Ten-seat commercial and utility piston twin · Twin-engine piston aircraft · production 1979–1985 · See its reach on the 3D globe
A Cessna 402C Businessliner costs approximately $497k (€460k) to $594k (€550k) to buy at 1982 market values, and about $227k (€210k) a year to own flying 80 hours, roughly $2,840 (€2,630) per flight hour all-in. It seats 10, cruises at 196 kt (226 mph) and has a published range of 1,200 nm (2,222 km), needing about 2,461 ft (750 m) of runway. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled 2026-07, not a quote for any specific airframe.
The 402C is the commuter airline's Cessna twin: a straight wet wing in place of the earlier tip tanks, a higher gross weight and up to ten seats, and it has spent forty years flying scheduled thin routes in places where nothing else fits the economics. Operators keep buying them because the seat-mile cost still works. That heritage is also the warning. These airframes carry the highest hours and cycles in the piston twin world, and the Cessna Supplemental Inspection Documents were written after tearing down exactly this kind of aeroplane, so compliance status governs value more than hours, paint or avionics do. Buy the inspection history first, and treat anything without it as an unpriced liability.
First-party reference values for this model. They are shown separately from PlaneFit planning estimates and do not enter Finder or cross-model rankings until each field is normalised across the catalogue.
| Maximum takeoff weight | 3,107 kg |
|---|---|
| Usable fuel | 386 L |
| Engine | 2 x Continental TSIO-520-VB, 325 hp each at 2700 rpm |
Indicative planning data, compiled 2026-07. Verify against the AFM and records.
| Seats | 10 |
| Realistic payload with mission fuel | 2,187 lb (992 kg) |
| Published planning range | 1,200 nm (2,222 km) |
| Practical planning radius (4 people) | 804 nm (1,489 km) |
| Cruise speed | 196 kt (226 mph) |
| Runway need | ~2,461 ft (750 m) |
| Landing gear | Retractable tricycle |
| Pressurised | No |
| Fuel | Avgas 100LL |
| Fixed annual base | $84k (€78k) |
| Direct cost per flight hour | $778 (€720) |
Large cabin and productive commercial utility, but cycles, corrosion and two turbocharged engines require professional oversight.
Indicative cash costs at 1982 market values, before financing, depreciation and tax. The fixed base is the same whether the aircraft flies or not, so the effective hourly cost falls as utilisation rises.
| Annual use | Annual cash cost | Effective cost / h | Five-year cash outlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 h / year | $196k (€182k) | $4,903 (€4,540) | $1.52m (€1.41m) |
| 80 h / year | $227k (€210k) | $2,840 (€2,630) | $1.68m (€1.55m) |
| 120 h / year | $258k (€239k) | $2,153 (€1,993) | $1.83m (€1.7m) |
| 180 h / year | $305k (€282k) | $1,694 (€1,569) | $2.06m (€1.91m) |
Every figure above is built from a $84k (€78k) fixed annual base, covering hangarage, insurance, scheduled maintenance reserves and recurring airworthiness costs, plus $778 (€720) per hour flown for fuel, reserves and consumables. It is a planning model for comparing aircraft and testing utilisation, not a maintenance programme quote, insurance quote or pre-buy assessment.
Older examples add calendar-driven maintenance: a 2011-built airframe is estimated at $158k (€147k) per year at 80 hours. Airframe and engine time, maintenance and damage history, avionics, equipment, geography and tax treatment move a real transaction further than the model year does, so price the aircraft in front of you, not the model. A cheaper example carrying deferred maintenance can be the more expensive aircraft once the first annual inspection is complete.
Cessna 402C Businessliner cost guide answers the same figures as standalone purchase and ownership questions, and the ownership cost calculator lets you replace these assumptions with your own hours and fixed costs.
On top of a pilot certificate, this aircraft obliges the person flying it to hold the following. Each one is time and money before the first trip, and insurers usually attach their own minimums on top.
US requirements under 14 CFR 61.31, stated for orientation and not as advice. PlaneFit is not an aviation authority or a training organisation. Other authorities set different rules, and the current regulation and your instructor are what govern.
An indicative 1982 market price for a Cessna 402C Businessliner is $497k (€460k) to $594k (€550k). This is a planning estimate normalised across the market, not a quote for a specific airframe. Condition, engine time remaining, avionics and damage history move the real number more than the model year does.
Flying 80 hours a year, a Cessna 402C Businessliner works out at roughly $227k (€210k) annually, which is about $2,840 (€2,630) per flight hour all-in once fixed costs are spread across those hours. The direct cost per hour alone, covering fuel, reserves and consumables, is about $778 (€720).
Published range is 1,200 nm (2,222 km). With 4 people aboard and realistic reserves, plan on a practical radius of about 804 nm rather than the brochure figure.
Beyond a pilot certificate, a Cessna 402C Businessliner requires multi-engine rating and complex airplane endorsement. An airplane multi-engine land class rating. Insurers add their own minimum: multi-engine time, time in this make and model, and often a checkout with a named instructor before you fly it solo. These are US requirements and are stated for orientation; confirm them against the current regulation and an instructor.
Plan on approximately 2,461 ft (750 m) for take-off. Check this against the actual runway, surface, slope, temperature and loading, all of which extend the requirement.