CESSNA 340 Specifications, Cabin Dimensions, Performance

Table Of Content

• FAA Fit? Wingman Med Backstops
• Click HERE to choose your FREE download: 172 Owners Guide, 182 Owners Guide, or Digital Magazine.
• Mysteries Of Flight: The Curious Case Of Pan Am Flight 914
• Swiss Crew Aborts Takeoff For Four Other Planes Crossing JFK Runway
• Question: Aircraft Gross Weight refers to what?
• Cessna 340 A, II pressurized/turbocharged - Performance Data

Its a very strong airplane and at altitude you cruise at or around maneuvering speed. Perusing the NTSB data, it seems to me that most, if not all, fatal accidents are secondary to pilot problems not mechanical problems. If you keep yourself sharp, this plane will not let you down. For many a business and family, a Cessna 340 is an ideal airplane.

FAA Fit? Wingman Med Backstops

If youre looking for the redundancy of two engines, pressurization, RAM quality, with the ability to add modern avionics, this airplane is hard to beat. PayloadIf owners have any consistent complaints about the 340 line, they relate to payload, or lack thereof. Most cabin-class Cessnas are well equipped and can accommodate around 1600 to 1700 pounds of fuel and payload; some carry even less than that. The performance figures above are for 340s with 310-HP engines.

Click HERE to choose your FREE download: 172 Owners Guide, 182 Owners Guide, or Digital Magazine.

The more generic components such as filters, wheels, tires, and brakes are off the shelf and stocked by large aviation suppliers like Aircraft Spruce & Specialty or Wag Aero. Customers were impressed by an aircraft of that size with a pressurized cabin. Proving the most popular of the 340 series, 948 of the 1,287 Cessna 340s produced were the 340A model.

Mysteries Of Flight: The Curious Case Of Pan Am Flight 914

The Cessna 340 is a pressurized light twin aircraft produced by Cessna. For numerous reasons, it has evolved into the best-selling, piston-powered, cabin-class pressurized twin in the world that quickly surpassed other rival aircraft in its category. We typically dont carry more than five and then only with little baggage. With only two you can fill the tanks (183 gal) and go from Southern California to Florida with one fuel stop.

The cabin is a comfortable 46.5 inches wide, 4 inches broader than a Baron’s, enough for three rows of two seats each with an aisle down the center. The airplane also can be fitted with a divider separat­ing the front cockpit from the aft passenger compart­ment for corporate operation. The factory air conditioning is a mechanical nightmare, powered by a hydraulic pump on the right engine, driving a hydraulic motor coupled to the compressor. But it’s proven to be troublesome to keep working due to Freon leaks.

A fast, pressurized cabin-class twin thats still one of the best step-ups from a high performance single.

The typical 340 buyer is moving up from a high performance single such as a Cessna 210, Mooney, Bonanza or non-pressurized twin such as a 310, Seneca or Baron. Many a Beech loyalist, in love with an A36 or Baron, will purchase a 340 as an interim aircraft in order to gain experience for a future King Air. Most 340s have at least one fuel tank occupying a locker and nose baggage compartment space typically is compromised by avionics gear. But for increased performance, a much easier and cheaper modification swept through most of the fleet, and that was the addition of vortex generators.

Considering the payload limitations, the baggage space in the 340 seems a cruel joke. Among the cabin, nose and locker compartments, theres a cavernous 53 cubic feet of space in which a maximum of 930 pounds can be crammed. Most 340s have at least one fuel tank occupying a locker, and nose baggage compartment space typically is compromised by avionics gear. If owners have any consistent complaints about the 340 line, they relate to lack of payload. Load enough gas for a 4.5-hour flight with reserves and you can take along only two passengers and their bags. Fill the seats with 170-pound FAA clones and pack away their regulation 30 pounds of baggage each and you can carry enough fuel for less than two hours of flying.

Cessna 340 A, II pressurized/turbocharged - Performance Data

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On the other hand, a “bargain” airplane can be a financial nightmare. The buyer who thought he had the perfect airplane gets hit with a bill of 25 percent of the value of his airplane on the first annual. These airplanes simply must be maintained by a knowledgeable shop. When buying, a pre-buy by a shop that specializes in twin Cessnas is a must.

Insurance Options

We have carried six with a light fuel load, but dont plan on flying more than a couple hours or taking much baggage. Jerry Temple, an aircraft dealer specializing in the 340, says, “The fuel system is no big deal. Cessna offered an automatic pressurization control, which activates and deactivates while climbing or descending through 8000 feet, but more buyers opted for the variable-control system.

This was a result of trying to pressurize an existing fuselage that was essentially a box. The reason 340s are preeminent as a best buy is that they offer more than enough for less than too much. They’re not the fastest or the most economical bimotored machines, but Cessna did a competent job on the original design. The type has proven resilient against the hands of time and there are plenty of airplanes to choose from.

We had an extremely comprehensive prebuy inspection done by Bill Turley of Aircraft Engineering Inc. in Bar­tow, Florida. When the candidate aircraft came back rela­tively clean, the new owner and I jetted down, handed over the check, picked up the Cessna, and flew it home to Long Beach, California. Last I heard, he still owns it and he’s still my friend, so it must have been a good choice. Don’t expect the boots to work very well above 10,000 feet. The density altitude really takes the oomph out of the pressure side of the vacuum pumps.

Considering an entire VG kit weighs about as much as the air in your tires, it’s about as close to a free lunch as you can get. If you’re considering a 340, by all means consider vortex generators. You get the approach speed stabilized at 117 indicated with flaps and gear down, then hold it in that position until just over the runway, when you ease off the power. The RSTOL conversion with RAM VGs drops VMC speed down well below a stall, and opens up just about any airport where you would feel comfortable operating a stock Cessna 206.

Three-blade McCauley propellers, formerly an option, also became standard equipment in 1976; earlier 340s came with two-blade McCauleys. The 340 has a gross weight of 5,975 pounds, and an empty weight of 3,697 pounds. But any discussion of an airplane – any airplane – must balance all the heavily publicized features to some practical use. The customary advertising claims throw all the seats, gross weight, maximum fuel, and maximum performance into one arena. But hardly any plane can do all those things, and carry all that weight, at one and the same time.

Cessna 335 340 Specifications Technical Data Description

Table Of Content

• Cessna’s entry-level inflatable twin
• Question: Aircraft Gross Weight refers to what?
• Insurance Options
• Featured Video: Airthre’s Cabin Oxygen Generator
• Swiss Crew Aborts Takeoff For Four Other Planes Crossing JFK Runway
• Owner Reviews

The only disadvantage of the RSTOL modification is that it precludes aftermarket speed brakes. I have owned a 1979 Cessna 340A for the past 11 years, and it has worked out so well I have yet to come up with a reason to change to a different airplane. The two aircraft I owned prior to the 340 were a Cessna 425 (Conquest I), and a Cessna 303 (Crusader), each of which I owned for a lesser period of time.

Cessna’s entry-level inflatable twin

On the second pass he hit a 50-foot tower 40 feet up, making the airplane unflyable and killing all aboard. We admit to a certain soft spot for the Cessna 340—thinking of it as one of aviation’s finest personal hot rods. But Cessna didn’t build any 340As (or much of anything else) that year and after putting together a scant 17 of the airplanes in 1984, production was terminated for good, with a total of about 1297 aircraft made. Aircraft of similar configuration, age, and role include the Beechcraft Duke, Piper Pa-31 Navajo, and the Rockwell Aero Commander. All sell at similar prices, although the 340 does appear to hold its price well in comparison. Comparing performance, the Cessna 340 appears to have the edge in climb rate, cruise, and service ceiling.

Question: Aircraft Gross Weight refers to what?

They create much greater rudder authority and reduce Vmc to below stall speed. The 340 requires good maintenance by shops with expertise on the type. My 340 has been reliable, but it is expensive to keep it in top condition. I was told that if I could not stomach a $50,000 unplanned maintenance expense, I shouldn’t buy a 340. I figure the maintenance costs will run an average of $150 per hour, net of engine and prop reserves. My plane has 310-HP engines with the AA intercooler modifications.

Insurance Options

Liability coverage covers damage caused by the aircraft, including passengers, while hull coverage covers damage to the aircraft itself. The Cessna 340 adheres to the standard Cessna maintenance schedule, with the most frequent inspection being the 100 Hour inspection. The web portal flugzeuginfo.net includes a comprehensive civil and military aircraft encyclopedia. It provides code tables for aerodromes, air operators including the world's major airlines and for ICAO and IATA codes for aircraft. The website has also a photo gallery and gives you an overview of all aviation museums worldwide.

The Cessna 340: One Of General Aviation’s Most Popular Pressurized Twins

Still, with the length of the fuselage, passengers rarely feel cramped. There is plenty of storage in the aft cabin for items you want to keep pressurized and out of the cold, as well as storage in the nose and wing nacelles (when not converted to fuel tanks). Like many six-seat aircraft, the stock Cessna 340 is better suited to four occupants than full seats. It’s not a true six-place machine in standard configuration.

Featured Video: Airthre’s Cabin Oxygen Generator

I chose the 340 because it fit my mission needs, has a comfortable cabin and I like the looks.My daughters are impressed because it has an aisle (sort of) and they are not squished into the back. The 340 is much roomier than any airplane weve had in the past. The majority of 340s have Bendix/King Silver Crown or Collins Microline avionics.

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Swiss Crew Aborts Takeoff For Four Other Planes Crossing JFK Runway

The pressurization system makes passenger comfort excellent, and the cabin size is good for a personal twin-engine aircraft. Unfortunately, Cessna sold only 65 of its 335s before deciding the whole thing was a bad idea. The company canceled the model after a single year of production. We’re left with an interesting head-to-head comparison between pressurized and unpressurized versions of the same airplane. My missions are generally between two and eight hours of flight time, so I generally flight plan for no more than four-hour legs, which gives me about one hour of reserve fuel (163 gallons, no nacelle tank).

Owner Reviews

So in 1976 Cessna introduced the Cessna 340A, which was now fitted with 310 hp TSIO-520-Ns. Cessna also shortened the propeller blades on this model to meet noise reduction standards, and slightly changed the cabin pressurization schedule. My typical trip is business traveling; usually 200 to 250 miles at 10,000 to 15,000 feet, which is the sweet spot for the airplane. I can fly these trips at 20,000 feet or higher when weather is a factor, but for the most part I only get into the flight levels when flying longer legs. It also has the flexibility to fly high or low to take advantage of the winds aloft without a fuel burn penalty.

The association sponsors seminars and conventions, plus also has an active forum where questions can answered to help keep the aircraft’s reliability and safety at a higher level. I do recurrent training annually, even if it’s not required for insurance. While the pressurization is easy, the same can’t be said for the fuel system. Start with the 100-gallon-usable tip tanks, which are the mains in this airplane.

Owners looking to step-up from a high-performance single will inevitably make a pass or two through the 340 classified section. The same spaciousness holds true up front where the pilot(s) will find the standard Cessna twin panel arrangement. The Cessna 340 was also offered with Roman Numeral designators. The designators simply reflected the instrumentation package and nothing more. The 340 II was shipped with instrumentation from the 400-series Cessnas while the 340 III had instrumentation from the 800-series Cessnas.

Starting with a well-chosen aircraft initially and adding extensive panel upgrades, our 340 is equipped with most of the bells and whistles—it’s as close to an all-weather GA airplane as is practical. We’re diligent about maintenance and the airplane seems to reward that effort. It serves us well for most any mission we undertake and we’ve never had to go commercial when we’d planned to take the 340. Once the airplane is slowed down with gear and flaps deployed, however, it tends to sink like a rock, and some power must be maintained right into the flare.

One owner called the installation of VGs a real no-brainer. While theres no way to prove this, we suspect that the efficacy of the vortex generator kits has served to boost the value of 340s at a surprising rate. If youre considering a 340, by all means consider vortex generators. Rate of climb at sea level is a respectable 1650 FPM, but climb performance tapers above 20,000 feet to a dawdling 300 to 400 FPM in the mid-20s.