Cessna T-303 Crusader

was felt in the elevators in landing con- figuration and attitudes. It was deter- mined that the pattern of separation was creating a vortex of disturbed air that hit the elevators. After a great deal of analysis and ex- perimentation with various cuff shapes and vortex generators, David R. Ellis, supervisor of advanced design at the Pawnee Division, worked with Dr. William Wentz of Wichita State Uni- versity on strakes, or flow energizers. The result was not only a resolution of the separated flow, but the leading- edge cuffs were done away with. Another area of airflow interference that developed during flight tests was a high-frequency vibration with the flaps down. This turned out to be caused by disturbed airflow created by the long tail of the wing locker/nacelle. This was handled by another form of airflow energizers, perforated plates mounted on the flap's upper surface. Gear actuation is electrically actuat- ed hydraulic, similar to Cessna singles. This system has been troublesome, but the gear is designed to free fall to the down-and-Iocked position at airspeeds below 140 knots. The wing is built using a good deal of bonding. There are no cowl flaps as such. In what is a type of updraft cool- ing arrangement, cooling air enters on either side of the spinner and exits out the top of each nacelle. The cowl-flap control actuates shutters inside of the exhaust louvers. This eliminates the drag connected with conventional cowl flaps and improves climb performance and hot, high-altitude cruise opera- tions. During our series of flights in the second production T303, N9330T, the air temperature was quite high, but the engine temperatures were low, even during prolonged pattern work and single-engine operations. Nick Parrott, AOPA PilOT· 71 rontinut'd a pilot for Cessna's Air Transportation Division who flew with us, said that the cowl flaps are largely used to heat the engines, not to cool them. This augurs well for the type of op- eration for which the T303 has been designed. In fact, it can be said that once the design objectives were set, the next step was to find the engines. They are from the familiar TSIO-520 family of Teledype Continental, variations of which arc used in quite a few Cessna aircraft. They are the first counterrotat- ing engines on any Cessna twin and are described as lightweight; they are 65- pounds lighter than similar variants. This should be a cause for concern, given the poor experience with other lightweight engines. They also have a higher-than-normal compression ratio for turbo supercharged engines: 8.5 to 1. This was done largely to obtain low- er specific fuel consumption. The trade-off is a propensity to detonation, particularly since the engines are de- signed to be leaned to peak at up to 75-percent power settings. The engines were being tested in a 1968 Model 310 six months before the prototype T303 flew. A hydraulic wastegate actuator and controller was selected to reduce system friction and related problems and to reduce pilot work load. A maximum-power schedule was Trai/irzg-beam mairz gear makes larzdirzgs simple arzd pleasarzt. Strakes mourzted rzext to the wirzg roots (right) arzd orz the mgirze rzacelles improve airflow separatiorz characteristics arzd smooth the flow of air over the elevator. 72 • FEBRUARY 1982 developed, as well. This is largely a manifold-pressure limitation and re- sults in the inability to use 75-percent power at any altitude on a standard- or higher-temperature day. This should indicate to operators that power schedules and settings must be selected and established carefully in order to avoid detonation and prema- tu re fail ure. It is interesting to note that the en- gines have a recommended time be- tween overhaul of 2,000 hours, high for turbosupercharged engines, and is covered by Continental's Gold Medal- lion-extended warranty-program. An engine-fire detection system, which provides both aural and visual warn- ing, is included as standard equipment. The electrical system has some large- aircraft features. It is a two-main bus system, and there is a dual avionics bus bar. This makes dealing with electrical problems much easier to manage with- out causing potential emergencies. Main power is supplied by dual 60- amp alternators (95-amp alternators are a $1,095, highly recommended op- tion but are standard with the full de- ice system). All circuit breakers are the pull-off type so the pilot is able to iso- late faults. Another design goal for the Crusader is noteworthy: no down springs, bob weights or interconnects. It was achieved with little control-system friction and good aerodynamic balance. Trimming is provided for all three axes. I hope that the Crusader reflects the shape and thought of things to come for the lower model series of Cessna products. The operational considera- tions and cockpit layout reflect a con- tinuation of the design & engineering trickle down from the 500 to the 400 series. It is even less demanding to fly, in part because it is lighter, but also in part because that quality, or set of qualities, was designed into it. The Crusader also has a great deal of pas- senger appeal, particularly when com- pared to the 310. The T303 looks like a large airplane. More importantly, the cabin is fairly large for its power and weight. For in- stance, unlike the 310, the fifth and sixth seats are the most desirable (next to the first). Everyone enters through the airstair door, mounted on the end of the left side of the fuselage. The pi- lot's waddle and crawl through the cabin to the cockpit is no better and no worse than in any similar aircraft. For the affluent family, for the busi- Cessrza attempted to mirzimize the Crusader's operatirzg costs by providirzg easy access for mairztairzirzg comporzmts. The cabirz heater arzd several black boxes, for example, are located bmeath the frorzt baggage compartmmt. ness with the desire or need to travel cabin class or for the air taxi operator, the Crusader has a lot of appeal. Un- questionably, the most popular seating arrangement will be club seating. The only drawback to this arrangement is that the third and forth seats should be mounted either further forward or on tracks to permit some adjustment; there is a great deal of space between the first and second rows of seats that should be used to provide at least the option of more legroom between the second and third rows. The person who pays the bills (ex- cept in the owner-flown category) usu- ally selects the right rear seat. The cab- in dimensions are such that the elbow room here is as good as it is in the mid- dle row of seats. There is plenty of room behind the third row for baggage, with a 200- pound weight limit. There is also a nose baggage compartment, with a ISO-pound limit for avionics and bag- gage, and the wing lockers in the ex- tended engine nacelles on both wings with a maximum capacity of 120 pounds per side. If careful attention is given to mission length, fuel load, cab- 1303in load and baggage requirements, the Crusader is an airplane that can be flown without any unwanted luggage competing with passengers for space. In addition to the optional club-seat- ing, the cabin can be fitted with writing tables, a refreshment cabinet with hot and cold storage and a stereo system. Though that status symbol of all, a john, is not available, a "universal" (male and female) relief tube is. This may seem like a lot on the pas- sengers' environment, but customer appeal has a lot to do with today's op- erating requirements. Walking up and through an airstair door and into a cab- in puts the passenger in a better frame of mind than climbing over a wing and back through a tunnel-like cabin. An operational concern, mixing it up with the big boys, was dealt with effec- tively, too. Approach flaps (10 degrees) can be selected at speeds up to 175 knots, also the maximum gear-exten- sion speed. Twenty degrees of flap can be extended at 150 knots; full flaps at 125. The maximum gear retraction speed is 150 knots; with gear extended, the aircraft can be flown to the red line, 210 knots, a useful device for emergen- cy descent. Extension and retraction time is much lower than other 300-se- ries twins. The flaps are c.1lled semi- Fowler. When approach flaps are se- lected, they move aft as well as down. The fuel-management system is sim- ple and straightforward, and there is a single tank in each wing. Only two gal- lons of the maximum 155 gallons is unusable. There is also a lot of evi- dence that Cessna's engineers thought about maintainability and access to systems that need frequent attention. The pilot is taken care of well. The organization of the cockpit and ar- rangement of systems and functions is excellent. The Crusader is set up for single-pilot operation, although engine instruments and avionics are located so that a well-briefed copilot can help without the interference mandated in some other twins, most notably the 310. It is a comfortable cockpit, too, which is an important consideration with respect to pilot performance. The cockpit is a major demonstration that AOPA PilOT· 73 CESSNA T-303 CRUSADER B.lse price $229,500 Price .IS tested $279,790 .'101'.'1 l'i1ot Oper ••tions/Equipment CJtegory: IFR' 10.3 Ib/hp 6 13 ft 7 in 47.75in 47.5 in 3,543 Ib (est) 1,8701b 1,632 Ib (est) 7141b 5,1751b 5,1501b 4,8501b 5,0001b 5,1501b 9qt 1,275 ft 1,750 ft 3,185 ft (est) 1,480 fpm 200lb 150lb 120lb 1303 Specifications 1'0werplJnts 2 Teledyne Continent ••1 TS10-520 AE/(counterrotJting) I.TS10-520 AE 250 @ 2,400/32.5 Recommended TBO 2,000 hr Propellers 2 McCJuley constJnt speed, full fe.lthering, 3 blJdes, 74 in diJmeter Wingspan 38 ft 10 in Length 30 ft 5 in Height 13 ft 4 in Wing are.l 189.2 sq ft Wing IOJding 27.2 Ib/sq ft Power IO~1ding Se.lts C.,bin length C.,bin width Empty weight Empty weight (.IS tested) Usefullo ••d Usefullo.ld (.lS tested) 1'.lyload w/full fuel (as tested) MJX r.1mp weight MJX tJkeoff weight Zero fuel weight Max 1.1I1ding weight w/heavy duty wheels & br.lkes Oil c.,pacity, ea engine B.lggage capacity Aft Forward Wing locker, e.l Performance Takeoff distance (ground roll) T.lkeoff over 50 ft obst Accelerate/stop distance Rate of climb, sea level ($2,635 and 9.3 pounds) will be sorry. Stall behavior is excellent. There is good aerodynamic warning, or buffet, then the Crusader stalls straight ahead. Full power stalls produce very high an- gles of attack yet straightforward stall breaks. It can be flown very slowly very comfortably, with plenty of control au- thority and a minimum of mushiness. Approaches and landings are simple and pleasant. Minor misjudgments are forgiven by the trailing-beam main gear. Even abusive operation, such as poor crosswind technique or crabbed touchdowns are covered up by the ability of the gear to absorb abuse and poor technique. The Crusader is a pleasant airplane to fly and should be a confidence- builder for low-time pilots, and it is a low-work-load machine for everyone who flies it. It is one of the least de- manding twins there is to fly and better behaved than quite a few singles. Cessna claims that the Crusader is ready to fly IFR out the factory door. Its basic price includes a fairly com- plete avionics stack (you cannot buy it without ARC 400-series avionics, in- cluding an autopilot and slaved direc- tional gyro). There is still a fairly extensive op- tions game to play, matching features to weight and cost. A typically equipped company version would cost about $290,000, add 270 pounds to the basic empty weight and reduce payload with full fuel to 680 pounds; an air taxi version probably would run about $12,000 less and add another 95 pounds in useful load. The Crusader is an innovative air- craft that shows serious application of lessons learned and serious considera- tion to the operating concerns of po- tential customers. There are a lot of de- sign elements that are applicable to other aircraft in the Cessna line, in- cluding the simplest singles. It would be good for the company and even better for potential customers if the trickle-down theory of aircraft development were encouraged to flow through the entire Pawnee (light air- craft) Division. Time and abuse in the hands of cus- tomers as opposed to factory pilots and engineers will be the true test of how well Cessna has met its commendable design objectives. But they have gotten off to a good start by designing and testing to meet operational objectives. 0 the lessons originally learned in the Ci- tation program are being applied lower down the line. It will be a very easy twin to transi- tion to, even if it is equipped with ev- ery flight and weather option available, thanks to the logical arrangement. From our initial impressions, formed during about three hours of flight in broad daylight, Cessna has met its de- sign objectives for flying qualities. From preflight to shut down, the Cru- sader is a simple airplane to operate. Ground handling and maneuverability are good. Visibility out of the cockpit is quite good as well. The only trick to takeoff is nailing pitch attitude. A bit of back pressure is required for rotation, which must then be eased off quickly, but gently, to pre- vent pitch excursions. It is an easy characteristic to learn to anticipate; three or four departures should do it. Climb performance is good enough for the relative power, weight and size of the airplane. Average climb rate through 12,000 feet at gross weight using cruise climb power settings of 2,400 rpm and 24 inches (also the maximum cruise power setting) and 120 knots is approximately 700 feet per minute. Maximum continuous power and best rate of climb speed will produce an average rate in excess of 1,300 feet per minute but will result in poor forward visibility and high noise and vibration levels. Control harmony and response is very good, w11ich is quite uncharacter- istic for many Cessna products, partic- ularly elevator forces versus aileron forces. The Crusader flies like a very light airplane, even at low airspeeds and during single-engine operations. Roll response is very high, and the ailerons are effective even during full stall. During such maneuvers as engine cuts immediately after takeoff, balked landings and single-engine pattern work, there were no apparent vices. The most difficult flight profile is af- ter an engine cut after takeoff. Full rud- der trim is not sufficient to fly the air- plane; the pilot has to help with a foot. The pressures are not high, but a few minutes in single-engine climb can set the leg to trembling. The other area where help is needed is the Dutch-roll tendency in turbu- lence, especially in approach configura- tion. I think that those people who do not order the yaw-damper system 74 • FEBRUARY 1982 Single-engine ROC, sea level 220 fpm Max level speed, 18,000 ft 216 kt Cruise speed, max recommended cruise power 10,000 ft (72% power) 178 kt 20,000 ft (71 % power) 193 kt Fuel consumption, ea engine 81 pph/13.5 gph Cruise speed, 65% power 10,000 ft 20,000 ft 170 kt 184 kt Fuel consumption, ea engine 73.5 pph/12.25 gph 93 KIAS 155 kt 166 kt 97 KIAS 148 KIAS 175 KIAS 150 KIAS 125 KIAS 210 KIAS Cruise speed, 55 % power 10,000 ft 20,000 ft Fuel consumption, ea engine 62 pph/10.33 gph Range @ max recommended cruise wi 45-min rsv, std fuel. best economy 10,000 ft (72%) 840 nm (est) 20,000 ft (71 %) 890 nm (est) Range @ 65% cruise w/45-min rsv, std fuel. best economy 10,000 ft 920 nm (est) 20,000 ft 955 nm (est) Range @ 55% cruise w/45-min rsv, std fuel. best economy 10,000 ft 980 nm (est) 20,000 ft 1,000 nm (est) Max operating altitude 25,000 ft Single-engine service ceiling 13,000 ft Landing distance ground roll 820 ft Landing over 50 ft obst 1,450 ft Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds Vmc" (Minimum control w/one engine inoperative) 65 KIAS Vsse (Minimum intentiond) one-engine inoperative) 80 KIAS Vx (Best angle of climb) 77 KIAS Vy (Best rate of climb) 103 KIAS Vxse (Best single-engine angle of climb) Vyse (Best single-engine rate of climb) Va (Design maneuvering) Vfe (Max flap extended) Approach 10' Full 20' Full 30' Vie (M"x gear extended) Vlo (Max ge,n oper,'ting) Extend 175 KIAS Retr,lct 150 KIAS Vno (Max structural cruising) 175 KIAS Vne (Never exceed) 210 KIAS VSJ (Stall clean) 68 KIAS Vso (St,,11 in I,mding configuration) 62 KIAS All speri/irations an' based on manu{arfurt'r~" ra/ru/ation ..•. All per!ormana ligures art' based on standard day, ..•tandard almo$phat', at sea It'vel and gro.'-" weight, unless otht'rwisi' noted. >/- Opaalions/Equipmt'f1! Category (or airrraft as les/ed, when known-iring parkage (1'TIi/imlfd; ""' jUri, 1981 Pilot, p. 103.