My J model routinely does 185kts (not mph) on ~20gph at 10kft.

All the early 310's (below P models ) have had the side brace kit added by now. P's and above had the gear up graded.

130 gallon fuel is standard. I work out of 7500 ft DA so I choose to use Tips only. This gives a OEI ceiling in the 10-11kft range. (gross OEI standard day is 7500).

The Foreflight has my performance profile and it show KCLW to KEKN as 698 nm, 3 hr 51 min (IFR routing) using 87.5 gallons at 11.5kft.

Thats about my comfort range. I go to Seattle a lot and I need to take a break.

PM me if ;you want a pdf of my POH.

I don’t think the auxiliary tanks (15 gallons in each wing tank) were “optional” in the I model. The standard fuel is 50 gal in each main/tip and 15 in each aux, so total of 130 gallons. I typically burn about 23 gph total, so it’ll fly almost 5 hours with reserves, well beyond my personal sit-time limit.

Wow...that’s crazy! And just $1,310 to get the aux tanks!

(I can’t imagine that many of these went out the door without the aux tanks.....got any numbers on that?)

"All the early 310's (below P models ) have had the side brace kit added by now. P's and above had the gear up graded."
Willis,
I've been looking and calling on several early 310's. Almost none of them have the side brace kit. I'm quoted $22K to have it done. Kind of a deal breaker for me. Who would you have look at one to determine the need for the side brace kit?
Lee

If you are finding all the ones that havent had this work done, then that is a special group of aircraft. What is your budget for a 310? Why early 310's?

There are two ways of looking at this. Airplanes without side braces should be cheaper to offset the cost of installation.

If that's the case, airplanes with the upgrade should be more expensive.

Any good AP/IA can inspect the wing and determine if side braces are there or are needed. Its kinda hard to argue against reinforcing an airplane wing.

Beegles in Colorado is THE "Go-to" shop for structural repairs and upgrades to air-frames. That's just my opinion. I dont know if side brace kits are still available or if Cessna has to make them. I heard they were once getting scarce. They assumed, they made enough to support the fleet of 310. The low inventory means they want a lot of money.

Beegles can certainly fabricate them, they have the skill, materials and engineering data shouldn't be a problem .

http://www.beeglesaircraft.com/repair.php

Additional landing gear links;

https://www.twincessna.org/pdf/MEB10-3E ... embers.pdf

https://www.twincessna.org/pdf/AFlightf ... ective.pdf

https://www.twincessna.org/pdf/TwinCess ... (EMPre1970).pdf

link to BT thread

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=161069

Wrong link in previous message.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=156781&hilit=cessna+310+side+brace+kit+cost

Was hoping for a better. Would like to be able to do KCLW to KEKN non stop. The C55 would do that. I'm not sure the I model would. I was thinking they carried more fuel.

What is your basis for making this claim? My F model doesn't. Many of the older models I've looked at don't either. The word "all" is pretty inclusive.

The side brace modification is a REPAIR kit for cracks, not an upgrade or a production improvement.

As Cessna produced later models they made changes to the landing gear, such as replacing the steel MLG trunnions with forged aluminum ones, replacing the long angled NG leg with a shorter one set back from the tip of the nose and stronger torque tubes.

I have the illustrated parts catalogs spanning from the original 310 thru to the T310R and none show any of the parts required for SK414-8E as part of the assembly. In fact, the instructions for installing this kit on 310 models L thru Q, which includes P, list braces and angles required in addition to the steel doubler over the crack-prone rib.

I'm curious why you've selected the P model as a point in production which is immune to rib cracking.

Im sorry, it should have been R. Evidently Im not immune to heresay or OWT's either. I do have a IPC and will have to do some homework.

I dont think any are immune to rib cracking.

I never found evidence of rib cracking in the logs on my 310-J, and yet the previous owner still had the side braces installed. Now I wonder why?

My next question is, If the side braces are a fix and not an improvement, then why so much emphasis to have them; to the point of not considering an early 310? Saying: "I wont consider this plane because it's never been broken and thus never got the Fix."

I still think there are a lot of "opinions" that the 310 gear is inherently weak and thus need the side braces; whether they've had an issue or not. Its been my impression that many braces were installed, when apparently, they were unneeded. I know during my training in the 310, a lot of emphasis was put on "not side loading the gear" or "dont take turns too fast" or "dont brake too hard".....

Also, there is also some reasoning to upgrade to a bigger/better plane, like a 340 which doesn't have these issues. (or does it?)

Yes, there is a reputation to contend with WRT early 310s and their gear. MANY of the older 310s do NOT have the kits installed (I looked at a bunch of them 3 years ago), and most of them have not had gear collapses. Several that I looked at (including the one I bought) have the kits installed WITHOUT any known cracks or problems. RAM installs the kit on any plane on which they are doing their conversions to bigger engines.

I was glad I found one with kits on it, but that by itself would not have been a deal killer for me. The old 310s are not expensive to buy....with or without the side brace kits.

"If you are finding all the ones that havent had this work done, then that is a special group of aircraft. What is your budget for a 310? Why early 310's?"

Willis,
The nicest flying airplane I've owned was a straight 35 Bonanza. The newer I flew, were heavier and not as nice on the controls. Looks like the 310's gained a lot of weight too. I like the looks of the earlier ones better. That's not a reason to buy but I still like them. I like the three across back seat. I guess there are lots of reasons but I want the upgraded undercarriage too. Most of the older ones are a clean sheet to start what I want to make mine and I'm not in a hurry. Newest I've looked at was an I.
Lee

No 310's ever had the side brace kit installed at the factory. If a 310 has it, it was installed in the field. I would say that most of the N model and before have not had it done because of the expense. The early tuna tank 310 takes some part that are not included in the side brace kit and are very hard (expensive) to obtain.

FYI.... the 340A model was the first to have it installed at factory.

Phew...from the price list, de-ice capability was $43k in 2018 dollars...and the Nav-o-Matic was more than that.

Best,
Rich