Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II

F406 Caravan II
A Caravan II of the French Army
Role Twin-engined utility
National origin France/United States
Manufacturer Reims Aviation
First flight 22 September 1983
Status In service, production to recommence
Primary user French Army
Number built 85[1]
Developed from Cessna 404
A Cessna F406 of Air-taxi Europe
An F406 of the Hellenic Coast Guard
A F406 Surmar at Paris Air Show in 2007

The Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II is a turboprop twin engine utility aircraft manufactured and designed by Reims Aviation in cooperation with Cessna.

Design and development

The F406 Caravan II is a twin turboprop engined, fourteen-seat low-wing monoplane of conventional aluminium and steel construction. It is a development of the Cessna 404 with two Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engines. The aircraft first flew on 22 September 1983,[2] and was produced by Reims Aviation until the company's 2013 demise.[3] In 2014, aircraft engine manufacturer Continental Motors, Inc., American subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, partnered with French-based marketer ASI Innovation to purchase rights to the F406; Continental Motors intends to restart production, including a diesel piston engine variant, with marketing to be carried out by ASI.[1][4]

The F406 is aimed at passenger and small cargo transport, and civilian and military surveillance. For extra cargo capacity a cargo pod can be fitted to the belly of the aircraft. The Surmar is a new maritime surveillance version of the aircraft with extra equipment such as a 360 degree radar.

Though the F406 is more expensive to operate than single-engine aircraft of the same passenger capacity such as the Cessna 208 Caravan, having two engines makes it comply with European regulations regarding commercial operations, which only allow multi-engine aircraft for commercial instrument flight.

Operators

Australia
France
Greece
Mali
Namibia
Republic of Korea
United Kingdom

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89 [9]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References and notes

  1. 1 2 Pope, Stephen (March 28, 2014). "Continental To Build Former Cessna Cabin Class Twin: Engine maker buys type certificate". Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. ↑ Taylor 1988, p. 79.
  3. ↑ "GECI Aviation". Retrieved 9 June 2012. Archived March 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Cessna Twin Returns to production in France". AOPA pilot: 36. June 2014.
  5. ↑ Cobham Receives AUD$ 7 million Additional Contract Extension from Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, article retrieved 23 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Airscene: Military Affairs: First Hellenic Coast Guard F406 enters service". Air International, Vol. 60, No. 5, May 2001. p. 262. ISSN 0306-5634
  7. ↑ Hoyle Flight International 8–14 December 2015, p. 43.
  8. ↑ "Airscene: Military affairs". Air International, Vol. 56, No. 1, January 1999. p. 3.
  9. ↑ Taylor 1988, p.80.
  10. ↑ Indicated Air Speed.
  11. ↑ Max cruise, 45 min reserves

External links

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