Cessna 340 vs Cessna 421C Golden Eagle

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

Saved as

Select aircraft

Compare up to 5 aircraft side-by-side

Search for an aircraft to begin your comparison.

Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Cessna 340
38 ft × 34 ft ⭥ 13 ft
2× Piston Retractable Pressurized
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle
44 ft × 37 ft ⭥ 12 ft
2× Piston Retractable Pressurized

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 340Cessna 421C Golden Eagle
Stall speed 79 kt86 kt
Approach speed 100 kt98 kt
Cruise speed 229 kt241 kt
Range 1406 nm1197 nm
Service ceiling 29800 ft30200 ft
Rate of climb 1650 fpm1940 fpm
Fuel burn 38.0 gph47.0 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 340 Avgas
38.0 gph
Baseline
1,406 nm range 6.0 nm/gal 203 gal usable $247 fuel/hr 5h 20m endurance
Cessna 340: 38.0 gph at cruise, 1,406 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 20 minute endurance, 6.0 nautical miles per gallon.
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle Avgas
47.0 gph
Baseline
1,197 nm range 5.1 nm/gal 213 gal usable $306 fuel/hr 4h 31m endurance
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle: 47.0 gph at cruise, 1,197 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 31 minute endurance, 5.1 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. 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

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

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

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Cessna 340 Avgas
$481 /hr
Baseline
Cessna 340: $481 per flight hour — fuel $247, maintenance and reserve $234.
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle Avgas
$598 /hr
Baseline
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle: $598 per flight hour — fuel $306, maintenance and reserve $292.
Cessna 340 Piston
$21,000 /yr Baseline
Cessna 340: $21,000 per year — insurance $7,500, hangar $7,200, annual inspection $6,300.
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle Piston
$32,155 /yr Baseline
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle: $32,155 per year — insurance $16,000, hangar $9,600, annual inspection $6,555.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+
×
1
Cessna 340 Piston
6 / 6 seats 203 gal / 203 gal fuel 861 lbs wet payload 2,079 lbs useful 5,990 lbs MTOW
Cessna 421C Golden Eagle Piston
10 / 10 seats 213 gal / 213 gal fuel 922 lbs wet payload 2,200 lbs useful 7,450 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

+
×
1

Cookies and analytics. We use Mixpanel and Google Analytics to understand how this site is used. Mixpanel records session replays (interaction patterns, scroll, and click timing). Page content is masked: we do not see what you read or type. Cookies are set only if you accept. Read our privacy policy.