Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.
Today’s Top Pick is a 1978 Cessna T310R.
Many people involved in GA, from aircraft manufacturers to private pilots shopping for their next airplane, are aware of a notable trend in the so-called step-up market. In short, the type of pilot who used to step up to a light twin decades ago is more likely to choose a turboprop single these days.
The change makes sense when we consider that many pilots step up mainly to increase their cruising speed, and new turbine singles generally outrun older piston twins. But there are exceptions.
Cessna’s 310 series of light twins, manufactured from the mid-1950s until 1980, is known for lots of reserve power and high speeds. When you add turbocharging that boosts performance at altitude, as with this 1978 T130R, your cruising speeds might have ATC mistaking you for an airliner.
On the practical side, piston twins can offer good value on a dollar-per-knot basis when compared with turboprops, which arguably are in a different league in terms of budget. They also provide the security of a spare engine should one fail as you travel over water, in mountainous terrain, or at night.
When it comes to style, aesthetics, and perhaps a smidgen of vanity, the 310 is perceived by many as one of the best-looking GA aircraft ever built. Taxiing to the FBO in this turbocharged six-seater will give any pilot the Sky King experience. They also tend to receive affection from line personnel and fellow pilots who appreciate vintage iron.
This 1978 Cessna Turbo 310R has 5,100 hours on the airframe and 1,200 hours since overhaul on each of its Continental TSIO-520 engines. The six-seat aircraft is equipped with a built-in 76-cubic-foot supplemental oxygen system. The IFR panel features a Garmin G 500 flight display panel with Garmin GTN 750 and GTN 650 GPS/nav/comms, S-Tec 55X autopilot, and JPI EDM 960.
Pilots looking for a piston twin that offers good value should take a detailed look at this 1978 Cessna T310R, which is available for $235,000 on AircraftForSale.
If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.
- FLYING Magazine: Cessna 310 ‘Songbird III’ Still Attracts the Fans
- FLYING Magazine: Flight Simulator’s Cessna 310 Offers Up Realistic Weather Lesson
- FLYING Magazine: Things to Think About When Moving Up to a Light Twin
- FLYING Magazine: Garmin Achieves STC for GFC 600 for Cessna 310R, Pilatus PC-12/47
- Plane & Pilot: Cessna 310
- The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 310
- The Aviation Consumer: Cessna 320 Skyknight
- AVweb: Jimmy Stewart Cessna 310 Monument Dedicated
