Page 9 - Volume 19 Number 10

402Cabin-Class Twinbehind the wing offered folding entrance steps in its lower portion and a windowed upper portion. Nominally set up for four club-facing seats in the rear plus two cockpit chairs, two additional passengers could be accommodated if desired.Certificated in August 1964, the 411 made use of turbocharged 520 cubic-inch Continentals, similar those of the late model 320 Skyknight, but with a 3:4 gear ratio behind the propeller to generate 340 horsepower, turning the engine at 3,200 rpm and props at 2,400. The vertical fin and rudder turned out to be undersized for the task of opposing engine-out predicaments; Vmc was published as 90 knots. The 411 was produced for four years and 300 units; with oval windows and turbocharger bleed air available, it was obviously designed for pressurization, and thus the 421, with a larger tail and 375-hp GTSIO-520 engines turning propellers at a 2:3 ratio, was certified on May 1, 1967.Meanwhile, Back at the Drawing Board...Shortly after the 411’s introduction, it was obvious that the fuselage had utilitarian possibilities, and on September 20, 1966, Cessna gained certification for Models 401 and 402, using direct-drive TSIO-520 engines of 300-hp. The airplanes were basically identical, with the 401 supposedly a more-opulent executive configuration and the 402 slated for utility service, much like the two versions of the 206 single that had been offered a year earlier. Most importantly, the 401/402 had a bigger tail than the 411, dropping Vmc to 83 knots with the smaller engines.The 402 proved to be the clear winner, and the 401 version was dropped after six years. Although both grossed at 6,300 pounds, the 402 had 1.6 inches more aft c.g. allowance and could carry an additional passenger, for a total of nine occupants.OCTOBER 2015 TWIN & TURBINE • 7