Aircraft library Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

Photo: Tomás Del Coro, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

A reversible manual yoke that is comparatively light at pattern speed, deliberate and twin-like in cruise, firmer in roll than pitch, and stable on approach without exaggerated adverse-yaw or stall effects.

TurbopropC208Cable/pushrod controlsStarter v2 · 2026-08-11

Know the plane

What the real one feels like

Each finding pairs our reading with the evidence it rests on. Fly the type and read something wrong? Every claim links straight to the corrections form.

Mechanical controls with spoiler and servo-tab assistance

Cessna describes manually operated mechanical flight-control linkage, proportional roll spoilers, and aileron servo tabs that reduce maneuvering wheel force.

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Pattern-speed controls are substantially lighter than cruise

Published EX flight testing describes the aircraft as ponderous at cruise and considerably lighter after slowing to pattern speeds.

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Cruise loading is deliberate, with roll firmer than pitch

The 208B flight test explicitly places roll force above pitch force. A later EX test found twin-like cruise control forces while still calling the aircraft responsive.

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A published EX cruise point provides an indicated-speed anchor

The 2020 EX flight test recorded 152 KIAS at 10,000 feet, providing a defensible indicated-speed reference for the force path instead of the 185-knot true-airspeed marketing figure.

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Roll is slower but accurate, with little adverse yaw

The short ailerons are augmented by mechanically coupled spoilers. Flight tests report positive low-speed roll authority, accurate response, and very little adverse yaw rather than a large synthetic sideslip kick.

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Gust pressure remains readable and trims out

The type-pilot report says gust or crosswind roll pressure is held until the airplane is balanced or trimmed; this corroborates, but does not override, the published low-adverse-yaw handling evidence.

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Approach handling is stable and forgiving

The EX flight test reports easy speed and gradient control on approach and a gentle touchdown on the large spring landing gear.

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The stall break is conventional rather than violent

Published testing reports a gentle clean stall break and a stronger but still conventional full-flap break. Buffet should support the horn, not impersonate a stick shaker.

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Release should settle, not bounce

AY210 testing confirmed that physical-axis damping opposed movement without assisting it and produced fast settling around 30% and above.

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Stall warning is a horn, not a stick shaker

The information manual specifies a stall-warning horn that sounds approximately five to ten knots above the stall; it does not describe a mechanical stick shaker.

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Published speeds

Gate	Knots	Notes
VsoStall, landing configuration	61	Landing-configuration stall speed, published as KCAS; used as the 61 kt sweep anchor. · Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX POH/AFM, 867 SHP (2012)
VrRotation	83	Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX POH/AFM, 867 SHP (2012)
VyBest rate of climb	108	EX sea-level through 3,000 ft best-rate schedule; decreases with altitude. · Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX POH/AFM, 867 SHP (2012)
VappApproach	80	Representative midpoint of the published 75–85 KIAS normal landing range. · Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX POH/AFM, 867 SHP (2012)
VmoMaximum operating	175	Textron Aviation — Cessna Grand Caravan EX specifications

How the profile models it

Starter JSON · v2

The complete starter profile, in the same order and with the same names as the desktop Tuning page. Highlighted rows cite evidence. Hover a row to see its profile-JSON path.

Pitch load at a constant elevator input, from standstill to the cruise reference.

Master gain & control system

Master gain 85%

The final overall output scale applied to everything the model produces, before the device cap.

▲ More: everything (spring, loads, effects) gets stronger together. ▼ Less: everything softens together.

Forces

Spring strength 58%

The base centring force that pulls the stick back to centre. Every other force stacks on it. Too low and the stick feels limp in normal flight; too high and it fights your hand and masks the smaller cues layered above it.

▲ More: firmer centring that resists your hand at all times. ▼ Less: a limper stick that leans on aerodynamic load alone.

Spring deadband 4%

A small neutral zone around centre where the spring stays quiet, so tiny movements at rest don't chatter. Wider is calmer but looser; narrower is more precise but can twitch around centre.

▲ More: a calmer but looser centre with more free play. ▼ Less: a tighter centre that may chatter at rest.

Low-speed spring floor 25%

How much of the spring survives at a standstill, before airspeed can build any aerodynamic force. A high floor keeps the parked stick firm; a low floor gives the loose, cable-slack feel of a parked light aircraft.

▲ More: a firmer stick while parked and taxiing. ▼ Less: a floppier parked stick that only wakes up with airspeed.

Keeps low-speed centering present but well below the fully developed in-flight aerodynamic spring.

because:Mechanical controls with spoiler and servo-tab assistance Pattern-speed controls are substantially lighter than cruise

QBlend enabled on · QSpring start knots 10 · QSpring full knots 83

Elevator load 100%

The sustained pitch load from elevator deflection and airspeed, balanced independently of roll. This is the main lever behind a type's pitch weight. It does not touch aileron, spring, trim, or buffet forces.

▲ More: heavier sustained pitch forces at speed. ▼ Less: a lighter elevator that takes less muscle to hold.

Aileron load 130%

The sustained roll load from aileron deflection and airspeed, balanced independently of pitch. Together with the elevator load it sets the control-harmony ratio reviewers talk about.

▲ More: heavier roll forces. ▼ Less: lighter, quicker-feeling ailerons.

Encodes the published roll-greater-than-pitch ordering as a coarse ratio without turning the responsive spoiler-assisted system into a brute-force yoke.

because:Cruise loading is deliberate, with roll firmer than pitch Roll is slower but accurate, with little adverse yaw

Overall aerodynamic load 90%

A master scale over both sustained axis loads, applied before their independent balance. Profiles normally leave this alone and tune the two axis loads instead.

▲ More: both axes load up harder. ▼ Less: both axes lighten together.

Cruise reference (kt) 150

The indicated airspeed where aerodynamic load reaches its designed full level. It anchors the whole load curve to the aircraft's real speed range: a 172 loads up by 110 knots, a jet much later.

▲ More: loads arrive later; the stick stays light up to a higher speed. ▼ Less: loads arrive earlier and cruise feels heavier.

Rounds the measured 152-KIAS EX cruise point without substituting a KTAS marketing number into an indicated-speed force path.

because:A published EX cruise point provides an indicated-speed anchor

Airspeed curve 2.0

How sharply stick load builds with airspeed. 1.0 is linear; about 2.0 matches real aerodynamics, where dynamic pressure grows with the square of speed, so controls are much lighter slow and firm up fast. Felt when holding the stick off centre, not at rest.

▲ More: lighter at low speed with a steeper rise toward cruise. ▼ Less: a more linear build that loads up earlier.

Reversible manual controls expose an approximately dynamic-pressure-shaped load and the reports require strong pattern-to-cruise progression.

because:Mechanical controls with spoiler and servo-tab assistance Pattern-speed controls are substantially lighter than cruise Cruise loading is deliberate, with roll firmer than pitch

Centre firmness vs speed 25%

How much the centring itself stiffens with speed, on top of the deflection loads. Zero keeps centre feel constant; more makes the stick centre harder at cruise and looser in the pattern.

▲ More: a centre that hardens noticeably as you go faster. ▼ Less: constant centre feel at every speed.

Preserves continued firming above rotation so cruise is deliberate while pattern-speed handling remains lighter.

because:Pattern-speed controls are substantially lighter than cruise Cruise loading is deliberate, with roll firmer than pitch

Spring airspeed stiffen cap 5

Max output force 60%

A cap on each steady pitch or roll force before it reaches the device, guarding against slamming or saturating the hardware in strong maneuvers.

▲ More: stronger peak steady forces before clipping. ▼ Less: a gentler ceiling; hard maneuvers flatten out sooner.

Hydraulic load factor 60%

For hydraulically-boosted or fly-by-wire types: how much of the raw aerodynamic load actually reaches the pilot's hand. 1.0 is a fully manual control run; lower values model the artificial-feel systems that isolate the pilot from true surface loads.

▲ More: more raw aerodynamic load reaching your hand. ▼ Less: more isolation, closer to pure artificial feel.

Trim

Elevator strength 35%

How strongly elevator trim relieves held pitch force and shifts where the stick settles. At 100%, a properly trimmed aircraft needs no held pressure, the trim-away-the-load workflow of real flying.

▲ More: trim removes more of the held pitch force; at 100% full trim zeroes it. ▼ Less: you keep holding force even when trimmed.

Manual pitch trim and the reduction in sustained balanced force require real, bounded trim relief.

because:Mechanical controls with spoiler and servo-tab assistance Gust pressure remains readable and trims out

Trim feel enabled on · Elevator authority 0.7 · Trim relief enabled on

Aileron strength 18%

The same relief for roll trim. Most GA types have no real aileron trim, so this stays at zero; types with roll trim get a matching value.

▲ More: roll trim removes more held roll force. ▼ Less: roll trim does less.

Aileron authority 0.35

Stick feel

G-load gain 18%

Extra spring stiffness as positive G rises above 1G: the pull-up loads your arm as well as the wing. Too little and steep turns feel weightless; too much and maneuvering becomes tiring.

▲ More: pull-ups and steep turns stiffen the stick more per g. ▼ Less: g has less effect; maneuvering stays light.

GLoad enabled on · Min factor 0.2 · Max factor 1.25

Deadband low-speed widening 8%

Extra centre deadband added at parked and taxi speeds, narrowing away as airflow builds. It keeps the stick calm on the ramp without costing precision in flight.

▲ More: a calmer, looser stick on the ground. ▼ Less: ground handling as precise as flight, and as twitchy.

Dynamic deadband enabled on · Full speed ref knots 83

Control-edge trigger 86%

How far through the travel the edge-of-throw spring boost begins. High values leave most of the range linear and put a firm wall only near full deflection.

▲ More: the end-of-travel wall starts later, leaving more linear throw. ▼ Less: the wall begins earlier in the travel.

Control edge enabled on

Control-edge gain 22%

How strong that edge-of-travel boost is once triggered: a soft warning versus a hard stop near full throw.

▲ More: a harder stop near full deflection. ▼ Less: a softer edge you can push through.

Effect gains · Ground

Runway rumble 42%

Rolling surface vibration from wheel speed and surface type: pavement, grass, or gravel under the gear.

▲ More: louder surface texture through the stick. ▼ Less: a smoother taxi.

Enabled on · Min speed kt 3 · Full speed kt 75 · Surface scaling enabled on · Undercarriage 0

Gear bumps 34%

Short discrete bumps from expansion joints, ruts, and rough surface, punctuating the continuous rumble.

▲ More: sharper hits from joints and ruts. ▼ Less: softer ground detail.

Start speed kt 12 · Full speed kt 65

Brake shudder 40%

Vibration under brake pressure while rolling. Invisible braking feels wrong; too much makes every stop feel like an anti-skid event.

▲ More: more shudder under braking. ▼ Less: quieter stops.

Min speed kt 4 · Full speed kt 35 · Brake deadband 0.05

Nosewheel shimmy 22%

The rapid side-to-side wobble through the roll axis at taxi-rotation speeds, the classic worn-nosegear shimmy this type is or isn't known for.

▲ More: a livelier shimmy on the rollout. ▼ Less: a calmer nosewheel.

Min speed kt 20 · Full speed kt 65

Ground accel 22%

The fore-aft pull on the pitch axis from acceleration on the ground. The takeoff surge draws the column aft; braking pushes it forward.

▲ More: a stronger fore-aft pull under acceleration and braking. ▼ Less: a subtler surge cue.

Deadband g 0.03

Effect gains · Airframe

Stall buffet 25%

Airframe shake approaching the stall and while the stall warning is active: how loudly this wing announces it is unhappy. Types with a crisp break get modest buffet and let the horn carry the warning.

▲ More: a louder pre-stall shake. ▼ Less: a quieter wing; the horn carries the warning.

Keeps aerodynamic buffet supporting a conventional break while leaving the horn as the primary warning.

because:The stall break is conventional rather than violent Stall warning is a horn, not a stick shaker

Enabled on

Overspeed buffet 50%

Airframe shake past the overspeed warning, the airframe's own protest at exceeding Vne/VMO.

▲ More: a harsher protest past the redline. ▼ Less: a gentler overspeed warning.

Flap buffet 20%

Low-frequency airframe vibration with flaps extended into the airflow, in the speed window where they actually work the air.

▲ More: a rougher ride with flaps working the air. ▼ Less: smoother approach flap.

Flap state remains perceptible without contradicting the stable and forgiving approach reports.

because:Approach handling is stable and forgiving

Max flap index 4 · Min flap index 2 · Min speed kt 75 · Full speed kt 125

Stick shaker 50%

The dedicated stall stick-shaker buzz, fired by the aircraft's own stall-warning system. Only types with a real shaker get a value; everything else relies on aerodynamic buffet and the horn.

▲ More: a harder stick-shaker buzz. ▼ Less: a subtler shaker.

Aero · Shaker enabled off

Whether this feature is active in this profile.

Do not synthesize warning hardware the real aircraft does not use.

because:Stall warning is a horn, not a stick shaker

Effect gains · Engine, mechanical & drag

Turbulence 40%

Random shake from short-term G variation in rough air, so bumpy air is felt and not just seen.

▲ More: rough air hits the stick harder. ▼ Less: calmer chop.

Gusts remain legible without making the documented stable platform continuously busy.

because:Gust pressure remains readable and trims out Approach handling is stable and forgiving

Min stddev 0.02 · Full stddev 0.25 · Ambient gain 0.7 · Turbulence window samples 20

Reverse rumble 40%

Rollout vibration while reverse thrust or beta-range props are working. Zero for types without reverse.

▲ More: a rougher rollout under reverse. ▼ Less: quieter reverse.

Min speed kt 20 · Full speed kt 85

Engine rumble 18%

Continuous powerplant vibration following RPM between idle and full power, the ever-present reminder that something is burning fuel up front.

▲ More: more engine through the stick. ▼ Less: a quieter powerplant.

Enabled on · Idle rpm pct 0.3 · Full rpm pct 1

Touchdown thump 65%

The one-shot kick when the wheels meet the runway, scaled by sink rate: a greaser whispers, a firm arrival thumps.

▲ More: a harder kick at touchdown. ▼ Less: softer arrivals.

Sink rate stays distinct while respecting the forgiving spring landing gear.

because:Approach handling is stable and forgiving

Reference sink fps 7 · Min sink fps 1

Flap movement 14%

Continuous vibration only while the sim reports the flap surfaces actually travelling. It follows real actuator motion and failures, not an estimated timer.

▲ More: more vibration while the flap surfaces travel. ▼ Less: quieter flap runs.

Minimum position delta 0.001 · Packet hold seconds 0.12 · Arrival settle seconds 0.25

Flap arrival 16%

The small airframe settle when flap-surface travel completes, driven by the surface arriving, not the handle command.

▲ More: a firmer settle as flaps reach the notch. ▼ Less: a softer arrival.

Flap step 30%

The short mechanical click on each flap-handle detent. The handle, not the surfaces.

▲ More: a sharper detent click. ▼ Less: a fainter click.

Enabled on

Flap drag 15%

The sustained pitch-force change from flap drag at airspeed. Extending flaps should change what your hand holds, not just make noise.

▲ More: a bigger stick-load change when the flaps come out. ▼ Less: less trim shift from flap.

Provides a restrained retrim cue instead of a large continuous nose-load effect.

because:Approach handling is stable and forgiving

Enabled on · Max flap index 4 · Min knots 60 · Full knots 125

Propwash pitch 22%

Power-on pitch bias from propwash over the elevator: why adding power on a prop aircraft nudges the nose and the stick. Zero for jets.

▲ More: a stronger power-on pitch nudge. ▼ Less: power changes feel more neutral.

Min rpm 0.3 · Washout knots 125

Aircraft control feel

Pitch damping 20%

Movement-speed-proportional resistance on the pitch axis. Unlike friction it adds no break-away force at rest, so it calms overshoot without stickiness.

▲ More: thicker, more viscous pitch movement. ▼ Less: a freer, livelier pitch axis.

Cyclic damping enabled on · Gain 0 · Max force 0.35 · Velocity noise floor 0.12 · Smoothing time constant seconds 0.015

Roll damping 30%

The roll-axis damping, tuned separately because yoke roll torque and pitch force differ substantially on most hardware.

▲ More: thicker roll movement. ▼ Less: a freer roll axis.

Uses the lowest AY210 range reported to settle quickly, not the 100% diagnostic extreme.

because:Release should settle, not bounce

Stick drop

Fade airspeed 30

The airspeed where the forward slump has fully faded, typically almost as soon as airflow builds on the takeoff roll.

▲ More: the slump lingers further into the takeoff roll. ▼ Less: it vanishes almost as soon as you roll.

Autopilot follow

Authority 5%

How far autopilot commands may physically move the stick. Kept tiny in MSFS, where a moved axis can read back as pilot input; zero disables following entirely.

▲ More: the autopilot visibly moves your stick further. ▼ Less: a barely perceptible follow.

Follow enabled on

Strength 20%

How firmly the stick holds the autopilot's commanded position while following is active.

▲ More: a firmer hold on the AP's commanded position. ▼ Less: softer, easy to override.

Starter history

Version 22026-08-11

Internet-researched handling revision: published pattern-to-cruise force progression, roll-greater-than-pitch harmony, 150-KIAS cruise anchor, restrained adverse-yaw, stall, flap, turbulence, and touchdown effects, with the AY210 settling result retained as corroboration.

Version 12026-08-11

Initial source-backed landplane starter candidate: manual q-law, light low-speed floor, stronger roll loading, gust/trim response, AY210-validated physical damping, fixed gear, and horn-only stall warning.

What changed from v1 to v2

Setting	v1	v2
Aero · GainAero.Flap.Gain	0.26	0.2
Aero · GainAero.Stall.Gain	0.4	0.25
Aero · GainAero.Turbulence.Gain	0.5	0.4
AeroDrag · GainAeroDrag.Flap.Gain	0.18	0.15
Aileron force scaleForces.AileronForceScale	1.2	1.3
Cruise reference speedForces.CruiseSpeedRefKnots	145	150
Airspeed spring stiffeningForces.SpringAirspeedStiffenGain	0.2	0.25
Ground · GainGround.Thump.Gain	0.78	0.65
StickAlive · Full airspeed knotsStickAlive.SideslipCoupling.FullAirspeedKnots	145	150
StickAlive · GainStickAlive.SideslipCoupling.Gain	0.6	0.4
StickAlive · Max outputStickAlive.SideslipCoupling.MaxOutput	0.22	0.18
StickAlive · Full airspeed knotsStickAlive.SurfaceFollow.FullAirspeedKnots	145	150

Community & corrections

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Pilot corrections

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This page is built from cited references, and real time in the type beats a citation. Quote the claim that reads wrong and tell us what the actual aircraft does. Corrections go to the maintainer for review and feed the next revision of this research.

Help wanted

What the research could not pin down. If you fly the type, or can point at a source, a correction on any of these feeds the next revision directly.

No published absolute wheel-force curve or stick-force-per-g data was found; the total scale, coarse 1.30 roll-to-pitch ratio, and secondary textures remain bench choices bounded by the published qualitative behavior.
The research revision still requires live AY210, FFB2, and MSFS Grand Caravan EX acceptance before release status.
The starter does not schedule feel by CG, weight, cargo pod, de-ice state, float, ski, or STC configuration; aft loading can materially lighten real control force.

Hangar talk

Open conversation about flying and tuning the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, in the community forum. Corrections above go privately to the maintainer; hangar talk is public.

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