Cessna 401/402

Cessna · United States · first flew 1966 · light aircraft

The Cessna 401 and 402 are twin-engine piston aircraft designed for the business and commuter airline markets, with the 402 optimised for passenger or cargo operations.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	11 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin-engine low-wing light piston utility aircraft
Commuter-liner or freight configuration available
Tapering wingtip fuel tanks on some variants

Low-wing twin with a long oval-section fuselage, twin wing-mounted piston engines, and large oval cabin windows; easily confused with the Cessna 414 and 421 which have pressurised cabins.

Specifications

The Cessna 401/402 has a length of 11 m (36 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.15 m (40 ft).
Its maximum speed is 397 km/h (247 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1966, the 401/402 family was designed to offer Cessna's established cabin-class twin in utility form. The 402 in particular found wide favour with regional and commuter airlines needing a small, flexible feederliner.

Variants

The 401 was the executive transport; the 402 the utility/commuter version; later 402B and 402C introduced wet wing and other improvements. The 406 Caravan II is a turboprop development.

Where you'll see it

Used by hundreds of small regional airlines and charter operators worldwide through the 1970s and 1980s; many still active in cargo and utility roles.

Related aircraft

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