Aircraft model
LANCAIR COMPANY LC42-550FG
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The LC42-550FG is the Columbia 350, the developed normally aspirated Columbia with a higher gross weight, more useful load and, on most aircraft, the Garmin G1000 flight deck. It cruises at 190 knots on fixed gear, which is faster than most retractables of the same power.
It is the sensible choice in the Columbia range for anyone who does not need the turbocharged 400's altitude capability: nearly the same speed at low level, a simpler engine and lower running costs. The ownership complications are the family's — a design that passed from Lancair through Columbia, bankruptcy and Cessna before ending production in 2018, composite repair requiring a knowledgeable shop, and no airframe parachute. Parts support through Textron has stabilised but is not comparable to a Cirrus or a Bonanza.
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Put LANCAIR COMPANY LC42-550FG side by side with up to two other models.
- LANCAIR COMPANY LC42-550FG
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental IO-550-N |
| Horsepower | 310 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | FAR23 |
| Production start | 2004 |
| Production end | 2007 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 190 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 1,300 nm |
| Service ceiling | 18,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,340 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 59 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,850 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 2,200 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,200 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 612 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,600 lb |
| Empty weight | 2,400 lb |
| Usable fuel | 98 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 17.4 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $199,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $358,500 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,900 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $55,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $78,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 83 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 75 |
| Median year built | 2004.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 2 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 26.67 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 26.67 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 26 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 34.67 · thin base (low)3 |
| Airworthiness directives | 6 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 75 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 75 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 75 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 3.1 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10)1 |
| Severity | 2.9 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10)2 |
| Access | 1.6 of 103 |
| Support | 5.1 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 9.5 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 22.2 out of 506 |
These record scores treat LANCAIR COMPANY LC42-550FG as one design with the same aircraft registered under other names: it includes 61 aircraft registered under COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT MFG; includes 16 aircraft registered under CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. Prices are not combined.
- Accident record: class median 32.28 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 12.5.
- Access: class median 775.
- Support: class median 147.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.9.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.