Engineering:Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II

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Short description: Utility aircraft
F406 Caravan II
A Cessna F406 from HM Coastguard
General information
National originFrance
United States
ManufacturerReims Aviation
Management and usageFrench DGDDI
Republic of Korea Navy
Number built99[lower-alpha 1][1]
History
Manufactured1983–2013
First flight22 September 1983
Developed fromCessna 404 Titan

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 (airframe) and steel (engine internal parts, exhaust, landing gear) construction. It is a development of the Cessna 404 Titan with two Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engines. The aircraft first flew on 22 September 1983[2] and was produced by Reims Aviation until the company's 2013 demise.[3] The F406 is aimed at passenger and small cargo transport as well as civilian and military surveillance. For extra cargo capacity, a cargo pod can be fitted to the belly of the aircraft.

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 made it comply with European regulations regarding commercial operations, which for a long time only allowed multi-engine aircraft for commercial instrument flight.

In March 2014, Reims Aviation was acquired by Chinese-owned Continental Motors Inc and renamed ASI Aviation. Two remaining incomplete airframes were finished in France before a shift to Mobile, Alabama with new avionics, electrical, and hydraulic systems; a new autopilot; and an engine choice of current P&WC PT6A-135 or pistons : Continental GTSIO-520 and/or Continental CD-310 diesel.[4] The Type Certificate transferred but only had approval to produce spare parts and not the whole aircraft.[1]

Operators

A Cessna F406 of the French Army.
A Cessna F406 of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
 Australia
  • Aerologistics[5]
  • Australian Customs and Border Protection Service[6]
 France
  • Air Saint-Pierre[7]
  • French Army[8]
 Germany
  • Air-Taxi Europe
  • Technische Universität Braunschweig[9]
 Greece
  • Hellenic Coast Guard[10]
 Namibia
  • Namibian Fisheries and Marine Resources
  • Westair Aviation[11]
 South Korea
  • Republic of Korea Navy[12]
 Senegal
  • Arc en Ciel Airlines
 United Kingdom

Accidents and incidents

  • On August 31, 1993, a Reims-Cessna F406 (registration F-GJLH) registered to J.G. Abdi crashed at Strasbourg Airport (Alsace). The aircraft was destroyed. [14]
  • 3 November 2001 – A Reims-Cessna F406 crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 03R at O. R. Tambo International Airport, killing all three occupants. The aircraft did not have a valid certificate of airworthiness at the time of the incident.[15]
  • On August 17, 2003, a Reims-Cessna F406 of Hageland Aviation Services (N6591L) crashed in Chukchi on a cargo flight from Barrow Airport to Wainwright Airport in Alaska. The two people on board the aircraft died. Analysis of radar data and statements from a local pilot suggested that the aircraft crashed into the sea.

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988–89[16]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One[1]
  • Capacity: 12 passengers
  • Length: 11.89 m (39 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 15.09 m (49 ft 6 in) [1]
  • Height: 4.01 m (13 ft 2 in)
  • Wing area: 23.48 m2 (253 sq ft) [1]
  • Empty weight: 2,283 kg (5,033 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 4,246–4,700 kg (9,360–10,361 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-112 turboprop , 373 kW (500 hp) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 424 km/h (263 mph, 229 kn) [lower-alpha 2]
  • Cruise speed: 388 km/h (241 mph, 209 kn)
  • Range: 2,135 km (1,327 mi, 1,153 nmi) [lower-alpha 3]
  • Service ceiling: 9,145 m (30,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 9.4 m/s (1,850 ft/min)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References and notes

  1. ↑ One prototype and 98 production aircraft
  2. ↑ Indicated Air Speed.
  3. ↑ Max cruise, 45 min reserves
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Type-Certificate Data Sheet EASA.A.109: F 406: Issue 06". EASA. 29 October 2021. https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/downloads/7311/en. 
  2. ↑ Taylor 1988, p. 79.
  3. ↑ "GECI Aviation". Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  4. ↑ Paul Jackson (May 23, 2016). "Props And Turboprops About To Enter The Marketplace". Aviation Week Network. http://aviationweek.com/ebace-2016/props-and-turboprops-about-enter-marketplace. 
  5. ↑ "Survey". https://aerologistics.com.au/vehicle/reims-caravan-f406/. 
  6. ↑ Cobham Receives AUD$ 7 million Additional Contract Extension from Australian Customs and Border Protection Service , article retrieved 23 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "air saint pierre fleet". airsaintpierre.com. http://airsaintpierre.com/en/about/our-fleet/. 
  8. ↑ "World Air Forces listings (French Army)". flightglobal.com. November 1999. https://www.flightglobal.com/world-air-forces-listing-f-i/29591.article. 
  9. ↑ "The Cessna F406 research aircraft, D-ILAB". https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/en/iff/research/facilities/research-aircraft. 
  10. ↑ "Airscene: Military Affairs: First Hellenic Coast Guard F406 enters service". Air International, Vol. 60, No. 5, May 2001. p. 262. ISSN 0306-5634
  11. ↑ "WESTAIR – HOME". http://westair.com.na/. 
  12. ↑ "World Air Forces listings (ROK Navy)". flightglobal.com. November 1999. https://www.flightglobal.com/world-air-forces-listing-s-t/29594.article. 
  13. ↑ "About". https://www.rvl-group.com/about/. 
  14. ↑ Unfallbericht Reims-Cessna F406 F-GJLH, Aviation Safety Network WikiBase (englisch), abgerufen am 2. März 2025.
  15. ↑ "ReimsF406 – 700m South of the threshold of Runway 03R FAJS". South African Civil Aviation Authority. http://www.caa.co.za/resource%20center/accidents%20&%20incid/reports/2001/7426.pdf. 
  16. ↑ Taylor 1988, p.80.
  17. ↑ "Reims F406 Caravan Ii". https://janes.migavia.com/fra/reims/f406.html. 
  • Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". Flight International, 8–14 December 2015, Vol. 188, No. 5517. pp. 26–53.
  • Taylor, John W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Defence Data, 1988. ISBN 0 7106-0867-5.

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