Cessna 208 Amphibian
A float-equipped seaplane that turns water itself into a runway where none exists.
Overview
The amphibian version carries floats instead of — or together with — wheels. That allows landings at points without infrastructure such as lakes and bays; in island communities and remote regions it can be the only regular form of transport.
Floats add weight and drag; range and useful load fall. A seaplane is a design that trades performance for accessibility.
Taking off from water is a different technique from a runway: like a boat entering the planing regime, the aircraft must break free of water resistance. Wave height here matters as much as runway condition.
Details
- Brand
- Cessna
- Category
- Seaplane
- Body
- Amphibian
- Propulsion
- turboprop
- Produced
- 1986–