New general aviation aircraft are as iconic as Cessnas 310. Whether because of its aggressive ramp presence, its supporting role in a television adventure series or its suitability for a wide range of missions, the 310 is what many non-pilots recall when piston twins come up in conversation. Its arguably the first “modern” light twin and certainly a classic. While the 310 is all of those things, its also a complicated machine, production of which ended almost 30 years ago. The tall landing gear might be thought of as delicate and its systems demanding, both to maintain and operate. But it still offers substantial transportation value, and the many different variants that were built as the model evolved means it shouldnt be hard to find the right one for your mission.
History
Cessna introduced the 310 in 1954, finding a niche between Pipers original, relatively underpowered PA-23 Apache, introduced a year earlier, and Beechs Twin Bonanza, which went out of production a few years later. It competed most directly against the Aero Commander 520, but that model was discontinued the same year. The 310 was Cessnas first all-metal, modern twin-replacing the pre-war T-50/AT-17 “Bamboo Bomber”-and was clearly focused on business transportation. It foreshadowed the companys subsequent products and helped usher in its future growth.
And its featured presence in the 1950/60s television drama, “Sky King,” didnt hurt anything. Its namesake hero, played by Kirby Grant, upgraded to a 310B shortly after that model became available. Named “Songbird,” the airplane (several were actually used during the shows production) was as much a star of the series as its actors, perhaps becoming the main reason for the shows popularity on Saturday mornings throughout the 1960s, and even today on DVD.
Cessnas aggressive pursuit of the business market manifested itself in not only the 310s looks, but also its refinement: Many production years saw a new model designation. Cessna brought out the 310B in 1958, the 310C in 1959 and the 130D in 1960, eventually getting to the 310R in 1975 (with a few gaps) before ending production in 1981.
The first 310s came with 240 HP Continental O-470-B engines. From the beginning, a sleek, powerful appearance was a design goal, with tight cowlings and streamlining at the nose and tip tanks (at least by the standards of the day). Split wing flaps eliminating the need for external brackets or tracks and their drag. Distinguishing features of the early models are multiple aft side windows, a straight tail and non-canted “tuna tanks,” named for their shape.
When the 310B came out in 1958, it brought with it a 100-pound boost in gross weight. For the next years 310C, an engine change and gross weight bump occurred with the fuel-injected, 260-HP Continental IO-470D. The TBO was 1500 hours, same as with the earlier powerplants. For the 1960 310D, Cessna swept the tail, as it was doing across its fleet.
The next significant change was in 1962, with the 310G. Cessna introduced canted “Stabila-Tip” tanks, said to be more aerodynamically efficient than the old design. The original non-canted and bladder-equipped tip tanks also had a fuel-pickup problem; an airworthiness directive mandated a hefty increase in unusable fuel. This 310, with bladderless all-metal canted tanks, swept fin and short nose, is one of the most attractive light twins ever built.
Cessna didnt stop there. Cabin size was increased, along with gross weight. What started as a five-place twin became a six-placer with 1963s 310H. By next years 310I, wing lockers and auxiliary tanks became options, as did three-bladed props. One significant difference was the switch from the corrosion-prone overwing exhaust design to an improved underwing arrangement on the 310I. An engine change accompanied the modifications, to the IO-470-U, still of 260 HP and still with a 1500-hour TBO. Another engine change, to the IO-470-V, occurred in 1966 (310K), along with extended, one-piece aft windows on each fuselage side.