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I was braced for around $20,000 in maintenance items, but I already have spent over $40,000 without owning the airplane for four months. So far, my hourly operating costs are high, to say the least. But now I have a new comfort level that this airplane, which would cost well over $1,000,000 to build today, will serve me well into the future. All the weather that I used to slogthrough at 12,000 feet can easily be cleared.
Performance and Handling Specifications
But power in subsequent models is rated at 310 hp during takeoff for the 285-hp engine. Propellers with a shorter diameter were added in 1976 to reduce tip speeds, thereby lowering sound levels. In addition, a propeller synchrophaser maintains phase of the blades engineto- engine by controlling prop RPM. With a fuselage five feet longer than the 310, the 340’s big selling point is a spacious interior with pressurization. It was the first light twin to offer pressurization, and it was Cessna’s hope that the 340 would make this option accessible to light-twin owners.
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Exhaust systems, turbochargers, cylinders, and myriad other components can drive the cost of annual into five figures on a regular basis. A popular conversion for even more power was the RAM VII mod that boosted power to 335 hp per side. RAM Aircraft in Waco, Texas, has long specialized in mods to increase power and operating efficiency on turbocharged Cessna twins and other models. For more than five decades, active and dedicated aircraft owners and pilots have turned to AVIATION CONSUMER to answer their most important buying questions. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry product pricing from the time of the original review.
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The Cessna sales’ effort placed great weight on the pitch that the 340 is a “300 series plane,” and not one of the 400 series. But to look at it, you see more of the 400 series than you do the pressurized 310. Not only that, Cessna’s detailed engineering report on the 340 says the wing is the same as 414, as are the flaps and ailerons. The landing gear is the same as the 414, but the horizontal and vertical stabilizer, elevator and rudder are the same as the 310; minor changes in the 310 tail make it interchangeable with the 340.
Cessna 340A Prices
I also installed the GWX70 radar—a big improvement over the legacy radar. I removed all of the primary engine instruments and installed the JP Instruments 960 engine monitoring system. I made this investment primarily for safety and it has been trouble free. There were, however, six times when the pilot couldn’t stop the airplane on the available runway. Air conditioning might be the factory system, which requires the right engine be running to get cool air.
Handling and Payload
Temple told us that aging 340s (or other twin Cessnas) should have annuals by a shop that maintains several of them. The convenience of using a local shop that only works on a couple of them each year could catch up to an owner during the pre-purchase inspection made by a twin Cessna specialist. The few 340s out there with hot props only are tough to sell, but can be ideal for owners in warmer locations. This yields better power and efficiency without stressing the jugs, something that can be good for longevity, but only if you know how to properly set the power.
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The larger question is more on the resale value of twin-engined aircraft in general. With less than 70 twin aircraft manufactured in 2010 compared with thousands in the 1970s, if the demand for twin-engined aircraft continues to drop, who can tell where your resale goes from there. So finally, using data in the C172N POH, let’s plot this nondimensional function as a function of the coefficient of lift (see Figure 3). I now make the claim that the function above depends strongly on the coefficient of lift, and only very weakly on advance ratio. To show this, again using the performance chart provided by Cessna, I plot the advance ratio as a function of coefficient of lift (see Figure 2).
The Cessna 340: One Of General Aviation’s Most Popular Pressurized Twins
I pay $900 for $1 million, $100,00 seat liability, the all-risk hull insurance is $4000. The 340s claimed single-engine rate of climb is 315 FPM, better than the 414 (290 FPM), Beech P58 Baron (270) and the Piper 601P (240) and 602P (302) Aerostars. In its class, the 340 is bettered in climb only by its lighter, centerline-thrust stablemate, the pressurized Skymaster, which climbs 375 FPM on one engine. Stall speeds are 79 knots, clean, and 71 knots in landing configuration. The engines feed directly from the auxiliary tanks, but fuel in the lockers has to be transferred to the mains. Of course, you have to make room in the mains first, otherwise youll vent the pumped fuel over the side.
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The Keith System, also called JB Air by many, is electric and can be powered by a ground APU, although in the real world of FBOs, a 340 rarely gets the APU. From 1972 through 1975 the engines were Continental TSIO-520Ks, which produce 285 HP at 33 inches manifold pressure from sea level to 16,000 feet. Although not without its shortcomings—most notably certain loading limitations and an overly complex fuel system—the Cessna 340 fills that mission. Owners report that a 340 is flexible and capable enough to serve double duty for business and personal missions.
I no longer have good financial records on the 340, but Im sure the operating costs were at least $300 per hour. My last insurance premium was $5451 a year for $5 million smooth with a hull value of $200,000. That hull value and those insurance rates are presumably ancient history.
For a pressurized aircraft, its relatively simple, is assembled from well-established systems and offers decent maintenance access. They did the pre-purchase inspection and know how to look for things that can eat up a lot of cash to make right. They operate many 340s themselves and stock parts along with having a staff of experienced 340 technicians, a definite plus with this airplane. Good aircraft, especially those with knowledgeable representation, will command a strong price; not excessive, but no bargain, either.
Cessna kept up with the high demand for the 340 through 1984. When the last aircraft came off the line, Cessna had built 1,287 aircraft. Cessna built 340s from 1972 to 1984, and the company produced some 1, s in those 13 years. Apparently, no one at Cessna ever thought of a name to go with the model number. One pilot tried to take off with the gust lock still installed. Therefore, finding parts to support the aircraft is not difficult.
I feel it is one of the best all around planes for themoney in aviation today. As for the demographics, I live in Chicago-with a view of what was once Meigs Field-and the airplane was based at Midway. I was the only pilot for the nine years we owned it and I believe that having only one pilot, who also signed the checks, contributed to the reliability we experienced. I expect to be able to get the smooth limits next year at the same price I am paying today. I experienced the same thing when transitioning from a single to my Seneca. I had a choice of insurers as long as I completed a formal training course.
For example, flaps can be extended 15 degrees at 160 knots (the limit is 156 knots in the first 300 airplanes built) to help slow the airplane to max gear-extension speed, a pitiable 140 knots. But slowing the airplane to 160 knots without stressing the engines can be a problem, if you believe in the shock cooling genie. Owners say descents and approaches require planning and occasional persistence with ATC if a slam dunk is in the offing. The upgraded S-TEC 55X autopilot and Aspen PFD make IFR ops in this airplane very comfortable.
Also, like you said in a recent tail icing article, the 340 does not like flaps in icing conditions, so land with no flaps. The elevator horns—which are up with flaps down—pick up ice like crazy. I’ve chosen not to calculate my costs, but the estimate from the Twin Cessna Flyers of around $500 per- hour seems reasonable. Of course, this is variable based on how aggressively you plan for cheaper fuel purchases and if you participate in your own maintenance. A couple of years ago I upgraded most of the avionics, but kept the Cessna 400B autopilot because it works really well. I installed the Garmin G500 and GTN series touchscreen navigators, plus the GDL88 ADS-B system.
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