Tips on flying the Cessna 310 and 400 Series

[PositionandHold]

Will be starting to fly these, and could use any advice you guys have as I have no time in either.

Any direction to websites or resources that might help supplement whatever training I'll have in them are much appreciated.

J.

 

[340drvr]

Here's one with a wide variety of info:

http://www.jtatwins.com/

 

[Kream926]

dont crash it - theres a tip

how about making sure you have enough fuel, theres another one

 

[time builder]

Be generous with the runway use on the C310. I knew a guy who thought the 310 so powerful, he stood a couple thousand feet down the runway from a departing 310, mooning the pilot, he nearly got a nose wheel up his crack.

It will accelerate, but it has a relatively high rotation speed, hence the runway consumption.

 

[PositionandHold]

Be generous with the runway use on the C310. I knew a guy who thought the 310 so powerful, he stood a couple thousand feet down the runway from a departing 310, mooning the pilot, he nearly got a nose wheel up his crack.

It will accelerate, but it has a relatively high rotation speed, hence the runway consumption.

Thanks for that, I'll keep it in mind.


340drvr, thanks for that site. I'll look through it.

 

[Junkflyer]

The 402's are easy to fly and great handling airplanes. If its an A or B model make the the gear preflight is thorough. Learn how to do the hot-start procedure also-it takes 3 hands to do it well.

 

[RedGuy]

The 402's are easy to fly and great handling airplanes. If its an A or B model make the the gear preflight is thorough. Learn how to do the hot-start procedure also-it takes 3 hands to do it well.

It doesn't take 3 hands to hot start. Just set mixture rich, throttles open about 1 inch, no prime within the first 30min, hit the starter and it'll fire right up every time.

The 402's are alot easier to make nice landings in than the 310. The 310 will tend to have a firmer landings, they're abit harder to make really smooth landings in. Also the 402B's can be runway hogs when it's hot and your heavy, and forget about continuing a takeoff if you have an engine failure in a 402B. If your still on the ground STOP, if your in the air and can still put it on the runway do it. The 402B has horrible single engine performance and in many cases will not provide a positive rate of climb on one engine.

 

[8inMan]

I'll second what the last guy said. Loosing an engine in a 402A or B when you're heavy is like loosing an engine in a single engine Cessna. You'll come down just about as fast. Also, learn the fuel system well. It is a little complicated.

 

[Say Again Over]

Knew of a bad accident near ABQ, 421 takes off, baggage door (nose) opens, returns to land, brought back engine on same side to idle in case a bag fell out, on base he feathers the opposite engine by accident, all perished. I have no 310 experience but have bundles of 421, maintain 25" until short final for long cylinder life, as previously stated, on take off, if you lose an engine, land straight ahead if you want to survive. A 400 will NOT carry ice, be f'ing careful. High alt high residual starts must be done WHILE cranking the engine, don't juice the engine while stopped. Don't trust anyone else to close the entrance door, do it yourself, double check nose baggage doors.

 

[deadstick]

how about making sure you have enough fuel,

1) The fuel gremlin that is associated with the 3/400 series piston fleet is really the pilot's understanding of the fuel system (or the line guy thought the 'tip tanks' were the aux's and the pilot didn't verify the qualitities).

With the aux tanks (exp. 166 gal-C414), people have run out of go juice when they thought they still had some (and should have). The fuel pumps draw much more than the engine uses and then returns the excess to the MAIN tanks only -- regardless of fuel selector position. So what has happened is that the pilot launches in the wild blue, levels off, and switches to the aux tanks to burn those down first. Well, if the take off and climb only took about 8 gal from each side (with full mains on the ramp), then main can only hold 8 gal from the return. I think the 30-some odd gal aux tank would last about 1.5 or so (during that time you can watch the main's level increase!). All that excess fuel over the 8 gals went right out the vent. So much for fuel planning.
Our SOP was to run the mains for 1.5 before switching to the aux tanks to ensure that this did not happen. This gave you about 20 gal of room for the return.

2) They are right -- it's not a GO airplane. Keep it/put it on the ground.

3) Hot starts...practice-practice-practice. Find out waht work for your plane. It seems like each engine has it's own personality. I had one that the left side liked to start hot with the throttle open 1/2 way and mixture ICO. The other one wanted the throttle at 1" and the mixture RICH.

4) With the tip-tanked types, if you walk up to the plane to check the fuel and find an aux tank overflowing and the main down a bit (assuming it was topped-off after the last flight), don;t necessarily jump on the line guys. You might have a fuel selector going bad. There are little o-rings in there that can fail and will let the fuel from the main (which sits above the aux) flow down back through the line and into the aux.

5) Get to know the DOM. Buy him a beer or six every now and again and pick his brain. Ask to come in an watch/help with an inspection. This will help you know the aircraft.

Just my $.02.

Best of luck. They are fun to fly.