In 1987 over Delta, Utah a pilot unfamiliar with the fuel system crashed because he thought the mains were in the wings and the auxes at the tips. For more than five decades, active and dedicated aircraft owners and pilots have turned to AVIATION CONSUMER to answer their most important buying questions. Fuel Burn at 75% power in standard conditions per hour. AOPA Members DO more LEARN more SAVE more - Get MORE out of being a pilot -, 2023 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Available with 102/143/166/184/207 gallon systems, Avg. That means the 310 flies like other Cessnas, with the caveats about its greater weight and speed taken into account. This aircraft is not immune to the relatively high operational costs inherent to twin-engine aircraft and is combined with the advanced age of most units. document.getElementsByClassName("mobile")[0].getElementsByTagName("a")[0].href = "tel:330-698-0280";
It exceeds 3000 pounds by the 310C, nears 3200 in the 310P and exceeds 3600 in the 310R (turbo models are heavier still). Empty weight is of 2850 lbs, while gross weight sits at 4600 lbs. Figuring a maximum ramp weight of 5534 pounds, 519 pounds of fuel can be put in the main tanks. Then the transfer pumps are run until the idiot lights go on. I am a professional aircraft broker who specializes in Cessna twins. More than 5,400 were built, and there are several major variations. Marc E. Cook, AOPA Pilot, May 1994. Landing gearThe other 310 system that gets a lot of attention is the landing gear. The next significant change was in 1962, with the 310G. It is broadly accepted that the true competition to the Cessna 310 came in 1970 when Beechcraft introduced their new twin-engine six-seater in the shape of the Beech 58 Baron. This involved replacing the Continental IO-470 engines with the turbocharged intercooled Lycoming TIO-540, with an output of 350 hp. It all started innocently enough, with those 50-gallon tip tanks as the only containers of fuel. All rights reserved. Crosswind landings are simple due to good aileron and rudder authority. One of Cessna's great triumphs through the decades has been the success in making transitions up through the line relatively painless for pilots. The flap and engine exhaust configuration makes corrosion a problem which must be monitored continuously and treated when necessary. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store. During repair new nipples are installed and repaired tanks are guaranteed for two years. Marine Boat Fuel Bladders; Flexible Water Diesel Holding Yacht Tanks; . Parts availability has never been a problem. Long Range. The caveat is that this figure came about after extensive work to restore the aircraft after some years of abandon prior to Cawleys ownership. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website. Depending on the option fitted, this could expand the aircrafts capacity from 102 gallons up to 207 in total. Copyright 2023 Aviator Insider | A Topsail Media Company | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. Still, the 310 is large and heavy enough that braking performance can be marginal. The 310 competed more directly against the Twin Commander 520 (discontinued that same year) and Beech Twin Bonanza, which was dropped a few years later in favor of the Travel Air and 55 Baron. It applies to the 310, 340 and all piston-powered 400 series Cessnas except those with trailing link main gear. Due to its popularity and longevity, many modifications and upgrade kits were designed around the Cessna 310 family. The tip tanks are made from aluminum and contain two pumps, auxiliary and transfer. Whether you are looking for maintenance and inspection tips, overhaul and replacement options, or researching the If time is critical, providers offer repaired bladders on an exchange basis. Breaking with its practice of tacking on a different letter each year, Cessna stuck with the 310Q and T-310Q for five years. According to Bill Thompson, author of Cessna Wings for the World and longtime Cessna test pilot, Cessna chose bladder tanks over integral tanks to decrease the likelihood of fire in the event of a crash. RAP provides a fast response time with very extensive aircraft fuel cell repair capabilities. The registration records showed that 7LJ had been based in Albuquerque, N.M. for at least 20 years. Their investigation suggest the seepage is from the top of the bladder. This section of the article is only available for our members. A fuel flow gauge, fuel quantity gauge, and a fuel low level warning light are located in the cockpit. The most common mistakes are failure to conduct a prepurchase inspection or evaluation flight. I have avoided the two big 310 bugaboos: gear problems and exhaust-related corrosion. I acquired a 1975 Cessna turbo 310 R model in 1991, and have never regretted it. With so much to choose from, any serious buyer should be able to find an airplane that fits the bill. Cabin size was increased, along with gross weight. When the auxiliary tank runs empty, it automatically shuts off. Prompt Quotes - Big Discounts - 95% Same-Day Shipment. If you need to get above weather or take advantage of winds at altitude, this plane still climbs well at 18- to 20000 feet, while the normally aspirated 310 runs out of steam at about 10- to 12000. The T-310P had 285 HP Continental TSIO-520-B engines, standard three-bladed props and a 5400-pound gross weight, compared to the 310Ps 260-HP IO-470V Continentals, optional three-bladed props and 5200-pound gross. In the pattern, landing flaps deployment leads to a noticeable pitch-up moment, but this can be offset by commanding gear extension at the same time as the pitch changes will cancel themselves out. The engines are Continental Model IO-520-Ms and are rated at 285 horsepower each. The aircraft tends to drop a wing quickly; an undesirable trait made even more so due to the tendency in most twins to roll hard into the dead engine in case of failure at low speeds. Please click here to jointo view this part of the article. The first step is to know which bladder your aircraft uses. This should be a mandatory investment for all R owners. A 1981 Cessna 310R II, average price new $234,000, now goes for $220,000. A welcome side-effect of their installation is that they are quieter than the original two-blade units installed. The first engines fitted were a pair of Continental O-470-B carbureted engines outputting 240 hp each. If I ever get the STC to run AGE85 (88% ethanol) that part of the equation is taken care of. An AOPA analysis of 225 service difficulty reports (SDRs) from a sample of 150 units from different Model 310 families showed that 40 of these were related to the landing gear. The same caveat applies-there has to be room enough for the fuel, so the pilot waits until theres 180 pounds or less in the mains before transferring fuel from the locker tanks. Most shops either stock or can order whatever you require to keep it running within short notice. Weight gain from upgrades brought this down to 390 fpm at sea level by the time production ended. tens of thousands for twins. The aux tanks feed directly to the engines, so the only pump that serves these tanks is the engine-driven one. If I had the $$, I'd convert mine to a Colemill. After checking for the type of bladder in my airplane, I knew it wasnt a candidate for repair, but repair can be an affordable option for some leaking bladders. from the aux. I spoke with Aaron McCloskey, the senior sales representative at FFC who said that the repair cost for most tanks is between $200 and $400. The 1976 T-310 with most options can only hold four normal-sized passengers. I was pleased to observe about 8 to 10 knots increased speed at comparable power settings, a greater rate of climb, and stabilized oil consumption of about 1 quart per 20 hours. Operators say the T310s work best in the high teens. It can be a way to cut back on labor costs if an owner/pilot is comfortable in their technical abilities and savvy about working on one of the most important systems on their Cessna. This, of course, must be balanced against the extra hazard posed by single-engine operations when low and slow. Cessna has a kit available to retrofit earlier airplanes. Your airplane parts headquarters for everymulti-engine Cessna Aircraft built since 1955! We stock parts for all Cessna Multi-engine airplanes: Copyright 2023 Preferred Airparts. Pilots coming from other light twins will recognize the 310's as a large step up; it feels like a much larger, more substantial airplane than, say, an Apache or Travel Air. Gross weights eventually reached approximately 5500 pounds. By the 310I, cubic feet available certainly began to exceed the lifting and weight-and-balance capacity of the airplane. This coupled with the natural rolling tendencies caused by the tip-mounted fuel tanks, can make for a busy few moments immediately following engine failure. Still, it can be said that the type is one of the most affordable twin-engine aircraft in the market as far as entry costs go. I strongly recommend the turbocharged models. Then I used a mirror and flashlight to make sure I had freed all the clips holding the topand the bottomcorners of the tank in position before removing the bladder. Climb, speed, and range performance on the 58 Baron was on par with the 310s. In an interview with Cessna Flyer, pilot Gale Cawley of USAF, Indiana ANG, and American Airlines experience described his scheduled annual maintenance costs at around $3600 during his 15-year ownership period. A choice of IO-520 or Voyager IO-550s is offered. It is a challenge to grease the landings, but I make every effort to protect that long, spindly gear. As Cessna did to virtually all its models in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the 310 received a swept vertical fin in place of the upright tail used through the 1959 model. I am an ATP with about 1200 hours in light twins. The gap for the turbo models is similar. Overall, a good package of background information.]. Early 310s could manage 415 feet per minute on one engine at maximum gross weight (4,700 pounds in the 310B). If replacing the gaskets on the filler plate and quantity transmitter dont solve the problem, its bladder time. PROVEN IN THE JUNGLES OF PNG. If you hear an inrush of air its a signal that the vent system is blocked. Construction - Extra grade fabric used most times best suited for Jet A. Certain traits on the Model 310 can catch an inexperienced pilot off-guard in case of single engine failure during take-off or landing. Compare this to the Beech light twins, which began with 180-hp Lycomings in the Travel Air and culminated (imploded, some say) with a pair of turbocharged 380-hp monsters in the 56TC. Engine Driven Fuel Pump Failure. I do not believe they cost more than a couple of knots, and should be installed on all 310s. The 310 was built through the 1957 model year. The dawn of the jet age, fully realized during the Korean War, had signaled a major shift in the American militarys design requirements and procurement decisions.