History

• Cessna's 310 aircraft first took flight on Jan. 3, 1953, and was put into use in late 1954. Subsequent versions of the 310 were designated by the addition of a single letter until, in 1980, the final Cessna 310, the 310R, rolled off the assembly line.
  
  

Military

• In 1957, the U.S. military enlisted the services of the Cessna 310 for administrative and transport support. The U.S. Air Force purchased 160 unmodified 310A aircraft, which were re-designated as L-27A and nicknamed "Blue Canoe." In 1962, Cessna delivered 36 upgraded 310s to the USAF that were designated as L-27B, according to americanflyers.net.
  
  

Specifications

• The 1956 Cessna 310 had a 35-foot wingspan, stood 10 feet, 6 inches tall and was 27 feet long. Two Continental O-470-B horizontally opposed piston engines provided 240 horsepower each and pushed the plane along at a cruising speed of 205 mph and a maximum speed of 220 mph. This version of the Cessna 310 had a service ceiling of 20,000 feet and a 1,000-mile range, according to americanflyers.net.