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.
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.
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.
