Aviationweb déjà vu                 Luchtvaart déjà vu aeroplanes gallery

N787DM

ATR-42
UR-UTE
PH-XLM UR-UTE
Airbus Military C-295M
020 35-45
Polish AF 020 SpanAF '35-45'
Cessna 208
N102AN
D-FLEC N102AN
N1123R PH-JMP
N1123R PH-JMP
PH-PPS SP-NAT
LET L-60S Brigadyr
OK-MJO OK-NNH
N787DM Cessna 208B Grand Caravan c/n 208B0868 - ISLA NENA - Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands - 13 July 2005 Lelystad Airport (LEY)

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan is a single-turbo-engine, fixed-gear, utility transport aircraft and short-haul airliner for upto fourteen passengers and one or two crew. Cessna Aircraft Company, Wichita, Kansas, USA, started development of the Cessna Model 208 by the end of the 1970s as a single-engined turboprop aircraft for up to ten passengers or up to a ton of load. The Cessna Model 208 was designed as a rugged utility aircraft to replace the aging De Havilland Canada Otters, Beavers and Beech 18 aircraft in use with bush operators. Therefor the design had to include the possibillity to equip the aircraft with skis and floats for use in remote areas with extreme weather changes, mountainous terrain and rough landing conditions. Final design work of the Cessna Model 208 started in 1979. The prototype Model 208 (serial number 699), registered N208LP, flew first on 9 December 1982. FAA-certification for the Cessna Model 208 Caravan I was awarded on 23 October 1984. The first Caravan was delivered on 25 February 1985, to an air service provider in Alaska, and the next day Federal Express (now FedEx) took delivery of its first Caravan, which included a belly cargo pod and other modifications specially designed for the express delivery pioneer. The Cessna 208A Cargomaster, was developed with FedEx as a pure-cargo version of the Caravan. A further development with a lengthened fuselage is the Cessna 208B. The protoptype Model 208B Super Cargomaster, registered N9767F, flew first on 3 March 1986. The 208B Super Cargomaster entered service with Federal Express in 1986. Federal Express was the main operator of the Cessna 208 with a fleet of 39 Cessna 208A Cargomasters and over 200 Cessna 208B Super Cargomasters all-cargo variants. These aircrafts have a large cargo door, no side windows and are fitted with additional cargo tiedown points, cargo nets and an underfuselage cargo pannier. Fourty aircraft were built as Model 208A’s, these were subsequently all converted to Model 208’s by embodiment of a Cessna Service Kit or out of service. The designation Model 208A was removed from the FAA TCDS at Rev 13. The Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan was the passenger model derived from the Super Cargomaster and was certified on 13 december 1989. Many Grand Caravan variants include an underbelly cargo pod, which can be used for additional freight capacity, or for passenger baggage. In 2012, the Cessna Grand Caravan EX with a Garmin Glass Cockpit and a 867 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine was announced. The new model keeps its 208B designation, but gives operators a great deal more power, thanks to the expressly for the EX developed Pratt & Whitney PT6-140 turboprop engine. In January 2013, after a quick certification test program, Cessna earned FAA approval for the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX. A number of Cessna 208 variants is converted to skydiving aircraft with the left-side cargo hatch converted to a roll-up door. This skydiving platform makes its possible to bring up to 20 parachutists to the jump height. The military variants of the Cessna Model 208 uses the designations U-27A; C-16 and Cessna AC-208 Combat Caravan. In 1985, Cessna Aircraft Company ceased to be an independent company. It was purchased by General Dynamics Corporation and became a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1992, General Dynamics sold Cessna to Textron Inc. and on 29 July 2015, the company name changed to Textron Aviation Inc., Wichita, Kansas. Building of the Cessna 208 started in Wichita. In May 2012, Cessna announced that an assembly line for the 208 by a Cessna-AVIC joint venture would be established in Shijiazhuang in the People's Republic of China. In August 2016, Textron announced that it is moving the Cessna 208 production from its Wichita headquarters to its Independence, Kansas production facility. Over 2.500 Cessna 208 aircraft in the diverent variations have been delivered since the Cessna 208 entered service in 1985.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Cessna 208 is C208.

The 2000-built Cessna 208B Grand Caravan s/n 208B0868 was registered N1311A in the USA with Africair on 3 January 2001. The same day the N1311A was registered with Isla Nena Air Service, Peurto Rico. On 14 March 2001, registration N1311A was changed to N787DM. On 11 September 2003, Gran Caravan N787DM was registered with San Juan Jet, and on 22 March 2004 with San Juan Jet Charter. On 29 June 2005, Nature Link was registered as the new owner of Cessna 208B N787DM. On 25 July 2005, registration N787DM was cancelled as exported to South Africa, and the next day the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan was registered ZS-POH in South Africa with NatureLink Charters. On 11 September 2007, the ZS-POH was registered with Black Ginger 425.
On 13 July 2005, Cessna 208B Grand Caravan N787DM was seen at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands on its way to South Africa, still in the Isla Nena colors.

page last updated: 23-06-2020
Copyright © Jack Wolbrink, Emmen, the Netherlands
 

  aeroplanes index   helicopters index   EC120 - H120 productionlist   Micro Light Aeroplanes   European Airfields