The Cessna TTx T240 evolved from the Columbia 400/Cessna Corvalis TT; or twin turbo, and before it, the normally-aspirated Columbia 300. The penalty is that 24-gallons-per-hour fuel burn. Likewise, the Columbia 400 became the Cessna 400, then Cessna Corvalis TT, then Cessna Corvalis TTx (when the Garmin G2000 avionics suite was introduced in 2011), and, finally, Cessna TTx. Oh, and air conditioning, which rings up at $29,870. Cessna 400 Corvalis TT (Twin Turbocharged), the world’s fastest fixed - gear aircraft, is a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing general … AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Tom Horne has worked at AOPA since the early 1980s. He has authored more than 2,200 magazine articles and was the on-camera host of the 1980s TV series “ ABC’s Wide World of Flying.” Bill is currently rated Commercial/Multi/Instrument/Seaplane/Glider/Helicopter. The Cessna Corvalis TTx joins the Cirrus SR-22G3 Turbo for top fixed-gear honors among the big-cabin four-seaters. With contoured seats, copious interior, and good soundproofing, the Corvalis should make a good platform for owner/operators. In 2007, the airplanes were rebadged as the Cessna Corvalis 350 and the top-of-the-line Cessna Corvalis 400TT. The G2000 and its autopilot make serious IFR cross-country flights a piece of cake. Truth to tell, the TTx’s structure doesn’t allow enough interior space to accommodate a parachute system. All specifications are based on manufacturer’s calculations. 92 . Cessna, maybe for decades, wanted to expand its single-engine piston line to include a 200-plus-knot airplane, and in 2007 the company saw its opportunity. In spades! Wing area | 141.2 sq ft If you need to fly a family hauler, then the SR22T may be your airplane. There’s also a rudder limiter that reduces rudder throw as airspeed slows below 100 knots. Max demonstrated crosswind component | 23 kt N821RC. 310 310 315 Manifold Hg” 35.5 35.5 37.5 . “Before advent of the Corvalis models, we really didn’t have any entry in the luxury, high-performance, single class,” Manor comments. Continental’s twin turbos manifest maximum effect by maintaining power as the airplane climbs above 5000 feet. Horsepower at altitude:         310 @ SL to 25,000 ft. TBO – hours:                            2000, Fuel type:                                 100LL, Propeller:                                 Hartzell CS, Landing gear type:                  Tri/Fxd, Gross weight (lbs):                  3600, Wingspan:                                35’ 10”, Overall length:                        25’ 4”, Height:                                     9’, Wheel size:                              6.00 x 6, Cabin doors:                            2, Cruise speed (kts):                                 75%     222, Fuel Consumption (gph):                     75%     19.5, Best rate of climb, SL (fpm):                1400, Maximum Operating Altitude (ft.):     25,000, Stall – Vso (kts):                                     59, TO over 50 ft. (ft.):                                 1900, Ldg over 50 ft. (ft.):                                2600, Bill Cox took his first flight in a Piper J-3 Cub in 1953 and has logged some 15,000 hours in 311 different types of aircraft since. Mooney is a question mark, though we’re all hoping that Chinese money will help return the lovable little retractable to competition. Cessna says it’s the world’s fastest production fixed-gear piston single on the market today. Manifold pressure limit is 35.5 inches, and that’s adequate to maintain sea-level power all the way to the airplane’s max altitude of 25,000 feet. That means you can usually expect to see two-mile altitudes less than eight minutes after takeoff. Three years ago, a new composite, single-bottle oxygen system was mounted in the tail, replacing the former, wing-mounted metal containers, and that recovered 25 pounds of payload. Mooney is a question mark, though we’re all hoping that Chinese money will help return the lovable little retractable to competition. 25,000 ft | (13 gph) VA (design maneuvering) | 158 KIAS Photo by Charly W. Karl. There are 2 (new or used) Corvalis 400 aircraft for sale listed in the current Market Place. FAA launches forty-third annual GA survey, Air Force testing XCub as low-level rescue aircraft. Then there’s this: How many times do you really need to fly with full seats and a packed baggage compartment? Control forces aren’t oppressive, but the airplane does demand some minor muscle in maneuvering. He can be contacted via email at flybillcox@aol.com. The aircraft has a maximum operating altitude of 25,000', a normal cruise speed of 220 KTS/253 MPH, and a 650 NM/748 SM seats-full range. Max ramp weight | 3,600 lb Cessna also addressed the airplane’s weight problem head-on. He’s flown everything from ultralights to Gulfstreams and ferried numerous piston airplanes across the Atlantic. From 2013, the aircraft was built as the Cessna TTx Model T240. And its glide performance offers more options in case of a power loss. In a similar sense, you can’t simply rest your forearm on the armrest and steer the airplane with a flick of your wrist as you might imagine. Using reduced power settings, the Corvalis will log over 1000 nm at a sitting, about the same as a typical Mirage or T-Cirrus. Many pilots who buy airplanes in this class know going in that the carry limit will be two full-sized folks plus baggage, and they’ve already made peace with that situation. VS1 (stall, clean) | 73 KIAS Like so many other homebuilt designs of the time, it was also a fixed-gear, composite airplane, nevertheless possessed of near-retractable performance. It’s that accurate. In theory, you could fly a full zero/zero approach using Synthetic Vision. Get the latest news on coronavirus impacts on general aviation, including what AOPA is doing to protect GA, event cancellations, advice for pilots to protect themselves, and more. Of course, if you’re in a hurry, at 7,500 feet you could push the throttle up to the manifold pressure redline of 37.5 inches of mercury, dial up the prop to 2,500, fly at rich of peak, and see 190 knots true airspeed. The TKS system uses dual pumps for redundancy, and has a “max flow” pump setting for the heaviest icing situations. Wing loading | 25.5 lb/sq ft Power loading | 11.6 lb/hp Once you’re ensconced in the tuck-and-roll, Napa leather, front bucket seats, space is more akin to that of an Audi than a typical general aviation airplane. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store, Base price: $689,000 Baggage capacity | 120 lb, 25 cu ft, Takeoff distance, ground roll | 1,280 ft VNO (max structural cruising) | 181 KIAS This means you can still make decent time in turbulence, if that’s an issue. CESSNA 400 CORVALIS TTX SPECIFICATIONS PERFORMANCE Maximum Cruise Speed: 235 ktas Maximum Range: 1,250 nm (45 minute fuel reserves, 45 percent power at 25,000 feet.) The all-composite Cessna Corvalis TTx is designed and engineered to answer the call of every pilot aspiring to fly a true high-performance aircraft. But if you want gobs of performance, sports-car-like handling, strength, and durability, then the TTx is for you. Cessna TTx is so resilient that it qualifies for the FAA’s most demanding non-aerobatic certification level. Inside and out, the TTx is a full-featured airplane—and strong. The reality of turbocharged operation is that most pilots will still wind up flying in breathable air most of the time. Cessna, now part of Textron Aviation, also says the TTx has better runway performance, a better climb rate, and at a high-speed power setting can fly an 800-nm trip 26 knots faster than an SR22T—arriving at the destination 19 minutes quicker, while burning just 12.7 gallons more fuel. At 3600 pounds gross, it comes in full froth, with few options even available (though, as mentioned above, you can delete air conditioning). Some say it’s not essential to their buying decision, citing traffic- and terrain-avoidance technology as prime defenses against the threat of midair collisions, terrain, and obstacles. Max useful load | 1,070 lb Back in the ‘80s when I was working on the ABC TV show, “Wide World of Flying,” I flew up to Washington State to interview Ken Wheeler, designer of the Wheeler Express homebuilt, and fly his innovative airplane. To use a well-worn phrase, the SR22T is more of a passenger’s airplane. The airframe has an unlimited life, and has been fatigue tested to the equivalent of 25,200 flight hours. Though Dale Klapmeier of Cirrus steadfastly refuses to join in a full-fledged speed race, it should be fun to watch the sales competition between four of general aviation’s most successful companies. I flew the latest iteration of Garmin’s Synthetic Vision recently in conjunction with the Sun ‘n Fun Airshow, and the artificial depiction of the topography and lakes around Lakeland, Florida, was almost so precise, it was missing only the real-time boat wakes! It’s the 310-horsepower Continental IO-550 and those twin turbos that give the TTx its satisfying true airspeeds. The reward is seeing the scenery roll past at near-turboprop speeds. If there’s any consolation for the low payload, it may be that the cabin is almost automotive in comfort. A new, cold weather kit improved engine oil temperatures for pilots operating the aircraft in frigid climates. VX (best angle of climb) | 82 KIAS This airplane could handily beat door-to-door airline time over substantial distances, especially if you needed to fly to destinations not served by a major hub airport. By 2017, TTx sales slipped to 23 units, just under 10 percent of all Cessna piston sales, and a fraction of the 355 piston singles (SR20, SR22, and SR22T models) sold by Cirrus last year. For those same folks, Cessna certified an inadvertent TKS anti-ice system on the TTx. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! Wingspan | 36 ft In all, Cessna sold a total of 261 400s, Corvalis TTs, and TTxs since 2007. All performance figures are based on standard day, standard atmosphere, sea level, maximum weight conditions unless otherwise noted. The 300 was derived from the Lancair ES homebuilt airplane, an unpressurized Lancair IV. Cessna Aircraft Company Single Engine Piston Aircraft P.O. It’s impossible to discuss the TTx without addressing its main competitor in the marketplace: the Cirrus SR22T. Length | 25 ft 2 in From learning to fly to flying your business, you’ll find your aircraft solution. Lancair sold 604 of its certified Columbia predecessor designs between 2000 and 2007. 1. Rate of climb, sea level | 1,400 fpm VY (best rate of climb) | 110 KIAS In those days (1987? A subpanel contains all the ice protection system controls. (I’ve been flying a four-seat Mooney for 20 years, and I’ve filled the seats no more than a half-dozen times.). Propeller | McCauley, three-blade, constant speed Fuel burn on our flight was about 18 gph at the max cruise setting so our fuel supply would have allowed four hours endurance, plus reserve—worth an easy 850 nm and then some. Whether you’re designing a homebuilt or certified airplane, retracting the wheels is almost universally more trouble than it’s worth. No, the TTx doesn’t have a parachute, and if you top off the 102-gallon fuel tanks you can carry perhaps two people and bags, or maybe three light people and their equally light bags. The new Cessna model T240 Corvalis TTX is now touring the United States prior to deliveries scheduled for 2013. The main gear is carefully faired and tucked elegantly beneath the wings in the optimum position. The CESSNA Corvalis 400 TTx, manufactured from 2012 - to present, requires a 1 person crew and can transport up to 3 passengers. Learn about the performance and specifications of the Cirrus SR22T and the Cessna TTx. 3600 3600 3400 . Stats & Weights . High/Low/Average 1 - 2 of 2 Listings ... LOW TIME CORVALIS TT Delivery possible. The gullwing doors fold up and out, ala Mercedes 300SL, and leather straps on each side help pull them back down to camlock in place. Conversely, roll response with the short throw is heavier than with the mechanical advantage of a yoke. That’s a total payload increase of 100 pounds over the old airplane. Comparing the Corvalis TTx, Corvalis TT (Columbia 400) and Cirrus SR22T G3 . Practically everyone recognizes the Turbo Skylane as an excellent airplane, but it was never intended to compete with the Cirrus and Mooney. With the autopilot off, its servos will automatically exert corrective force in pitch when attitudes reach 17 degrees nose up or 19 degrees nose down. In case you want to disrupt that airflow to, say, hasten a descent or slow down in the pattern, you can pop the speed brakes. Cessna changed the Columbia 350’s name first to Cessna 350, then Cessna Corvalis. Gross Weight . TSIO-550-C TSIO-550-C TSIO-550-K . There are no springs for artificial control feel or cables that can stretch over time. That said, Cirrus’ ballistic parachutes have saved a significant number of lives from catastrophic events. It may have started out with kitplane roots, but today the TTx is Cessna’s top-of-the-line piston airplane, the world’s fastest fixed-gear piston single in production. Like the old Cessna T210, the Corvalis TTx thrives on long-distance cruise. Purchase price and associated cost to operate a Cessna TTX will be dependent on the year manufactured, total time of the airframe for the Cessna TTX, avionics upgrades, maintenance schedule and overall condition of the paint and interior of the aircraft. A more typical cruise altitude and power setting would be below 10,000 feet, and at lean-of-peak mixtures, where true airspeeds at 65 to 75 percent power run around 170 to 180 knots and fuel burns average 14 to 18 gallons per hour, respectively. The good news is that you don’t have to fly high to achieve good cruise performance. Cessna TTx. There is a servo tab on the left aileron that operates passively to reduce aileron control input forces; the TTx can have high roll forces at airspeeds above 120 knots or so. 2600 2600 2500 . To top it off, the TTx is certified in the Utility category, one of the benefits of which is a comparatively high, 158-knot maneuvering speed. The Cessna TTx completed 171,000 cycles of fatigue testing – in other words, a full 120 years of service life – and came out ready for airtime. Fly downwind at 100 knots, base at 90, and use 80 to 85 knots on final using full flaps. The aircraft was formerly built by Columbia Aircraft and called the Columbia 350. Yes, the SR22T has a bigger cabin and more baggage space, but the TTx beats its speed; has bigger displays, a touchscreen controller, and speed brakes; and holds more fuel—all standard. He began flying in 1975 and has an airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates. A derivative of the previous Cessna 400 “Corvalis TT”, the TTx is Cessna’s latest offering of a high performance aircraft with a sleek and sexy airframe. You step down off the wing and settle into the seat without some of the typical acrobatics of boarding other low wings. While we’re at it, there’s one L in the airplane name, but two for the town of Corvallis. From the moment you push the throttle forward for takeoff, it’s apparent the Corvalis has something extra under the hood. The Cessna 400 was originally built by Columbia Aircraft as the Columbia 400. Landing distance, ground roll | 1,260 ft, VR (rotation) | 60 KIAS