garmin G1000 integrated glass. The Grand Caravan EX ships today with G1000 NXi, GFC700 3-axis autopilot with yaw damper, synthetic vision, GWX 75 radar, and ADS-B In/Out. Pre-2008 legacy Caravans had Bendix/King KX155/KFC150 round-dial panels; most in active 135 service have been upgraded or are trading at a discount.

Common panel upgrade paths for legacy 208s:

• Full G1000 retrofit: Not available — stick with the original panel or do a piecemeal swap.
• Garmin GTN 750 + G500 TXi + GFC 600: $150K–$250K installed, brings legacy Caravans to near-modern capability.
• FIKI TKS: CAV Aerospace STC for known-ice TKS weeping wing, $120K–$180K installed; popular alternative to the factory boot system on legacy airframes.

See avionics-pricing.

• Blackhawk XP42A engine upgrade: Swaps the PT6A-114A for a PT6A-42A (850 SHP) on legacy Caravans. ~$700K–$900K installed, adds ~300 FPM climb and ~15 KTAS cruise. Most popular Caravan mod.
• Texas Turbine Supervan 900: Honeywell TPE331-12JR (900 SHP). ~$1.1M conversion; dramatically improved climb and hot/high, faster cruise, different fuel burn profile. Popular with skydive operators.
• Wipline 8750 amphibious floats: ~$450K installed, makes the Caravan an amphibian; trades payload and speed for water access.
• CAV TKS FIKI: Weeping-wing known-ice system as an alternative to pneumatic boots.
• Cargo pod: Factory or aftermarket; adds ~111 cu ft and ~1,000 lb capacity with a small cruise speed penalty.
• Oversized tires / Alaskan Bushwheels: STC'd for gravel bar operations.
• Raisbeck Engineering enhancements and vortex generators: Improve low-speed handling and short-field numbers.

• Parts availability: Excellent. Textron Aviation actively supports the type, and the 3,000-airframe fleet keeps aftermarket support strong. PT6A parts availability through P&WC is the best in turboprop aviation.
• Mechanic familiarity: Common at any field that sees turbine traffic. Airframe work is standard Cessna — any A&P can handle sheet metal and systems. Engine work must go to a P&WC-authorized service center (Covington, Dallas Airmotive, StandardAero, Blackhawk, etc.).
• Annual inspection: $8K–$15K airframe-only for a clean Part 91 airframe; Part 135 progressive inspections run $25K–$50K/year.
• Typical annual operating budget (Part 91 owner-flown, 200 hr/yr): $150K–$220K all-in including fuel, insurance, reserves, hangar, and engine/hot-section reserves.
• Engine reserves: Budget $120–$180/hr for engine + hot section reserves against TBO.
• Hot section (1,800 hr): $80K–$130K.
• Overhaul (3,600 hr): $550K–$750K.
• Jet-A burn: 48 GPH (208) to 56 GPH (EX); at $6/gal that's $288–$336/hour fuel alone.
• Expensive items: PT6A hot sections, wing-strut inspections and replacements, flap system overhauls, cargo-pod repairs, prop overhauls (McCauley 3-blade, ~$15K–$25K), and corrosion rework on float-operated airframes.

See maintenance-ecosystem.

• Engine time: PT6A-114A TBO is 3,600 hours with a recommended hot section at 1,800 hours. Hot section: $80K–$130K. Full overhaul at a P&WC-authorized facility: $550K–$750K. Engine time dominates used Caravan pricing — a mid-time 208B is worth $500K–$800K more than an engine-run-out example at the same airframe hours.
• Avionics: G1000 (2008+) adds $200K–$400K vs a legacy steam-panel airframe of the same vintage.
• FIKI: Factory boots or CAV TKS adds $100K–$150K.
• Cargo pod: Adds $40K–$70K; most utility operators want it.
• Blackhawk or Supervan conversion: Adds most of its install cost back for the first several thousand hours.
• Float provisions / amphib kit: Wipline-equipped aircraft command $400K+ premium but have a smaller buyer pool.

Price tiers (2026):

• Legacy 1985–1999 208 / 208B: $900K–$1.5M depending on engine time, avionics, and logs.
• 2000–2007 pre-G1000 208B Grand Caravan: $1.3M–$1.9M.
• 2008–2013 G1000 Grand Caravan: $1.6M–$2.3M.
• 2013+ 208B Grand Caravan EX (PT6A-140): $2.2M–$3.2M used; $2.8M+ new from Textron.
• Super Cargomaster FedEx retirements: $800K–$1.2M windowless freighters, often bought for re-windowing and conversion.

See valuation-methodology.

• AD 2006-06-06 / recurring wing-strut inspection: After the 2005 wing-strut corrosion findings and the Broome fatal, the FAA mandated repetitive inspections of the wing lift struts and forked end fittings for corrosion and cracking. Known recurring cost item.
• Flap AD 2020-18-01 / flap system inspections: Flap actuator and tracks require repetitive inspection after several in-service failures caused asymmetric flap events.
• Icing limitations and SFAR 23 compliance: Following multiple fatal icing accidents (notably Pelee Island 2004, and others), the FAA issued SAIB and operating limitations tightening the Caravan's icing operations, holding speeds in icing, and minimum airspeeds with flaps extended in icing. The Caravan is FIKI-approved but crews must respect the revised limitations — it is not a "fly through anything" turbine.
• Tailplane ice sensitivity: Caravans have lost control from tailplane stall in icing. Factory AFM supplement mandates specific speed and flap procedures.
• PT6A hot section findings: Compressor turbine blade sulfidation and hot-section distress from maritime/salt operations are common; inspect hot-section history closely on amphibian and coastal-operated aircraft.
• Belly pod corrosion: Water ingress into the pod can corrode the lower fuselage. Pre-buy should include pod removal.
• Fuel reservoir / fuel-system water contamination: Multiple ADs over the years; comply carefully.

Pre-buy red flags: unknown hot-section history, salt-water float operations without corrosion inspections, skydive operators running engines to TBO in 3,000 short cycles, missing or lapsed wing-strut inspections, and incomplete Textron Service Bulletin compliance.

Turbine single, single-pilot Part 135 workhorse — a well-understood risk for underwriters but type-specific. Hull values of $1.5M–$3M drive premiums.

• Hull rates: Roughly 1.0–1.5% of hull value annually for experienced 135 operators, 1.5–2.5% for owner-flown Part 91 with lower-time pilots.
• Liability: $1M smooth is standard; $5M+ available for commercial operators with underwriter approval.
• Typical annual premium: $18K–$35K for a Part 91 owner-flown Grand Caravan EX at $2.5M hull; $25K–$60K for Part 135 cargo operators.
• Underwriting requirements: Type-specific initial training at FlightSafety (Wichita) or SimCom is effectively mandatory. Annual recurrent is typically required. Most underwriters demand 1,000+ TT and 250+ multi/turbine before solo in type; some require a mentor pilot for the first 25–50 hours. ATP is preferred, commercial minimum.
• Icing history: Underwriters scrutinize icing training and operating environment closely.

See insurance-underwriting.