Hello Members & Guests…
Apparently it’s regular question for Cirrus drivers…
Does anybody have Cessna 340A experience?
I’m already familiar with maintenance/insurance cost, played W&B and performance tables.
Schedule a DEMO flight and will appreciate any thoughts.
Does it fun to fly as our Cirrus does-)?
Thanks!
Ive rented a very nice 340 maybe 3 times over the past 5 years. I love the room, pressurization and speed. I would say its “not as fun to fly” because it is more work, but at the same time, i cant give a fair assessment as i was just flying right seat and only have 5 or so hours. Everything was just so old. Not enough to form an educated opinion. I will say, what i didnt like was what comes with the age. No digital autopilot, Didnt have full digital engine monitoring, no glass. What ever you purchase you can definitely upgrade to all of that minus the digital attitude based autopilot at the moment. I could be wrong on that, i know Garmin has a new glass panel and new autopilot out. WOuldnt be cheap but i guess that could be an option
Igor,
I currently own and fly a 1973 340 and would be happy to help with any questions.
If you are considering buying one, the most important thing I can say to you about the buying process is to use a true twin Cessna expert to do your prebuy inspection. These airplanes are old, but if you are careful, you can find one that has had great maintenance. You won’t be sorry by taking this very important step.
Regarding avionics, try to find one that has most of what you want already updated (assuming the maintenance is top notch as well), as it is expensive to do yourself (pressurized vessel, etc.). Depending upon your budget, you can find 340’s that equal or exceed the panel capabilities of many modern aircraft.
Lastly, become a member of The Twin Cessna Flyer (www.twincessna.org). It is the COPA of twin Cessnas.
Billy,
We are currently waiting for the release of the STC for the S-Tec 3100 digital autopilot which will be an upgrade from our S-Tec 55x currently installed. They are expecting final approval for the 340 this month or next.
Thank you so much for information!
Only big family push me up to twin. I really like my SR22 but was impressed with 340A numbers:
228 KT, 2000 useful load and 18 gph/aside.
Try to find best bones on the market
Have you considered a Conquest?
A good friend of mine bought one 2 yrs ago and after a bit of debugging and a panel upgrade (g600) it’s a cool ride. He’s flying it all over the US and Mexico for business and is very happy with it. Very reliable and capable. Much cheaper to maintain than other similar twin turbines.
I’ve had a couple of friends get in and out of piston twin Cessnas both with similar unending expensive experiences.
If you want to talk to the Conquest owner LMK and I’m sure he’d talk planes. He’s become a bit of a guru.
This is the 1 i have flown on occasion. Fantastic plane, and if the STC goes through for the new garmin autopilot that would be awesome.
This is a great airplane, always professionally flown. Owners are not pilots. They have taken fantastic care of it over the years. i just really hate that 55x autopilot lol. I swear it wants to kill you. Okay its not THAT bad but not in the league with the DFC90 or GFC700… If you’d like to speak to the guy that was chief pilot on it and managed it for many years i can send you his phone number in a message. im sure he would love to tell you about it.
of course i left out the link https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/25119513/1983-cessna-340a
The number one, most important consideration if you’re contemplating flying a medium twin like this is that you must make a serious total commitment to thorough initial training and regular ongoing training for as long as you fly it. You must practice and maintain proficiency in engine failure emergency procedures. The second engine is not necessarily your friend.
We lost a former active COPA member, Fred Teutenberg, who had moved up to a twin Cessna to accommodate his family, when he mishandled an engine out (at 21,000 feet, which should have been benign) and he, his wife, and their 5 kids all died. An entire family wiped out. Thread here.
Sorry to inject this into the thread but it is without question the most important part of a decision like this. The aircraft can be flown safely but your commitment and proficiency are critical to do so.
One other suggestion: Since you’re a COPA member, it is usually better if you post in the Member section of the site rather than the Guest forum. Few members even look at the Guest forum.
Thank you Gordon…
It was like a Sign yesterday-what’s happening when one powerful engine lost in a light twin:
I was on a final approach to SAN at night with preceding 737 and first time experienced the real wake turbulence: SR was banked to 90-100 degrees just in a second…
Igor.
Unless you have a systems management gene, I’d caution you to get a pro pilot for the first year in any cabin class twin. Affording the carry cost is one thing, but those planes were built for the post war generation who was used to complex systems management and flight engineers, not the easy button iPhone generation. That is not the generation we’re currently putting in the cockpit. Fair warning.
Well said Alex. Those aircraft are no toy.
Igor,
I completely agree with all of the comments from Gordon and Alexander. If you move to a cabin-class, piston twin, you have to realize that the second engine, if mishandled, can be a definite negative. Only through continuous training, both in the airplane and using good simulators, can you operate these sometimes marginal OEI performers. It is a much higher level of commitment to training than would be required for safely flying an SR.