Learn what the Cessna Caravan is, how the 208, 208A, 208B Grand Caravan and EX differ, and which variants are most common.
The Cessna Caravan is a single-engine, high-wing, unpressurised turboprop utility aircraft built for passenger transport, freight and operations from short or rough runways. The variants encountered most often are the original Model 208 Caravan, cargo-focused 208A Cargomaster, stretched 208B Grand Caravan and higher-powered 208B Grand Caravan EX.
In real-world aviation, its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine, fixed tricycle undercarriage, large loading doors and optional belly cargo pod make it useful for commuter flights, parcel feeder services, skydiving, humanitarian work and remote-area transport. Our overview of Cessna’s principal aircraft families shows where this utility turboprop sits relative to the company’s piston singles and larger transports.
Which Cessna Caravan variants are most common?
The stretched Model 208B family is the branch most often encountered in passenger, charter and freight service, while the shorter 208 remains common in specialist and lower-capacity operations.
| Variant | Defining features | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Model 208 Caravan | Original short-body aircraft; sometimes called Caravan I to distinguish it from the Grand Caravan | Passengers, mixed freight, skydiving and remote operations |
| Model 208 Caravan 675 | Later short-body version with the 675 shp PT6A-114A | Utility and passenger work where the larger 208B is unnecessary |
| Model 208A Cargomaster | Dedicated freight derivative of the short-body Caravan | Parcel feeder and light cargo services |
| Model 208B Grand Caravan | Fuselage stretched by roughly 1.2 metres or four feet, providing more cabin volume and payload capacity | Commuter passengers, charter, cargo and skydiving |
| Model 208B Super Cargomaster | Freight-configured version of the stretched 208B | Parcel feeder networks and dedicated cargo work |
| Model 208B Grand Caravan EX | Grand Caravan powered by the 867 shp PT6A-140 | Passenger and freight operations requiring stronger take-off and hot-and-high performance |
“Most common” depends on the operation. Freight fleets often use the Super Cargomaster name, passenger operators usually say Grand Caravan, and newer or performance-focused aircraft are often Grand Caravan EX models. All three belong to the 208B branch.
What do 208, 208A and 208B mean?
The numbers are Cessna model designations, while names such as Grand Caravan, Cargomaster and EX describe particular body, role or engine configurations.
- 208 identifies the original short-fuselage Caravan.
- 208A identifies the short-body Cargomaster freight derivative.
- 208B identifies the stretched airframe used by the Grand Caravan, Super Cargomaster and Grand Caravan EX.
- EX identifies the 208B installation with the more powerful PT6A-140; it is not a separate basic model number.
A mistake we see regularly is treating every 208B as an EX. Earlier Grand Caravans normally have the lower-powered PT6A-114A, so their torque limits, take-off performance and checklists are not interchangeable with those of the EX. Payload, fuel, cargo pod and float fit also change performance; our Grand Caravan EX range and payload explanation covers those trade-offs.
The longer fuselage is the clearest visual clue that an aircraft is a 208B. Cabin windows are less dependable because passenger, cargo and special-mission interiors vary. The aircraft documentation, data plate and installed engine model provide the definitive identification.
Is the Caravan Amphibian a separate variant?
No. Caravan Amphibian usually describes a Model 208 or 208B equipped with amphibious floats, allowing it to use both water and conventional runways.
Floats materially affect empty weight, cruise speed, range, wind handling and take-off performance, but they do not by themselves change a 208 into a 208B or an older Grand Caravan into an EX. Likewise, a belly cargo pod is an equipment option rather than a distinct Caravan variant, and removing passenger seats does not automatically make an aircraft a factory-built Cargomaster.
Which Caravan variant should I fly in a simulator?
Choose the variant whose fuselage, engine and performance data the simulated aircraft actually models, rather than selecting it by livery or cockpit appearance.
- Choose the Model 208 or Caravan 675 for short-body utility, bush or float operations.
- Choose the 208B Grand Caravan for the familiar stretched passenger or cargo aircraft, especially when reproducing older 675 shp examples.
- Choose the Grand Caravan EX when the simulation explicitly models the PT6A-140 and its higher power limits.
Avionics are not a reliable variant guide: Caravans of the same basic model can have analogue instruments, retrofitted displays or an integrated glass cockpit. Use the documentation supplied with the exact aircraft and understand how its POH and operating limitations should be applied. FSX pilots using the default aircraft can also follow our complete 208B Grand Caravan manual and checklist, but its figures should not be transferred automatically to a differently modelled EX or amphibian.