Caution, long post

My transition to the Cessna 340A, the first 25 hours.

An opportunity came up to purchase this airplane and I took it. I think from the time the offer was accepted until it closed was a little over 24 hours.

As luck would have it, I have an experienced pilot/owner/instructor/A&P right next to my hangar. He was affiliated with InFlight Review, which is accepted for initial training and I was good to go.

Systems, Systems, Systems: The 340A is a high performance pressurized aircraft. It's designed to go high, fast and far in all weather conditions. That requires sophisticated electrical, engine and fuel systems. I would rate this transition as twice as complex as my E55 systems. Whether that is perceived or real, I don't know.

First Ramp Impressions: I am going to say Ramp Appeal is the number one advantage to this airplane over our Barons and Bonanzas. It's a big airplane compared to a Baron. It does have a "wow" factor to it. Does that matter? I can't answer that for anyone, but I must admit it is nice to get that type of reaction. My family has spent a lot of time in about every single engine aircraft model there is. They have also spent a lot of time in my E55 Baron and F33 Bonanza. The 340A is a big (no pun intended) step up for them. As a pilot you sit up high and you do feel like you are flying some heavy metal. As Doug Rozendaal has referenced, the Twin Cessna series controls just fall into place in your hand. They feel right.

One of my aviation goals has always been to have an airplane where we could take a newbie aviation couple on a weekend getaway trip, in comfort. No question, this airplane has the full capability to fit that mission. It can certainly be done in the Baron or Bonanza, but folks, it is just not the same.

Flying the Airplane: Startup is nothing really new. Every engine has its personality and I have not totally figured out how to get them started, especially on the dreaded hot start. That is a bit of a work in progress. You run low boost pump pretty much all the time.

"It flys like a truck." Ok, but it is a truck. It's a haul pretty much anything all day long airplane high and far in all weather. I am not looking for sports car handling in this airplane. I want to get in and go high and far and in comfort. As an instrument platform an AP is nice, but really not that necessary. This airplane does not get away from you on approach, just like a truck wouldn't get away from you.

The Fuel System: So far this seems simple to me even though it has a reputation of being complicated. I do not have wing locker tanks and so far I see no need for them at all. Run off the mains (tips) for and hour (ish), then to the AUX (inboard tanks) for 45 minutes, then back to the mains. It's a 3 hr 30 minute airplane with an hour(ish) reserve running per RAM ROP (17ish GPH, 200ish knots). When you run off the AUX tanks the engine is using fuel and then it is also being pumped back to the mains at same time.

Constant Motion: One thing I have always said about twin flying is that you are in constant motion. It just seems you are tweaking this and that, looking at this and that. This is more true of the 340A. You are tweaking all the time. So, in short, it's busy.

Power: My 340A has the RAM IV conversion and it is a "sit you back in the seat" airplane. The wing design on the Cessna requires you to actually rotate the aircraft and once you do, you are launched. I consider the "launching" factor to be 1.5 times more impressive than my E55 when loaded up. It just goes.

Passenger Comfort: My airplane has the Q tipped props. Passengers have not requested headsets in the back and that is after flying all day long. But, I think it is louder in the pilot seat than the Baron or the Bonanza. The E55 was great for 4 people and bags, but that flying experience is bunched up when compared to the 340A. It's just more spread out inside. Passenger perception is different climbing the stairs vs. over the wing and falling into the back seats. My wife has already moved from the copilot seat to the back seat during flight just to stretch out for a bit. Passengers in the back move around more and you can tell are more comfortable than the Baron.

We just got back from a long trip to the West Coast: No complaints from passengers. We were in the airplane all day long. Your rank and file passenger is ready to take a break at 3 hours, 3 1/2 tops. Two of those long legs and they are done for the day. You can fly this airplane a full day and passengers are OK with it. I did not get that in the Baron or Bonanza or any other aircraft I have owned. That is a big benefit of the 340A.

The Pressurization Appears to be a Game Changer: I jumped up to 16k for bumps, no problem. I have been up to 25k during training, no problem and you have an 8000ft cabin at 20k. I have flown in the teens a lot and you get where you really don't even think about it. This plane really likes the mid teens up to 20k. That part of it already seems normal. It's definitely less fatigue on me and the passengers as well. But, an advantage of having those piston engines is the ability to go low as well. I have flown under 5000ft ducking headwinds for a long period of time, no problem.

Money: OMG, burn it. You can't bring too much money to this game. I have a business use for the aircraft, but this is going to be a, "Put your big boy pants on airplane." This aircraft is going to be paid for with earned income and I think it is going to hurt, a lot. The squawk list grows per hour. I already added a Sandia SAI Quattro 340 AI. We will see how far this aircraft moves the needle and if I want to stay in this game. The jury is out on that. I am not going to do any more upgrades until I decide whether the needle has moved on the overall flying experience.

But, are you happy with it? So far, yes. But, I have not really had to pay for it yet either. Every time you buy a new aircraft the initial money becomes invisible for awhile. After a couple hundred hours you get a better grasp on what you are really dealing with.


Final thoughts: This is the first time I have had passengers get out of the airplane after a long day of flying and say, "That was great!"

YMMV.

Nice write-up Tom. How many hours a year do you plan to fly it? Have you had many surprise AOG instances?

No AOG experience yet. I have access to excellent and reasonable maintenance which is the difference between owning or not owning this type of aircraft.

For the last 14 years I have flown 100-125 hours per year. I realistically don't see that changing much. I also co-own a Citabria for breakfast runs.

Nice writeup Tom. The old pressurized piston twins are way cool.

Tom, what is your fuel burn in route (upper teens FLs)?

It seems to like 34-35ish GPH all day long 75 degrees ROP, that's 29ish inches MP and 2300 RPM. That is the RAM 65% power setup.

The CPA recommendation for 210 hot starts, which I believe should transfer over is this.

1) Throttle full open
2) mixture ICO
3) aux fuel pump on for 1-2 minutes.

This brings a lot of cold fuel from the tank up to the injector (or thereabouts) and is then sent back without making it into the induction system. This will eventually cool off the heat soaked fuel system.

4) start as normal, use boost pump as needed for vapor suppression after the engine starts.

Tom, 340's are great airplanes. I've always thought they should be given honorary Beechcraft status.

You'd be amused to learn that all of my time in a 340 (not much) is in the right seat of one owned by a successful plaintiff lawyer here in Idaho. When he retired, he traded it for something he "could afford", a 182.

The CPA recommendation for 210 hot starts, which I believe should transfer over is this.

1) Throttle full open
2) mixture ICO
3) aux fuel pump on for 1-2 minutes.

This brings a lot of cold fuel from the tank up to the injector (or thereabouts) and is then sent back without making it into the induction system. This will eventually cool off the heat soaked fuel system.

4) start as normal, use boost pump as needed for vapor suppression after the engine starts.

It's not a truck...but, it is "stable", and nothing flies as nimble as the Beech series up to the 300/350.. then they get a little...."stable"

Excellent write up Tom! One of my airport buddies and hangar neighbors just moved up to a RAM 340 from his 310Q.... Bought it from another hangar neighbor who decided it was time to stop flying. He's loving it as well and is always out flying as I am working on 23N.

Tom,

An 8,000 ft cabin at 25,000 ft? Are you sure? I remember seeing cabin at 10,000 when aircraft was about 22,000, and my system did get to the full 4.2psi differential.

Bill

At 25k you get 10k cabin. At 22 or thereabouts you get 8k.

Tom,

One other comment on fuel/tanks management: after takeoff and climb to altitude I simply switched to auxs and then ran them until dry. When they run out of fuel you see it immediately on fuel flow and the engine will hesitate. Switch to the main and everything goes back to normal quickly. At that point you have nearly full mains and there is no more tank switching to be done. A slight complication comes if you have one or two nacelle tanks. Then simply turn on the transfer pump for nacelle to main after the switch to main with aux empty. The transfer is slow enough that the main will not fill and lose fuel.

Once you get comfortable with this fuel management routine it becomes second nature. Also it puts all of the fuel into the mains as quickly as possible which you want for cross feed and landing.

Bill

Congrats Tom! I always admired the C340s. I think they are the prettiest of all the Cessna twins. Write back often on your experiences!