Cessna 308

Model 308
Role	military light transport
National origin	USA
Manufacturer	Cessna
First flight	July 1951
Primary user	United States Army
Number built	1
Developed from	O-1 Bird Dog

The Cessna 308 was a prototype military light transport aircraft based on the successful Cessna 305 observation aircraft. Only one aircraft was completed and the project did not proceed further, due to a lack of orders.

The Cessna 308 was conceived as an enlarged model 305 that would carry four people for the military light transport role and was developed in response to a US Army requirement.

The resulting design was first flown in July 1951. While the aircraft was based on the model 305, it incorporated a four-place cabin similar to the then current production Cessna 170. The prototype was powered by a Lycoming GSO-580 geared, supercharged, eight-cylinder engine, producing 375 hp (280 kW). The prototype featured a 47 ft (14 m) wingspan, taildragger landing gear and a 4,200 lb (1,905 kg) gross take-off weight. In trials the 308 proved capable of operating from rough fields carrying a 1,000 lb (454 kg) payload, with a range of 695 nmi (1,287 km).

The US Army chose the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver for the intended light transport role putting it into service as the L-20A. As a result, development of the Cessna 308 was not continued beyond the completion of a single prototype.

Data from The Cessnas that got away

General characteristics

Performance

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