I was thinking about a cessna 340A

Any insight out there ?

SK

I've owned a 340 for more than twenty years.
It's a very nice airplane.
A friend of mine sold his Baron and bought a 340A about a month after he =
rode with me.
Are you looking for any specific things?
---JRC---

"Stuart King" > wrote in message =
. com...
> I was thinking about a cessna 340A
>=20
> Any insight out there ?
>=20
> SK
>=20
>

Pressurization, De-ice, 200kts+, good useful load. Almost a Malibu.

SK


"John R. Copeland" > wrote in message
...
I've owned a 340 for more than twenty years.
It's a very nice airplane.
A friend of mine sold his Baron and bought a 340A about a month after he
rode with me.
Are you looking for any specific things?
---JRC---

"Stuart King" > wrote in message
. com...
> I was thinking about a cessna 340A
>
> Any insight out there ?
>
> SK
>
>

See if you can catch a ride in each.
The 340s handle like all the other Cessna twins, including Citations.
If you're comparing to a Malibu, though, the 340s burn more fuel.
Unless you have the turboprop conversion on the Malibu, that is.
I know somebody with one of those. He makes a lot of fuel stops.

One good thing about the 340s -- No hydraulic systems to develop leaks.
---JRC---

"Stuart King" > wrote in message =
. com...
> Pressurization, De-ice, 200kts+, good useful load. Almost a Malibu.
>=20
> SK
>=20
>=20
> "John R. Copeland" > wrote in message
> ...
> I've owned a 340 for more than twenty years.
> It's a very nice airplane.
> A friend of mine sold his Baron and bought a 340A about a month after =
he
> rode with me.
> Are you looking for any specific things?
> ---JRC---
>=20
> "Stuart King" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > I was thinking about a cessna 340A
> >
> > Any insight out there ?
> >
> > SK
>

Stuart King wrote:
> Pressurization, De-ice, 200kts+, good useful load. Almost a Malibu.

Right, they don't crash like Malibu's.

Ow! I wasn't going to mention that.
---JRC---

"Newps" > wrote in message =
news:QJa%b.56941$Xp.271461@attbi_s54...
>=20
>=20
> Stuart King wrote:
> > Pressurization, De-ice, 200kts+, good useful load. Almost a Malibu.
>=20
> Right, they don't crash like Malibu's.
>

What sort of cost is there in owning and running a Cessna 340?

"John R. Copeland" > wrote in message >...
> I've owned a 340 for more than twenty years.
> It's a very nice airplane.
> A friend of mine sold his Baron and bought a 340A about a month after he
> rode with me.
> Are you looking for any specific things?
> ---JRC---
>
> "Stuart King" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > I was thinking about a cessna 340A
> >
> > Any insight out there ?
> >
> > SK
> >
> >

Yes this is my concerna as well.

I liked the cover story in Flying, that showed the 340 has a great safety
record.

Stuart

"Doug" > wrote in message
om...
> What sort of cost is there in owning and running a Cessna 340?
>
> "John R. Copeland" > wrote in message
>...
> > I've owned a 340 for more than twenty years.
> > It's a very nice airplane.
> > A friend of mine sold his Baron and bought a 340A about a month after he
> > rode with me.
> > Are you looking for any specific things?
> > ---JRC---
> >
> > "Stuart King" > wrote in message
> > . com...
> > > I was thinking about a cessna 340A
> > >
> > > Any insight out there ?
> > >
> > > SK
> > >
> > >

Doug wrote:

> What sort of cost is there in owning and running a Cessna 340?

Take the cost of maintaining a 310 and double it, assuming you want to keep the turbos and engines in good shape,
and keep the pressurization working. Well, maybe not quite double, that would be a 421.

The 340 is a very nice airplane provided it isn't overloaded and you actually calculate W&B like you're suppose to.
Like most light twins, if you loose an engine down low it can become unmanagible in a hurry. On the other hand, if
you're crusing along at FL200 (which is does nicely if not too heavy), and you loose and engine, it has a lot going
for it to get down safely.

Another item is weather radar: a few of them have good, well-maintained radars. Most don't, though. If the radar
doesn't work well, or if you don't take lessons from an expert on how to use it correctly, it can get you in
trouble.

And, because the airplane will go into the low flight levels, ice becomes more of an issue, unless you carefully
avoid it. Only really well-maintained, properly used boots will help at all. That isn't cheap, either. That newer
"squirt" system works better, and would be great if it is STCed for the 340.

Bottom line for me: I've a brief bit of time in a couple of well-maintained 340s. I consider it a fine machine for
its class. I have a lot of 310 time, and found the 340 a bit more manageable.

Stuart and Sammy are pretty much on-target there, Doug.

This is slightly off-topic for r.a.i, so I'll try to be brief.
I don't know where you post from, so I hope U.S. cost figures
are what you are asking for.
I wouldn't even try to guess costs for other parts of the world.

The three big fixed-cost items of Annual Inspection, Insurance,
and Heated Hangar will each exceed US$5000 per year.
Unheated hangars might be less, but my personal opinion is that
heated hangars pay for themselves by reduced maintenance costs,
at least in a climate like Ohio, where I live.

I've had annuals cost less, but I've had one cost US$20,000, too.
That one had a lot of labor to replace the leaking bellows seals
on the gear-actuating rods, where they penetrate the pressure vessel,
and at the same time to comply with a costly A.D. regarding fuel-line
chafing in the difficult-to-reach areas behind the firewalls.

Reserve for engines is about US$100 per hour.
Probably that is higher than you expect, but mainly because the
cylinders of the big-bore Continental engines rarely make TBO.
Expect new cylinders or a top overhaul on mid-time TSIO520s.

The exhaust system gets lots of stress from temperature and pressure.
It glows brightly at night, and passengers notice the light.
Inconel exhaust parts are available from the collectors back to
the turbocharger, and I've been gradually switching from the original
stainless steel to inconel each time I replace a piece.

All in, hourly costs will be triple or quadruple your fuel cost,
depending on how many hours per year you fly to spread the fixed costs.
But you can guess that the 340 has to be a sweet airplane,
or I wouldn't have held on to mine for more than twenty years.
When the brokers call to buy it from me, I always tell them that
if I sold my 340, I'd have to go out buy another one just like it!

FWIW, the 340's good looks stem from the fact that it was one of
the few Cessna twins to reach production the way the appearance
designers first drew it. The aerodynamics people didn't need to
bugger up its clean lines to make it fly right.
---JRC---

"Doug" > wrote in message =
om...
> What sort of cost is there in owning and running a Cessna 340?
>=20

I budget $250-300/hr for my 340A. It is the most reliable plane I have
owned. It has good performance and is a lot of fun to fly.

jerry

"Doug" > wrote in message
om...
> What sort of cost is there in owning and running a Cessna 340?
>
> "John R. Copeland" > wrote in message
>...
> > I've owned a 340 for more than twenty years.
> > It's a very nice airplane.
> > A friend of mine sold his Baron and bought a 340A about a month after he
> > rode with me.
> > Are you looking for any specific things?
> > ---JRC---
> >
> > "Stuart King" > wrote in message
> > . com...
> > > I was thinking about a cessna 340A
> > >
> > > Any insight out there ?
> > >
> > > SK
> > >
> > >