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Meet the aircraft
Originally the Columbia 400, the aircraft became part of Cessna's range after the Columbia acquisition. It was marketed as the Corvalis, with later development leading to the TTx. Its smooth composite airframe is visually distinct from Cessna's traditional metal high-wing singles. The fixed undercarriage is a useful reminder that a fast touring aeroplane does not necessarily need retractable gear.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A fast aircraft with one awkward door handle
The reviewer had wanted a Columbia 400 flight since Sun ’n Fun, but the dealer struggled to keep a demonstrator available. An owner’s aircraft finally provided the opportunity. Settling into the left seat brought an immediate appreciation of the cabin layout and furnishings, alongside one personal difficulty: reaching the door handle with the seat positioned far forward.
August 2005 report published under Janice Wood’s byline. Avidyne-equipped owner’s Columbia 400 flown with dealer pilot Randy Schuette at St. Augustine.
General Aviation News · Read more ↗A documented Corvalis cockpit and checklist update
The May 2025 notes credit Carenado’s Corvalis TT version 1.0.7 with revised starting, takeoff and shutdown checklists, fuel-cap interaction and EFB performance-data fixes. They also list icing and acceleration corrections. The changes apply to the documented 1.0.7 revision.
400 Corvalis TT · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Skywagon University · 28 min ·
Flying the Columbia 400
A Columbia 400 flight with a Garmin-equipped instrument panel.
Real aircraft · Columbia 400 / Cessna Corvalis
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Columbia 400 / Cessna Corvalis
Originally the Columbia 400, the aircraft became part of Cessna's range after the Columbia acquisition. It was marketed as the Corvalis, with later development leading to the TTx. Its smooth composite airframe is visually distinct from Cessna's traditional metal high-wing singles.
The Columbia 400, Corvalis and TTx names mark equipment and production developments within the same lineage.
Columbia 400 / Cessna Corvalis
Columbia Aircraft → · Explore the family →
Columbia 400
Wikipedia contributors · Cessna 400 ↗Laminar Research · X-Plane 11 →Cessna Corvalis
Wikipedia contributors · Cessna 400 ↗Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
The turbocharged member of the family
Columbia’s 400 paired its composite airframe with a turbocharged Continental engine, while the contemporary 350 was normally aspirated. The 400SLX in this report carried Garmin G1000 avionics; other 400 configurations used Avidyne equipment.
AOPA Pilot · Columbia 400: A Whole Lot of Get Up and Go ↗AOPA · October 2007 model and equipment comparison
Development milestones
First flight: June 2000
Developed from: Cessna 350
Wikipedia contributors · Cessna 400 ↗Cessna 400 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1359871649
Pilot accounts
A fast aircraft with one awkward door handle
The reviewer had wanted a Columbia 400 flight since Sun ’n Fun, but the dealer struggled to keep a demonstrator available. An owner’s aircraft finally provided the opportunity. Settling into the left seat brought an immediate appreciation of the cabin layout and furnishings, alongside one personal difficulty: reaching the door handle with the seat positioned far forward.
The flight combined a climb through broken cloud, a cruise-speed check and a demonstration of the speed brakes. Their deployment brought a little buffet and a pronounced change in the descent. Slow flight and landing left a favourable impression, and the reviewer returned to the hangar thinking about comfort as much as performance. The difficult-to-reach handle remained the humorous qualification to an otherwise enthusiastic report.
August 2005 report published under Janice Wood’s byline. Avidyne-equipped owner’s Columbia 400 flown with dealer pilot Randy Schuette at St. Augustine.
Read the full account · General Aviation News ↗Crossing the country in a nearly new 400SLX
Ells’s trip put a nearly new demonstrator to work over a long westbound journey. Headwinds influenced the choice of altitude, and he compared the aircraft’s progress with its fuel consumption instead of simply chasing its advertised maximum speed. The aeroplane he flew did not quite reach the published book speeds, a distinction he kept visible in his report.
The cockpit became more persuasive with use. The engine display helped him follow mixture adjustments, and a keypad near the armrest changed his mind about an option he had initially considered excessive. Over the hours and several landings, the cabin comfort and integrated avionics made a strong impression.
AOPA Pilot · October 2007. G1000-equipped Columbia 400SLX flown west from Lakeland to Paso Robles with sales associate Jon Dennis.
Read the full account · AOPA Pilot ↗A winter ferry changes destination
Cox began with a transatlantic delivery in mind, but severe cold in northeastern Canada exposed difficulties with cabin heating and oil temperature. Looking ahead to still colder conditions over Greenland, he decided the aircraft needed a winterisation kit. The immediate job became returning it from Maine to its dealer in North Carolina.
That southbound flight brought another weather problem, with widespread icing forecasts and strong winds aloft. His account describes choosing a coastal route below the weather, continually checking conditions and stopping at Atlantic City before continuing in improving skies. He finished the day back at the dealer rather than across the ocean. The episode records his decisions and their outcome; it should be read as a particular ferry experience, with the limitations of that aircraft’s preparation.
Plane + Pilot · May 2011. Recollection of a planned March delivery of a 2007 Columbia 400 to Geneva; the aircraft needed further winter preparation.
Read the full account · Plane + Pilot ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024400 Corvalis TT
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
400 Corvalis TT
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
X-Plane 11Columbia 400
Laminar Research · Released
Columbia 400
Laminar Research · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m) |
| Wingspan | 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m) |
| Height | 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) |
| Wing area | 141 sq ft (13.1 m² ) |
| Empty weight | 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,600 lb (1,633 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Teledyne Continental TSIO-550-C air-cooled flat-6 engine , 310 hp (230 kW) |
| Maximum speed | 235 kn (270 mph, 435 km/h) calibrated airspeed |
| Cruise speed | 235 kn (270 mph, 435 km/h) true airspeed at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) |
| Stall speed | 59 kn (68 mph, 109 km/h) |
| Range | 1,107 nmi (1,274 mi, 2,050 km) |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,600 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
A documented Corvalis cockpit and checklist update400 Corvalis TT · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
The May 2025 notes credit Carenado’s Corvalis TT version 1.0.7 with revised starting, takeoff and shutdown checklists, fuel-cap interaction and EFB performance-data fixes. They also list icing and acceleration corrections. The changes apply to the documented 1.0.7 revision.
Official MSFS 2024 SU2 notes · 1.4.20.0
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Read the source ↗Pilot account
A fast aircraft with one awkward door handleAugust 2005 report published under Janice Wood’s byline. Avidyne-equipped owner’s Columbia 400 flown with dealer pilot Randy Schuette at St. Augustine.
The reviewer had wanted a Columbia 400 flight since Sun ’n Fun, but the dealer struggled to keep a demonstrator available. An owner’s aircraft finally provided the opportunity. Settling into the left seat brought an immediate appreciation of the cabin layout and furnishings, alongside one personal difficulty: reaching the door handle with the seat positioned far forward. The flight combined a climb through broken cloud, a cruise-speed check and a demonstration of the speed brakes.
General Aviation News flight reviewer
General Aviation News · Read the source ↗Crossing the country in a nearly new 400SLXAOPA Pilot · October 2007. G1000-equipped Columbia 400SLX flown west from Lakeland to Paso Robles with sales associate Jon Dennis.
Ells’s trip put a nearly new demonstrator to work over a long westbound journey. Headwinds influenced the choice of altitude, and he compared the aircraft’s progress with its fuel consumption instead of simply chasing its advertised maximum speed. The aeroplane he flew did not quite reach the published book speeds, a distinction he kept visible in his report. The cockpit became more persuasive with use.
Steven W. Ells
AOPA Pilot · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developers X-Plane 11 Desktop ManualLaminar Research X-Plane aircraft and avionics manualsLaminar ResearchAircraft background
Cessna 400Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1359871649 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftDeveloper documentation
Release Notes — Sim Update 2 [1.4.20.0]Microsoft Flight Simulator · 15 May 2025 · aircraft-specific package revisionsType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
Columbia 400 / Cessna Corvalis
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11
Columbia 400 / Cessna Corvalis: The selected mechanical-control response provides nominal resistance for the Columbia reference; optional speed brakes are separate equipment.
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