Cessna 303 Crusader vs Piper PA-34 Seneca

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Cessna 303 Crusader
39.0 × 30.4 ft 13.3 ft tall
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Piper PA-34 Seneca
38.9 × 28.6 ft 9.9 ft tall
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Cessna 303 CrusaderPiper PA-34 Seneca
Stall speed 69 kt67 kt
Approach speed 90 kt90 kt
Cruise speed 196 kt200 kt
Range 1020 nm828 nm
Service ceiling 25000 ft25000 ft
Rate of climb 1480 fpm1550 fpm
Fuel burn 27.2 gph24.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Cessna 303 Crusader Avgas
27.2 gph
Baseline
1,020 nm range 7.2 nm/gal 153 gal usable $177 fuel/hr 5h 37m endurance
Cessna 303 Crusader: 27.2 gallons per hour at cruise, 1,020 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 37 minute endurance, 7.2 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Avgas
24.0 gph
Baseline
828 nm range 8.3 nm/gal 122 gal usable $156 fuel/hr 5h 04m endurance
Piper PA-34 Seneca: 24.0 gallons per hour at cruise, 828 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 4 minute endurance, 8.3 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range. Endurance is usable fuel divided by the published cruise burn. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft
Density Altitude

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Scale:
Cessna 303 Crusader Avgas
$392 /hr
Baseline
Cessna 303 Crusader: $392 per flight hour — fuel $177, maintenance and reserve $215.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Avgas
$385 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-34 Seneca: $385 per flight hour — fuel $156, maintenance and reserve $229.
Cessna 303 Crusader Piston
$10,306 /yr Baseline
Cessna 303 Crusader: $10,306 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $7,806, annual inspection $2,500.
Piper PA-34 Seneca Piston
$21,000 /yr Baseline
Piper PA-34 Seneca: $21,000 per year — insurance $8,500, hangar $6,000, annual inspection $6,500.

Estimates only. Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Each bar stacks your selected occupants against full fuel and the aircraft's useful-load limit (the black line). The open gap between them is spare payload. Add an occupant and the gap closes; once it's gone, fuel has to give.

lb

+ lb / pax

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Cessna 303 Crusader
6 / 6 seats 153 / 153 gal fuel 927 lb wet payload 1,845 lb useful 5,150 lb MTOW
Piper PA-34 Seneca
6 / 6 seats 122 / 122 gal fuel 605 lb wet payload 1,337 lb useful 4,750 lb MTOW

Occupants at 190 + 30 lb each. Fuel at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

lb

+ lb / pax

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