I've also noticed (oddly) that there is an overlap of planes in the 2006-2008 range that some say Columbia 400 on them and others say Cessna 400. What's up with that? Same plane or different?

You might want to find one, and sit in it first. Try operating the doors, they are awkward, except for those blessed with double joints. Sit in the back seat, and enjoy the lack of legroom, while the headliner brushes your hair every time you move.

Sit in the pilot's seat and look for all the controls. Some are hard to find, just to keep you guessing. Try to do a magneto check, preferably on a windy day. when you have to hold the stick with one hand, to prevent it from knocking your other hand off the key. Look out the windshield and notice how little you can see. It contributes to the landing incidents these planes are known for.

Your mechanic will grin when he sees all the billable hours for just un-cowling the engine. Piano hinges to misalign, tabs to break off, countersunk screws without washers to help scratch the paint away. Even more billable hours to find the rare parts for this low volume plane! It also takes hangar rash to a whole new level, with its' lack of removable wingtips. A cracked wingtip on any other plane is far too simple to replace. Let's make the wingtip part of the main wing assembly! We simply cut off the damaged area, and Cessna cuts off the tip of a production wing, and we graft it onto ours. Oh the labor! College tuition for the mechanic's kids!

Before you shoot back, this is just a compilation of the things potential customers and mechanics noticed when comparing a Cirrus SR22T and the TTx side by side during a sales demo.

No one bought the TTx. But five bought new SR22t's.

And that's really why the Columbia/Corvallis/400/TTx didn't make it.

Useful load on my 300 is 1033

As a vendor from day one and a 300 owner for 142k , vendor price for me....

The problem was mfg in Puebla mexico, after delam the wing and the nice fine from Faa
they were gone .

I informed then that they could not get a good cure in a swamp cooler high humidity emfg area, They Cessna need a/c and very low humidity.

I stock the ducts , baffle seals , door seals

GB

Glenn, I've owned mine for 5 years and I'm calling total BS on this.

I'm 6'2" and have some lumbar issues and have no problems at all getting in or out of it. There's comparable back legroom to the SR22, which I've also flown a lot, front and back seat.

I've never had any issues doing a magneto check either.

Everyone will have different ideas of comfortable. I've put a lot of long flights on mine, so comfort is important.




You might want to find one, and sit in it first. Try operating the doors, they are awkward, except for those blessed with double joints. Sit in the back seat, and enjoy the lack of legroom, while the headliner brushes your hair every time you move.

Sit in the pilot's seat and look for all the controls. Some are hard to find, just to keep you guessing. Try to do a magneto check, preferably on a windy day. when you have to hold the stick with one hand, to prevent it from knocking your other hand off the key. Look out the windshield and notice how little you can see. It contributes to the landing incidents these planes are known for.

Your mechanic will grin when he sees all the billable hours for just un-cowling the engine. Piano hinges to misalign, tabs to break off, countersunk screws without washers to help scratch the paint away. Even more billable hours to find the rare parts for this low volume plane! It also takes hangar rash to a whole new level, with its' lack of removable wingtips. A cracked wingtip on any other plane is far too simple to replace. Let's make the wingtip part of the main wing assembly! We simply cut off the damaged area, and Cessna cuts off the tip of a production wing, and we graft it onto ours. Oh the labor! College tuition for the mechanic's kids!

Before you shoot back, this is just a compilation of the things potential customers and mechanics noticed when comparing a Cirrus SR22T and the TTx side by side during a sales demo.

No one bought the TTx. But five bought new SR22t's.

And that's really why the Columbia/Corvallis/400/TTx didn't make it.

Same plane - model LC41-550FG for the 400.

Cessna took bought the company and shifted the branding in 2008 to Cessna 400, then to Cessna Corvallis then it became the TTx. (model number T240) Both powered by the TSIO550C.

The 300 was the earliest model, not many, IO550 powered.

The 350 was the naturally aspirated IO550 that's more common and made up until the Cessna era.

The statements I posted were made individually by many people who compared the two planes, side by side. Including test flights. The magneto check comment came from a guy who got a bruised wrist during the run up, it was gusting to 25 in the run up area. These were written comments, on the comparison cards given to the attendees.

And so, we have no TTx, because the market has spoken. The market includes passengers, who are usually not pilots. As pilots, we overlook some short comings. But passengers focus on the shortcomings. As for "calling BS", IMHO it's pretty hard to look customers in the eye and try to tell them they aren't seeing what they're seeing. They wrote up their own observations before deciding upon and committing to a $750K purchase.

I flew my Columbia 400 from Texas to Argentina, 44 hours of flight over about 17 days. A couple of the legs were 5 hours. Comfort was never an issue.

Heck, Harry Anderson flew his Columbia 300 around the world, and then from Seattle down to Antarctica, hitting all 7 continents. He was overweight (legally) for some of those flights, as he had to carry enough fuel to get to Antarctica AND BACK. They didn't have 100LL in Antarctica, I guess. The story: https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Continent ... g=btalk-20

His approach to Antarctica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ks8QlUHJpk

And look! I just learned from his youtube channel that he flew over the North Pole in his Columbia... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vpYY0MHDwQ

Tales about flying an SEP to Argentina or around the world tells me far more about pilot commitment than comfort.
If you had a couple of non pilot friends that hitched a ride to Argentina with you and enjoyed the experience, that would be convincing!

My wife rode back with me, about 40 hours of flying. Does that count? Better yet, here are some videos that she filmed of a few flights in Argentina:

Flying to the southern tip of South America - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOtUS_1Gexg

Flying from the southern tip back to Buenos Aires - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHbt7xBUPsk

Not the 300 - it's NA , no turbos.

BTW: I've OWNED both Cirrus AND Columbia/Corvalis and given the choice, would take the Columbia over the Cirrus in a heartbeat. Again & again

So I just learned something disturbing. Looks like many of the Columbia 400's do not have WAAS and you cannot upgrade them to WAAS. If it has G1000, you cannot change anything. You're stuck with it. If you have Avidyne, you can change that, but you cannot change the S-Tec auto pilot. Sounds like avionics is handicapping this airplane.

I have a non-WAAS G1000.

Cessna offered the kit to make the upgrade. It is two GIA63W and a new MFD with a VNAV button on it.

However, the particular GIA63W versions are now EOL from Garmin.

They turn up on the used market from time to time. Mooney and Diamond guys are in the same boat and are also snapping them up. They were used in a variety of things from Malibus to Citation jets.

Bunch of Diamond and Mooney folks and other models in the same boat.

The SB exists, along with full instructions right down to exactly how many zip ties are needed. You just have to round up the modules.

I have a non-WAAS G1000.

Cessna offered the kit to make the upgrade. It is two GIA63W and a new MFD with a VNAV button on it.

However, the particular GIA63W versions are now EOL from Garmin.

They turn up on the used market from time to time. Mooney and Diamond guys are in the same boat and are also snapping them up. They were used in a variety of things from Malibus to Citation jets.

Bunch of Diamond and Mooney folks and other models in the same boat.

The SB exists, along with full instructions right down to exactly how many zip ties are needed. You just have to round up the modules.