Riley 65
The Cessna 310 was one of the first all-metal, tricycle-gear light twins built after the Second World War, distinctive for its tip-mounted fuel tanks that give the wingtips a bulbous, rounded look. It was widely used for business and personal travel from the 1950s through the 1980s, valued for its speed and twin-engine safety margin. Its fame grew further as the fictional 'Sky King' and later the aircraft flown in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep and Riptide. Though production ended decades ago, a dedicated community of owners keeps many examples flying today.
Did you know?
Riley Aircraft built its name re-engining stock Cessna twins like the 310 with more powerful engines rather than designing new airframes.
Specifications
| Length | 9.3 m (30 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.3 m (37 ft) |
| Height | 2.9 m (10 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 5 |
| Persons on board | 5 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 2.4 t |
| Range | 1,000 NM (1,852 km) |
| Maximum speed | 200 kt (370 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 19,600 ft (5,974 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 21,000 ft (6,401 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 507 m (1,663 ft) |
| Landing distance | 546 m (1,791 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 780 l |
| Engines | 2x Continental IO-520 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Riley 65 starts as a Very rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Riley, the 65 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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