Ostensibly designed for corporate use, the Cessna 340 has become a staple of the general aviation market, arguably becoming one of, if not the, most recognized general aviation aircraft on the planet!
Introduced in 1972, Cessna continued production of the 340 until 1984 after 1,351 units had been built for a variety of roles and operators.
Background
Like many aircraft manufacturers during WWII, Cessna devoted their entire production capacity to the war effort, specializing in producing twin engine Cessna T-50 advanced trainers for the US Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force.
Unlike most other aircraft manufacturers, when the war ended in late 1945, Cessna didn’t struggle to survive because most of their contracts had been cancelled.
Instead, they adapted to the new postwar environment quickly and even grew – all at a time when giants like Lockheed, Convair and Boeing were struggling to keep the lights on!
Producing new aircraft like the Cessna 120 family (including the Cessna 140 and 150), Cessna became one of the so-called “Big Three” in general aviation alongside Piper and Beechcraft.
Continuously looking for opportunities to grow, Cessna responded to corporate demand for a small, twin engine piston aircraft in the early 1950’s by designing the Cessna 310, also partly in response to the development of the Aztec and Baron at Piper and Beechcraft respectively.
Famous for being Cessna’s first twin engine aircraft of the postwar era, the Cessna 310 first flew on January 3 1953. After rigorous flight testing, the 310 entered civilian service in early 1954 and military service in 1957, proving versatile in a number of roles.
Though incredibly popular – nearly 6,000 were built between 1954 and 1980 – orders for the 310 began to drop off in the late 1960’s thanks to the introduction of the newer Piper Navajo (March 1967) and Beechcraft Duke (introduced July 1968).
Development
Determined not to lose out to their two biggest competitors, Cessna ordered development of a new aircraft in 1969 to rival the Navajo and Duke. This marked the beginning of development for what would soon become known as the Cessna 340.
At least in outward appearance, the 340 appears to be based off the Cessna 310, however, after elongating the fuselage by five feet (1.52 m), Cessna engineers discovered it would be almost impossible to pressurize the cabin due to how the fuselage was designed.
Several attempts were made to alter the design of the fuselage slightly to allow for pressurization – all to no avail.
With no other option, Cessna engineers were forced to completely redesign the 340’s fuselage so it could be pressurized, though they did use the Cessna 310’s fuselage as sort-of a guide. The 340’s tail and landing gear were also borrowed from the 310.
Taking advantage of advances in wind design, Cessna engineers took the opportunity to redesign the 340’s wing, copying the wing design of the Cessna 414, in effect making the Cessna 340 an amalgamation of the Cessna 310 and 414.
Inside, the 340 retained the four passenger cabin but was given an extra seat in the cockpit (despite being rated for only one pilot), thus giving it the ability to carry five passengers opposed to the four that was the standard on most Cessna 310s.
During the redesign, the 340’s fuselage was made slightly wider as well as longer, allowing for an aisle to run down the center of the aircraft without making the cabin cramped.
The added length also allowed Cessna to add an airstair to the rear port (left) side of the Cessna 340’s fuselage, giving it the appearance of a much larger business jet – a handy tool given who the 340 would be marketed towards.
After a year of work, the first prototype, N2340C, rolled off the assembly line in early 1970. During flight testing, the worst possibility became a reality when an improperly secured bolt in the elevator trim push-rod came out mid-flight, causing the pilot to lose control of the horizontal stabilizer.
The aircraft was then stuck in a nosedive and crashed one mile north west of the Clyde Cessna Field (Cessna’s flight testing field) at Kingman Airport in Kingman, Kansas. Sadly, the test pilot was killed in the crash and the N2340C registration was cancelled by the FAA.
Operational History
Whilst there was some debate as to whether or not the Cessna 340 should be scrapped all together, Cessna chose to keep the project alive and produced a second prototype which completed test certification, which was granted on October 15 1971. Deliveries commenced in January 1972.
Corporate
Designed primarily to replace the Cessna 310 as the twin piston of choice for numerous corporations, Cessna wasted no time selling the Cessna 340 to prior operators of the 310.
Acquired by these corporations with the express purpose of transporting the company’s C-Suite level (CEO, COO, CFO etc.) executives over short distances that airlines didn’t serve and where using a helicopter didn’t make sense or was too expensive.
Owning and operating the 340 also made sense for larger SMEs.
Instead of forking out millions for a corporate jet with higher hourly costs and airport fees, a large SME who only really needs a short-haul aircraft can acquire the much cheaper 340, giving them all the benefits of operating a corporate jet, without the higher costs associated with it.
Once one of the most popular corporate twin pistons on the market, most corporate operators have since phased their 340s in favor of newer aircraft, though a few do remain in service with various companies.
In an attempt to profit from the 340’s popularity as a VIP transport, air charter companies acquired the Cessna 340 in the hopes of chartering it out to corporate operators who wanted to be more flexible with their flying arrangements.
If you wanted to charter a 340 today, it would likely set you back around $1,600 per hour, though it may be more depending on other factors like time of year and route.
General Aviation
Though ostensibly designed for corporate use, it didn’t take long for general aviation pilots to start getting their hands on the 340, usually to replace their ageing Cessna 310s or an older prewar model.
Due to the 340’s high price tag, and how it doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint, the Cessna 340 was often acquired by groups of pilots rather than a single individual, usually by pilots who were all members of the same flying club.
Here, in many ways the 340 is like a fractional ownership agreement, with each pilot/owner having the right to fly the 340 at any time, but has to check with the other pilots/owners in advance (traditionally done through writing your times in a calendar in the aircraft, or via a group chat in the modern era).
Once up, GA operators of the Cessna 340 tend to just fly it for fun – refining their air navigation skills, do limited acrobatics or just relax with your head literally above the clouds.
Beginning in the mid-1990’s, most first-hand general aviation owners began to sell their 340s onto other groups of GA operators as a second hand aircraft so it can remain airworthy.
Fast forward almost 30 years and many of these second hand GA operators have begun to get rid of their now much older 340s, either selling them to a third group of GA pilots or putting them in one of the dozens of aircraft graveyards.
Trainer & Film
Often cited as being one of the easiest twin engine pistons to handle, it didn’t take long for flight schools to begin acquiring the 340 to train students for multi-engine certifications.
Though it was popular with flight schools across the world, the Cessna 340 was a favorite among flight schools located in the Southern United States, primarily in Florida, Texas and Georgia, mostly thanks to their proximity to Wichita, Kansas – where the 340 was built.
Since the mid-1970’s, the 340 has helped thousands of students get certified, many of whom have gone on to become professional pilots in their own right. If you fly regularly, it’s highly likely that you’ve been flown by an airline pilot who trained on the 340!
Sadly, many flight schools have phased out their 340s in favor of newer twin engine Cessnas or other newer twin engine pistons like the Piper Seneca, Tecnam P2006t and/or the Diamond Twin Star, or did so several years ago.
To make some extra money, several flight schools rented their 340s out to production companies for use as a film prop, either for use at an airport scene or to film a takeoff or landing scene to further the storyline of the movie or TV show.
Movies and TV shows the Cessna 340 has been featured in include:
- Always (background aircraft),
- Zero to Sky (also a background aircraft)
- 2012
- Le Mouton Noir
- The Kid
- Guns
- Survival
- The Stuff
- Executive Decision
- City Lights (season 1, episode 6)
- Dangerous Knowledge (season 1, episode 1)
- Die Rettungsflieger (season 1, episode 4)
Thanks to its relatively low operating costs and high cruise altitude, the Cessna became a favorite filming aircraft in the 1980’s, especially when it came to filming commercials.
If you remember the old Phillips Petroleum ads from the 1980’s, you might remember that they almost always contained some form of aerial shot. Interestingly, they were filmed with cameras mounted on the wings of a Cessna 340!
Price
Designed to be an engineering masterpiece with technical specs far exceeding the rival Piper Navajo and/or Beechcraft Duke, the Cessna 340 was priced to reflect that: You paid more for the better specs.
In 1982, two years prior to Cessna ceasing production of the type, a brand new 340 had a flyaway price of $365,000, or roughly $1.05 million adjusted for inflation.
Yet since Cessna ceased production of the type in 1984, the only real way to acquire a 340 would be on the secondary market. Thankfully, there are several currently for sale ranging greatly in price.
On the “cheap” end, an early 1970’s 340 can cost as little as $125,000 depending on age, condition and history, though it may be possible to get one for as low as $90,000, though these are heavily used and may require substantial work before you can use it.
For a middle of the road option, a Cessna 340 from the mid-to-late 1970’s, or a particularly well-used 340 from the 1980’s, can retail for anywhere from as “low” as $165,000 to as “much” as $225,000 depending on the specifics of the exact aircraft
On the more expensive end, a “newer” 340 from the early 1980’s (roughly 1981 to 1984) could easily set you back upwards of $250,000. Several in relatively good condition and with a low number of hours on the fuselage have prices of upwards of $300,000!
Acquisition costs, however, is only one part of the costs of owning a Cessna 340 – or any aircraft for that matter. The other side is operational costs.
Assuming you were to fly the Cessna for 450 hours per year, it would cost you roughly $527.92 per hour to operate the 340, actually making it slightly cheaper than the rival Piper Navajo ($530.661 per hour) and noticeably more expensive than the Beechcraft Duke ($710.94 per hour).
Variants
- 335 – Unpressurized variant powered by two Continental TSIO-520-EB engines. 65 built.
- 340 – Standard variant powered by two Continental TSIO-520-K engines. 350 built.
- 340A – Upgraded variant powered by two Continental TSIO-520-NB engines. 948 built.
- Riley Jet Prop 340 – Turboprop conversion of Cessna 340 powered by two Lycoming LTP101 engines.
- Riley Rocket 340 – Turboprop conversion of Cessna 340 powered by two Lycoming TIO-540-R engines. Previously known as the R340L.
- Riley Super 340 – Conversion of 1972-1975 Cessna 340 powered by two Continental TSIO-520-J engines. Previously known as the R340 Super.
Specifications
| Specifications | Cessna 340A |
|---|---|
| Length | 34 ft 4 in (10.46 m) |
| Wingspan | 38 ft 1 in (11.61 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Max Speed | 452 km/h (281 mph; 244 kn) |
| Range | 2,604 km (1,618 mi; 1,406 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 29,800 ft (9,100 m) |
| MTOW | 5,990 lb (2,717 kg) |
How Safe is The Cessna 340?
Whenever we fly, no matter what type of aircraft we fly on, there’s always the possibility that we may crash. Naturally, some aircraft are safer than others, be it due to how they were designed or some other factor.
So this begs the question: how safe is the Cessna 340?
All in all, Cessna produced 1,351 Cessna 340s over a 12-year period. Of that 1,351, 180 of them were involved in an aviation-related incident of some kind, resulting in a total of 220 fatalities.
Whilst this is still 220 fatalities too many, from a safety point of view, this actually makes the 340 quite a safe aircraft.
Indeed, only 13.3% of all Cessna 340s ever produced have been involved in an accident, compared to the 21.39% of all Piper Navajos that have been involved in an accident (843 accidents to 3,942 Navajos built).
Looking at the accident reports, the overwhelming majority of the fatal accidents weren’t caused by anything to do with the 340 itself, but rather, factors like weather, pilot error and poor maintenance, which affect all aircraft, not just the Cessna.
For the most part, this is thanks to Cessna learning from their past mistakes.
Many of the things that caused the Cessna 310 to crash were eliminated during the redesign of the fuselage and wings, and Cessna clamped down on quality control after the crash of the prototype, ensuring that no accidents should be caused by the 310’s design.
Though the Cessna is still considered quite safe, even the youngest airframes are over 40 years old. Just like any other machine, parts on the 340 degrade over time, so ensuring you stay on top of your maintenance and ensure your pilots are properly trained is especially important.
What’s it Like to Fly The Cessna 340?
Over the course of writing this article, I have had the good fortune of making several flights on the Cessna 340. And I have to admit, for an aircraft designed when Richard Nixon was president, it’s pretty good!
Entering from the rear of the aircraft, you immediately notice how large the cabin really is. From the outside it might not look too roomy, but when everyone’s sat down, you actually notice how spacious the 340 really is.
It is also incredibly comfortable too, with the seats worthy of being in a sports car facing inwards to give you the most legroom possible (though there is always a possibility of you knocking knees with the person opposite)!
The 340 also follows the long-established tradition of twin-engine pistons having multiple holds, including a pressurized hold at the rear of the aircraft and unpressurized holds in the nose and wings.
As a pilot myself, I was also given the fly the Cessna 340.
Much like previous Cessna aircraft I’ve flown, the 340 is incredibly easy to fly, perhaps the easiest twin engine piston of its age. What really impressed me, however, was how smooth it was flying in less than ideal conditions, such as in extreme wind, fog or cold.
I also found that the 340 requires very little input from the pilot, especially when it comes to landing. Begin your descent, pull back the power and the 340 seems to effortlessly glide onto the runway, rather than it being a struggle as it sometimes is on the Navajo.
However, the Cessna 340 is not without its shortcomings. Cessna overengineered the 340 to such a point that its fuel system is needlessly complex, and makes any form of maintenance on the system inherently difficult and thus, costly.
The other main issue with the 340 is its maximum takeoff weight (or MTOW for short). For an aircraft of its size and power, the 340 has a rather low MTOW, which perhaps explains why the 340 was never used for cargo or airline service when the Navajo and Duke were.
And though this isn’t a huge inconvenience for someone just looking to fly it for a bit of fun, for a corporate operator looking to transport five passengers and their incredibly heavy luggage, it would almost certainly be something you’d need to consider beforehand.
What do you think about the Cessna 340? Have you ever flown it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Andrew W Sieber via Flickr.