Cessna Grand Caravan EX for Sale

€2,242,000

Available now: 2001 Citation Bravo — $2,300,000

Aircraft Specifications

Asking Price
€2,242,000
Model
208B Grand Caravan EX
Airframe
901 hrs
Engines
1 × P&WC PT6A-140
Seats
10 (2 crew + 8 passengers)

Avionics

Description

Cessna Grand Caravan EX offered at €2,242,000. The aircraft has 901 total hours. It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 turboprop, the engine that defines the EX version of the 208B Grand Caravan. The flight deck is a Garmin G1000 NXi integrated avionics suite with autopilot. The cabin is set up in a 2 + 8 configuration: two crew seats and eight passenger seats. The sale includes both the passenger seats and a skydive kit, so the aircraft can be operated as a passenger or utility airplane or set up for parachute operations. Year of manufacture, serial number, registration, engine time and cycles, maintenance program status and location are not stated in the specification and are available on request. As with any utility turboprop, the logbooks, the engine records and the history of use are the most important documents to review before purchase, and we recommend an independent pre-purchase inspection at a Caravan-experienced shop.

Consultant's Notes

The short version

This is a Cessna Grand Caravan EX for sale with 901 total hours, powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 turboprop and equipped with a Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck and autopilot. The cabin is configured for two crew and eight passengers, and the sale includes both the passenger seats and a skydive kit. The asking price is €2,242,000. The year of manufacture, serial number, registration, engine cycles and maintenance program status are not stated in the specification; they are available on request and should be confirmed from the logbooks before an offer is made.

What this airplane is

The Grand Caravan EX is the higher-powered version of Cessna's 208B Grand Caravan, the stretched single-engine utility turboprop that operators use for passenger feeder routes, cargo, survey, special missions and parachute operations. What makes it an EX is the engine: the PT6A-140, rated at 867 shaft horsepower, in place of the PT6A-114A used on the standard Grand Caravan. In practice, the extra power shows up where Caravan operators feel it most: climb rate at high weights, takeoff performance on short or hot-and-high strips, and the time it takes to get a full load to altitude.

The G1000 NXi is the later generation of Garmin's integrated flight deck for the Caravan. Compared with the original G1000, it brings faster processors, better displays and a more current set of features. For an operator who flies IFR in busy airspace, it is a meaningful step from older panels.

Nothing about the Caravan is exotic. It is a fixed-gear, high-wing, single-engine airplane with a large cabin and a large door, built to be loaded, flown, unloaded and flown again. That simplicity is the reason the type is so widely used, and it is also why condition and history matter more than the brochure.

Who this Grand Caravan EX makes sense for

- Skydive operators who want a turbine jump airplane with power to spare. The skydive kit is included, so the airplane can go to work in that role once the conversion and approvals are confirmed for your registry. - Utility and charter operators who need one airplane that can carry passengers on one day and cargo or jumpers on another. With seats and the skydive kit both included, the airplane is not locked into a single mission. - Owners stepping up from a smaller single-engine turboprop who need a much bigger cabin and want a modern panel.

It makes less sense for a buyer looking for a pressurized cabin, high cruise speeds or a corporate-style interior. The Caravan is an honest workhorse, not an executive transport, and a 2 + 8 configuration is a practical layout rather than a luxury one.

901 hours: what that does and does not tell you

Low total time is the headline here, and it is a genuine positive. A Grand Caravan EX with 901 hours has used little of its airframe and engine life. But on a utility airplane, hours alone are not the full picture, for two reasons.

First, the skydive kit. We do not know from the specification whether this airplane has actually been used for parachute operations, and we do not assume it has. If it has, the relevant number is cycles, not hours. Jump flying means many short flights, repeated high-power climbs and frequent operation with the jump door configuration. Ask for the engine cycle count, the hot-section inspection history and, if the airplane has flown jumps, the period and the operator.

Second, calendar time. The year of manufacture is not stated. An airplane that has accumulated 901 hours over a short period has a different profile from one that has accumulated them slowly over many years, especially for corrosion, seals and the engine's calendar items. Ask for the year and the hours-per-year history.

The PT6A-140

The PT6A-140 is part of the large PT6A family, which has an excellent reputation for reliability and a worldwide maintenance network. That support network is one of the strongest reasons to buy a Caravan. Still, the engine is the most expensive single component on the airplane, and three questions should be answered in writing before an offer:

- Engine time and cycles. Confirm that the engine has the same 901 hours as the airframe, or establish its own time and cycles if it does not. - Engine program. No engine maintenance program is mentioned in the specification. If the engine is enrolled in a manufacturer or third-party program, that has real value and should be documented. If it is not, budget for the hot-section inspection and the eventual overhaul. - Trend monitoring and borescope. Ask for any engine trend data and include a borescope inspection in the pre-purchase.

Avionics and equipment

The specification lists the Garmin G1000 NXi with autopilot. That is the core of the panel, and for most operators it is all they need. What the specification does not list is equally important, because these options make a large difference to how a Caravan can be used:

- Weather radar or datalink weather - Traffic and terrain systems - Ice protection and whether the airplane is approved for flight into known icing - Cargo pod - Air conditioning - Synthetic vision and other NXi software options

None of these are claimed here. Ask the seller for the full equipment list and the weight and balance report. On a utility airplane, the useful load you actually get after the installed options is one of the numbers that matters most.

Configuration and the skydive kit

The cabin is in a 2 + 8 configuration, and the sale includes both the seats and a skydive kit. Ask what exactly the skydive kit contains, whether it is currently installed, and how the airplane is approved for parachute operations in its current registry. Converting between passenger and jump configurations should be a documented process with the correct approvals, weight and balance records and placards. If you plan to operate commercially, check how the airplane's equipment fits the rules of your authority, including those for single-engine commercial operations.

What to verify before an offer

- Year, serial number and registration. None are given in the specification. They are essential for checking history, airworthiness directives and import requirements. - Logbooks and maintenance status. The inspection program in use, the date of the last major inspection and the next items due. - Airworthiness certificate and review status. The current certificate and, in Europe, a valid airworthiness review certificate (ARC). - Damage history. Ask the seller to confirm the damage history in writing. - History of use. Passenger, cargo or parachute operations, and where the airplane has been based. Coastal or humid bases deserve a closer look for corrosion. - Warranty. If the airplane is relatively recent, ask whether any factory warranty remains and whether it transfers. - Pre-purchase inspection. At a shop with real Caravan experience, including a borescope of the engine.

How we would look at the price

At €2,242,000, this airplane is priced as a low-time, late-equipment Grand Caravan EX. Whether that is the right number depends on facts the specification does not yet give: the year, the engine's cycles and program status, and the installed options. Two Grand Caravan EX airplanes with similar hours can be very far apart in value once those are known. Get those facts first, compare with airplanes of the same year and equipment, and then make your offer.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours does this Grand Caravan EX have? 901 total hours, according to the specification. Engine time and cycles should be confirmed from the engine logbook.

What engine does it have? A single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140, the engine that distinguishes the Grand Caravan EX from the standard Grand Caravan.

What avionics are installed? A Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck with autopilot. Ask the seller for the full list of optional equipment.

How many seats does it have? The cabin is configured for two crew and eight passengers, and the seats are included in the sale.

Is it set up for skydiving? A skydive kit is included. Confirm what the kit contains, whether it is installed and how it is approved in the current registry.

What year is the aircraft? The year of manufacture is not stated in the specification. It is available on request and should be confirmed from the aircraft documents.

What is the asking price? €2,242,000.