Asset Finance  through peer Lending

For those of you who invested in the Cessna Cravan loan we are happy to tell you that the aircraft was delivered to her new operators just before Christmas. You can see a picture of her above before she was painted in the airline's colours.

Unromantically named 208B5163 (we prefer to call her Amanda) will be flown by Jhonlin Air Transport and will be ferrying cargo throughout Papua. The aircraft will form part of the fleet that provides much needed access to mountainous regions of Papua.

The Caravan prototype first flew in December 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984. Since then, the Caravan has undergone a number of design evolutions. Working with FedEx, Cessna produced first the Cargomaster, and followed that with the stretched and upgraded Super Cargomaster. The passenger model, the Grand Caravan, was derived from the Super Cargomaster. In January 2013 a higher-powered (867 shp from P&WC PT6A-140) version, the Grand Caravan EX (which is what Amanda is), received FAA certification.

Cessna offers the 208B in many configurations. The basic 208 airframe can be outfitted with various types of landing gear, allowing it to operate in a wide variety of environments. Some common adaptations include skis, enlarged tires for unprepared runways, and floats on the Caravan Amphibian model.

The Caravan interior can be outfitted with seats or cargo holds. The standard high-density airline configuration features four rows of 1-2 seating behind the two seats in the cockpit. This variant is capable of holding up to thirteen passengers, although it is marketed as being able to make a profit carrying just four. The cabin can be configured in a low density passenger configuration, with 1-1 seating, as a combination of passengers and cargo, or as a strictly cargo aircraft. Many variants include an underbelly cargo pod, which can be used for additional freight capacity, or for passenger baggage. A number of Caravans are operated as skydiving aircraft with the left-side cargo hatch converted to a roll-up door. On April 28, 2008, Cessna announced that the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit will be standard equipment on all new Caravans.

As well as Amanda there are a number of orders in the region for this fabulous aircraft and we will be offering more of the same in the coming months.

Thanks for all those who participated in the loan, and if you happen to be in Papua and see her, please take a photo and send it to us!