...anyone want to make some jokes about it? You know, too thin skinned, too slow, no parts availability, the tails fall off. Actually, I looked at it earlier this week. It’s a pretty impressive airplane from the outside. Sits high and proud. I could barely reach the horizontal stab with my hand while standing under it and I’m 6 feet tall! I’ve heard that they have a significant and constant vibration due to fewer counterweights on the crankshaft in Cessna’s attempt to save weight. That could be a deal breaker for me. We shall see. And yes, I’ve read all the threads here and I’m a member of the Twin Cessna Forum so I’m heading into this with my eyes wide open. I’m looking forward to it! I’ll report back with my findings.

Kirk

Always thought it was a good looking airplane. It came out just as the depreciation/leaseback tax incentive died so it never got the chance to evolve like the 310.

One mans opinion, Buy that is one cool aircraft. Roomy, comfortable. Awesome plane

Rick Durden has flown all the Cessnas, and really liked the 303.

I had some 303 Crusader time with my instructor as a young man learning to fly singles. The only thing that I liked more, at the time, was the 401. The 303 is a fantastic aircraft to fly and it is pretty roomy in the back

In the mid 80s I went to Cessna to ferry a new T210 to Washington state. When I arrived at Cessna the Centurion wasn't quite ready so the folks at the delivery center offered me a factory tour. Yes!

There were several lines of aircraft being built but what I remember most was the 303 line. I thought the airplane looked really cool & have always admired them ever since.

I'm feel very fortunate that I got to tour the Cessna factory before things slowed way down. Oh how I miss the golden age of general aviation.

I hope your 303 flight goes well.

The T303 is the top of the line of the non pressurized cessna twins.

Nice flying airplane. Practice crawling because that's how you get to the cockpit. I,d be concerned about availability of airframe parts. Engine parts too! Overhaul cost?

So here’s my take after flying the 303 this morning. Very nice flying airplane, stable, seemed to perform well (we were way under gross) and has a nice ramp appeal. I had my wife along and she rode in the back. She HATES turbulence which is why we moved from the Rockwell Commander to the 310R. After we left the owner, my wife said flat out we’re not buying that airplane. She felt that the ride was considerably worse than the 310 and that it “fish tailed” a lot even with the yaw damper on. She also though it was excessively loud. She did like the landings however...trailing link gear just like the Commander.

So....on to the tip tanked 414. My primary mission is going to be split between weekend trips to the cottage and Angel Flights. I was really hoping the 303 would be the one. We discussed a realistic budget for a 414 and I have the green light! I KNOW she will love the 414. The only piston twin that I know she’d like better is the 421...or a Duke perhaps?

Kirk

OK...you did not mention SWMBO in your OP. Go look at tprops!

I alway loved the way the 303 looks, but you really ought to try a Twin Bonanza. It is THE plane for a happy wife.

Any 400 series cabin will be wayyyyy more comfortable than a 300 series cabin. The twinbo is a great family traveller also. While the T303 is a good machine, it is way to tight on space for me.

The T303 is an aircraft that was a victim of the downward spiral of GA after the heyday of the late 1970's. The design is mature at this point so that all the problems with the plane are now fully known and rectified through SB's and mods.

Parts support is not as big a problem as you think as most of the rotable parts are off the shelf. Strucutral parts ARE a problem, but there are plenty of part out aircraft to rob parts from, and majority or structural repairs you will perform on the aircraft (nose gear collapse, etc.) will be field manufactured IAW the SRM anyway, which is true for all of the older machines. You will wait just as long for a T303 skin as you will for a 310 skin.....so you might as well cut your own metal...

Continental still lists the engine as being available factory new, so engine support is there. But boy or boy is it expensive!

The only problem is that the aircraft is overlooked by a lot of folks when it comes to STC AML so mods are challenging.

Also, there is limited tribal knowledge on the aircraft. Even folks that specialize in Twin Cessnas will need extra time to troubleshoot.

I decided against purchasing one, because the best units are all waaayy overpriced, and the units that appear priced right are project airplanes that you will be upside down in very very quickly! I inspected four, made offers on four, came home with zero.