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| Cessna 310 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cessna 310 |
| Type | Twin-engined light aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Cessna Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 1953 |
| Introduced | 1954 |
| Status | In service / civil |
Cessna 310. The Cessna 310 is a twin-engined, low-wing light aircraft introduced by Cessna Aircraft Company in the 1950s and widely used in civil, corporate, and governmental roles, including air ambulance and law enforcement. It gained attention for its distinctive tip tanks and retractable gear and saw service alongside contemporaries such as the Beechcraft Baron, Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, de Havilland Dove, Mitsubishi MU-2 and Douglas DC-3 in regional and utility roles. The aircraft's longevity connected it to manufacturers and organizations like Textron Aviation, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Aviation Authority, and notable operators including United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, Canadian Forces, Pan American World Airways, and private owners worldwide.
Cessna developed the model during an era influenced by designers and companies such as Duncan Aviation, Beechcraft, Lockheed, North American Aviation, and Grumman, seeking a competitor to designs like the Piper PA-23 and Beechcraft Twin Bonanza. The airframe incorporated features drawing on aerodynamic research from institutions such as NASA, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and wind tunnel work associated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Caltech, while production methods were informed by practices at Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. The powerplant choices and performance goals reflected engine developments from Continental Motors, Inc., Lycoming Engines, Pratt & Whitney, and influences from turboprop conversions seen on Rolls-Royce installations. Structural design, with an emphasis on range and payload, mirrored standards used by Fokker, Saab, and De Havilland for commuter and liaison aircraft.
Cessna produced multiple factory variants influenced by corporate customers and military specifications, paralleling variant proliferation seen with the Douglas DC-6, Lockheed L-188 Electra, Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and Antonov An-2. Early piston models compared to derivatives from Beechcraft and Piper had modifications similar to conversions by Turbine Aero Engine Services, Air Midwest, and Mulligan Air Charters. Military adaptations paralleled conversions performed for United States Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force platforms, while avionics upgrades followed suites from Garmin, Honeywell Aerospace, Rockwell Collins, and Universal Avionics.
The aircraft served across civil and governmental sectors, operating alongside types such as Cessna 172, Cessna 182, Cessna 208 Caravan, Piper PA-28 Cherokee, and Beechcraft King Air in roles spanning air taxi, air ambulance, aerial photography, and surveillance. Its operators included corporate flight departments at companies like General Electric, Ford Motor Company, and Shell Oil, while government use appeared with agencies such as United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, Canadian Forces, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and municipal police departments. The model participated in search and rescue, maritime patrol, and training missions comparable to assignments undertaken by Lockheed P-3 Orion, Grumman S-2 Tracker, and De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. Global civil registries in countries including United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and India retained examples in private and commercial service.
Typical specifications are comparable in scale and capability to contemporaries such as the Beechcraft Baron 55, Piper Navajo, Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, and Let L-410 Turbolet. Powerplants, performance figures, and dimensions often parallel installations seen on aircraft by Lycoming Engines, Continental Motors, Inc., and conversion houses like Aero Commander and Pratt & Whitney Canada. Avionics packages frequently reference equipment from Garmin, Honeywell Aerospace, BendixKing, and S-TEC Corporation to meet operator requirements from civil regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration and European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Accident histories of the type have been documented by authorities including the National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and investigative bodies like Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile alongside statistical reports from organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and Flight Safety Foundation. Notable incidents involved operational contexts similar to those that affected aircraft like the Cessna 402, Piper Aztec, Beechcraft Baron, and Grumman Gulfstream in adverse weather, maintenance-related failures, and pilot decision-making scenarios investigated by panels including representatives from Honeywell Aerospace, Garmin, and airline operators such as American Airlines and British Airways.
Civil and military operators paralleled fleets maintained by airlines and services such as Pan American World Airways, British European Airways, Alitalia, Trans World Airlines, Royal Air Force, United States Air Force, Canadian Forces, Royal Australian Air Force, and numerous corporate flight departments including General Electric, Ford Motor Company, and oil companies like Shell Oil. Police, medical evacuation, and charter operators included municipal and regional organizations comparable to services run by Air Ambulance Service, SkyWest Airlines, Hawker Siddeley, and private owners across United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa.