Convair CV-240 family

Convair CV-240 family
The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series made some inroads as a commercial airliner, and had a long development cycle that produced various civil and military variants. Though reduced in numbers by attrition, various forms of the "Convairliners" continue to fly in the 21st century.
Design and development
The design began with a requirement by American Airlines for an airliner to replace its Douglas DC-3s. Convair's original design, the unpressurised Model 110, was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, with 30 seats. It was powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines. It had a tricycle landing gear, and a ventral airstair for passenger boarding. The prototype Model 110, registration NX90653, first flew on July 8, 1946. By this time, American Airlines had changed the requirements to include pressurization and deemed the design too small. Convair used the first prototype for 240 series development work before it had the plane broken up in 1947.
To meet the requirements of airlines for a pressurized airliner, Convair produced a revised design—the Model 240. This had a longer but thinner fuselage than the Model 110, accommodating 40 passengers in the first pressurized, twin-engined airliner. The 240 first flew on March 16, 1947.
The Model 240 was followed by the Model 340, which had a longer fuselage, longer-span wings, and more powerful engines. The 340 first flew on October 5, 1951. In 1954, in an attempt to compete with turboprop-powered airliners such as the Vickers Viscount, Convair produced the Model 440 Metropolitan, with more streamlined cowlings, new engine exhausts, and better cabin soundproofing. As the "Super 240" evolved into the CV-340 and CV-440, the design reached the limit of piston-engine performance, and future development centered on conversion to turboprop power.
Operational history
Convair delivered the first production Convairliner to American on February 29, 1948. They delivered a total of 75 to American—and another 50 to Western Airlines, Continental Airlines, Pan American Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Swissair, Sabena, and Trans Australia Airlines.
A CV-240 was the first private aircraft used in a United States presidential campaign. In 1960, John F. Kennedy used a CV-240 named Caroline (after his daughter) during his campaign. This aircraft is now preserved in the National Air and Space Museum.
After aborted negotiations with TWA and Eastern for "Super 240" orders, Convair temporarily halted 240 series production. In response to a United inquiry, Convair redesigned the Super 240, calling it the CV-340. United ordered 55, and more US orders came from Braniff, Continental, Delta, Northeast, and National. Other orders came from abroad, and the CV-340 was popular in South America. The CV-340 earned a reputation for reliability and profitability, and was developed into the CV-440 Metropolitan, the final piston-engined variant of the Convairliners.
Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter, the major remaining operator of this model, currently holds the type certificate for this aircraft.
Used price for a Convair 240 in 1960 was around £40,000.
Variants
Data from: General Dynamics Aircraft and their predecessors
Civil variants
Convair Model 110
Unpressurized prototype with seats for 30 passengers. 89 ft (27.13 m) wingspan, 71 ft (21.64 m) length, powered by two 2,100 hp (1,567 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-SC13G engines. One built.
Convair CV-240
Initial production version, with seats for 40 passengers in a pressurised fuselage. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines. 176 built (excluding military derivatives).
Convair CV-240-21 Turboliner
Turboprop-powered conversion fitted with Allison T38 engines. It became the first turboprop airliner to fly in the United States (on December 29, 1950), but problems with the engines resulted in development being terminated. Used as a test bed before being converted back to piston power.
Convair CV-300
A conversion from a Convair CV-240 with two R-2800 CB-17 engines and nacelles as used on the CV-340.
Built for United Airlines and other operators including KLM, the CV-340 was a CV-240 lengthened to hold an additional four seats. The wingspan was extended for better performance at higher altitudes. The CV-340 replaced the DC-3 in United service. The airline flew 52 340s for 16 years without a fatality. KLM operated the type from early 1953 until mid-1963. Many CV-340 aircraft were converted to CV-440 standard.
CV-340 with improved soundproofing and an option for weather radar. Maximum weight rose to 49,700 lbs. An optional increase from 44 to 52 passengers was facilitated by the replacement of the carry-on luggage area with two more rows of seats, marked by the addition of an extra cabin window. This option was taken up by several airlines including Swissair, Lufthansa and SAS. Finnair operated the type from 1953 until 1980.
Convair CV-540
Conversion from a Convair CV-340 aircraft with two Napier Eland turboprop engines in place of the piston engines. Six aircraft were converted by Napier for Allegheny Airlines. Cost for the conversions was £160,000 per-aircraft. 12 built as new-builds by Canadair for RCAF as CC-109 in 1960 for £436,000 per-aircraft. First flight February 9, 1955. When Rolls-Royce purchased Napier, the Eland program was terminated, and the Allegheny aircraft were converted back to piston power, but were later converted to Convair 580s with Allison turbo props.
Conversion from Convair CV-340 (Allison Prop-Jet Convair 340) or CV-440 aircraft with two Allison 501 D13D/H turboprop engines with four-blade propellers, in place of piston engines with three-blade propellers, an enlarged vertical fin and modified horizontal stabilizers. The conversions were performed by Pacific Airmotive on behalf of the Allison Engine Company. Cost of the conversions was around £175,000 per aircraft and took 60 days. The CV-580 served with the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986), Allegheny Airlines, and North Central Airlines for many years and was also the first aircraft type operated by American Eagle on behalf of American Airlines in code sharing feeder service. General Motors Air Transport (GMATs) also used CV-580's on their internal air shuttle operation which ran between Detroit Metro Airport, Dayton,OH, Anderson, IN and other locations as needed.
Convair CV-580 Airtanker
Firefighting airtanker conversions with retardant tanks and dropping systems.
Convair CV-600
Conversion from a Convair 240 aircraft with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines with four-blade propellers, in place of piston engines with three-blade propellers. CV-600 conversions were performed by Convair. The CV-600 first flew with Central Airlines on 30 November 1965 and also served with Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) and successor Texas International Airlines for many years. The CV-600 aircraft that flew with Air Metro Airways was configured as a 40-passenger airliner. In 2012 the last Convair CV-600 (Rhoades Aviation) went out of service.
Convair CV-640
Conversion from a Convair CV-340 or -440 with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines with four-blade propellers, in place of piston engines with three-blade propellers. The conversions were performed by Convair. In 2012, a total of seven Convair CV-640 aircraft remained in airline service, with Rhoades Aviation (one) and C&M Airways (six).
Convair CV-5800
A stretched Convair CV-5800 of IFL Group with this aircraft being developed by Kelowna Flightcraft (now KF Aerospace) in Canada
Conversion from former US Navy C-131F Samaritans by Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. (KF Aerospace since 2015) in Canada. The CV-5800 is a C-131F Samaritan stretched by 16 ft 7 in (4,98 m) with the Samaritan's original tail unit rather than the enlarged tail of the CV-580. These conversions also have a new freight door, digital avionics with EFIS and Allison 501-D22G engines in place of the original R-2800 engines. The prototype of this conversion first flew on February 11, 1992; the type certificate was issued on December 11, 1993. A total of six aircraft were converted (construction numbers 276 to 279, 309, 343) and mostly used by Contract Air Cargo (later IFL Group); one aircraft later operated by Air Freight NZ was then returned to KF Aerospace for operation in their own fleet.
Allison Turbine ATF 580S Turbo Flagship
Stretched Convairliner conversion.
Military variants
Convair C-131 Samaritan
The CV-240/340/440 series was used by the United States Air Force for medical evacuation and VIP under this designation
Convair T-29 trainer
A trainer model of the C-131 was used to instruct navigators and radio operators
Convair R4Y Samaritan
The United States Navy used the Samaritan under this designation
Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan
Conversion from CV-440, with Napier Eland turboprops in place of the piston engines. The conversions were performed in Canada by Canadair. In Royal Canadian Air Force and later in Canadian Armed Forces service they were known as the CC-109 Cosmopolitan. All were re-engined in 1966 with Allison 501-D13 engines.
Canadair CL-66
Company designation for the CC-109 Eland powered variant
Operators
Civil operators
Africa
Air Algerie – CV-640
Ethiopian Air Lines – CV-240
Kardair (Libya) – CV-440
Titan Helicopter Group (South Africa) – 3 CV-580
Regional Air (South Africa – 2 CV-580)
Rovos Air (South Africa – CV-340)
Asia
Air Jordan – CV-240
Air Maldives – CV-440
All Nippon Airways – CV-440
Ariana Afghan Airlines – CV-340
(CATC), - 6 CV-240
Garuda Indonesia – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
Iran Air – CV-240
Japan Domestic Airlines – CV-240
Orient Airways CV-240
Pakistan International Airlines – CV-240
Philippine Airlines – CV-340
Royal Air Cambodge – CV-440
Saudi Arabian Airlines – CV-340
Seulawah Air Services – CV-640
South East Asia Air Transport – CV-340
Toa Airways
Oceania
Air Chathams – CV-580
Air Fiji – CV-580
Air Freight NZ – CV-580 & CV-5800
Airlines of New South Wales – CV-440
Airlines of South Australia – CV-440
Ansett Airlines – CV-340, CV-440 (some were formerly operated by Braniff International Airways)
Chathams Pacific – CV-580
Pionair – CV-580
Real Tonga – CV-580
Trans Australia Airlines – CV-240
Europe
Aviaco – CV-440
Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane – , CV-340 & CV-440
Condor (& predecessor Deutsche Flugdienst) – & CV-440
Delta Air Transport – CV-440
European Air Transport – CV-580
Finnair – CV-340 & CV-440
Fred Olsen Air Transport – CV-340
General Air (Germany) – CV-440
Iberia Airlines – Convair CV-440
JAT Yugoslav Airlines – CV-340 & CV-440
Kar-Air CV-440
KLM – CV-240 & CV-340
Linjeflyg – CV-340 & CV-440
LOT Polish Airlines – CV-240 (5 in 1957–1966)
Lufthansa – CV-340 & CV-440
Martinair – CV-640
Mey-Air – CV-240
Norsk Metropolitan Klubb – CV-440
Nor-Fly Charter – CV-440 & CV-580
Pan Adria Airways CV-440
Partnair – CV-580
– CV-240
SABENA – CV-240 & CV-440
SAS – CV-440
SATA, SA de Transport Aérien – CV-440 & CV-640
Stellar Airfreighter (Norway) – CV-440
Swiftair – CV-580
Swissair – CV-240 & CV-440
Tellair – CV-440
United States and Canada
Air Mid-America – CV-600
Air New England – CV-580
Air Ontario – CV-580
Air Rajneesh – CV-440
Air Resorts – CV-440
Air Tahoma – CV-240 & CV-580
Allegheny Airlines - , CV-540 & CV-580
Alaska Airlines – CV-240
American Airlines – CV-240
American Eagle – See Metro Airlines
American Inter-Island – CV-440 (wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, which operated flights between San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Croix in the Caribbean)
Aspen Airways – CV-240, CV-440 & CV-580
Atlantic Gulf Airlines – CV-580
Bar Harbor Airlines – CV-600
Braniff International Airways – CV-340 & CV-440
Buffalo Airways – CV-240 bought for its engines, not put in service
Cal Sierra Airlines – CV-580
Canadian Pacific Airlines – CV-240
Caribair (Puerto Rico) – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-640
Central Airlines – CV-240 & CV-600
Charter Airlines – CV-580
Cochise Airlines – CV-440
Conair Group – CV-580
Continental Airlines – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
Continental Express – CV-580 (operated by Trans-Colorado Airlines)
Cordova Airlines – CV-240 (acquired by and merged into Alaska Airlines)
Delta Air Lines – CV-340 & CV-440
Desert Air – CV-240
Eastern Air Lines – CV-440
Era Aviation – CV-580
Executive Airlines – CV-440
Freedom Airlines – CV-580
Frontier Airlines (1950–1986) – CV-240, CV-340, CV-440, CV-580 & CV-600 (CV-600 aircraft formerly operated by Central Airlines)
Great Lakes Airlines (Canada) – CV-440 & CV-580
Gulf Air Transport – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-580 (U.S. charter air carrier. CV-580 aircraft were formerly operated by North Central and Republic.)
Harrison Airways (Canada) – CV-440
Hawaiian Airlines – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-640
IFL Group – CV-580 & CV-5800
Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (KF Aerospace) – CV-580 & CV-5800
Kitty Hawk Aircargo – Convair CV-240, CV-340, CV-440, CV-600 and CV-640
L&J Company of Addison, Texas – CV-240 (aircraft tragically crashed with the band Lynyrd Skynyrd on board)
Lake Central Airlines – CV-340 & CV-580
Laredo Air – CV-580
Mackey Airlines (also known as Mackey International) – CV-440 & CV-580
Metro Airlines (via its wholly owned Metroflight division) – CV-580 (former Frontier Airlines aircraft that were operated for American Eagle via agreement with American Airlines)
Miami Air Lease – CV-440
Midwest Air Charter/Airborne Express – CV-600
Mohawk Airlines – CV-240 & CV-440
National Airlines – CV-340 & CV-440
Nolinor Aviation – CV-580
Norcanair – CV-580 & CV-640
Nordair (Nordair Metro division) – CV-580
North Central Airlines – CV-580
Northeast Airlines – CV-240
Northwest Airlines – CV-580 (former Republic Airlines aircraft that were previously operated by North Central Airlines)
Pacific Western Airlines – CV-640
Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) – CV-240 & CV-340
Powell Air – CV-440
Quebecair – CV-540 (CL-66)
Renown Aviation – CV-440 & CV-580
Republic Airlines – CV-580 (formerly operated by North Central Airlines)
Resort Air Commuter – CV-580
Rhoades Aviation – CV-640
Sea Airmotive – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-580
Sierra Pacific Airlines – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-580
Skyfreighters – CV-440
SMB Stage Lines – CV-600 & CV-640
Summit Airlines – CV-580
Sun Valley Key Airlines – CV-440 (U.S. commuter air carrier previously known as Sun Valley Airlines, which operated out of Salt Lake City, UT and Sun Valley, ID, and then changed its name back to Key Airlines)
Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) – CV-240 & CV-600
Texas International Airlines – CV-600 (former Trans-Texas Airways aircraft)
Time Air – CV-580 & CV-640 (former Norcan Air and North Caribou, also one previously owned by Domino's Pizza)
Trans-Colorado Airlines – CV-580 (aircraft painted in the livery of Continental Express)
United Airlines – CV-340 & CV-580 (CV-580 aircraft operated via wet lease contract by Frontier Airlines (1950–1986) as the replacement for former United Douglas DC-6 service to Elko, NV and Ely, NV)
Viking International Airlines – CV-600 & CV-640
Westates Airlines – CV-580
Western Airlines – CV-240
Wright Airlines – CV-440, CV-600 & CV-640
Zantop International Airlines – Convair 640
Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America
Aero California – CV-340
Aerocaribe – CV-340 & CV-440
Aerolíneas Argentinas – CV-240
Aerolineas Colonia (Uruguay) – CV-240
Aeromexico – CV-340
Aeroquetzal – CV-580
ALM Antillean Airlines – CV-340 & CV-440
Arawak Airlines (Trinidad and Tobago) CV-440
ARCO Aerolíneas Colonia S.A. (Uruguay) – CV-240, CV-600
Avensa – CV-240, CV-340, CV-580
Aviateca – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
Caribair (Puerto Rico) – see North America
Chilean Airways – CV-580
COPA Compañia Panameña de Aviación – CV-340
Cruzeiro do Sul – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
(FAMA)
LACSA – CV-340 & CV-440
Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (LAP) – 3 CV-240
LAN Chile – CV-440
Prinair – CV-580
Real Transportes Aéreos – CV-340 & CV-440
SAHSA – CV-580
Transportes Aéreos Nacional – CV-440
VARIG – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
Military operators
Royal Australian Air Force - Two CV-440 Metropolitans (RAAF serial A95-313 and 353) were in service with RAAF from 1956 to 1968.
No. 34 Squadron RAAF
Transporte Aéreo Militar - Six CV-440s and five CV-580s acquired. One of each remaining as of 1987.
Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Armed Forces CV-540s were re engined with T56 turbo props with 412 Squadron
CV-580
Luftwaffe operated six CV-440s.
Italian Air Force operated four CV-440 Metropolitans from 1957 until 1978
Paraguayan Air Force: CV-440/C-131D
Sri Lanka Air Force - CV-440
Mexican Air Force CV-580 Nowadays used as an AEW&C Simulator on AFB #1 Santa Lucia
Other operators
National Research Council (Canada) (CV-580 C-FNRC) multi purpose flying laboratory, mainly used for airborne atmospheric research, carrying more than 40 in-situ sensors and cloud probes and remote sensing instrumentation such as X,W band radars, 355 nm lidars, and radiometers.
Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, later Environment Canada, retired to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in June 2015 in recognition of its historical significance to Canadian science (CV-580 C-GRSC)
CAAC - One CATC CV-240 defected to the People's Republic in November 1949. This may have been used as a VIP aircraft.
Airborne Resources, (C-131B N131CR)
Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, later Veridian and then General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (CV-580s N51211) and N51255)
Honeywell International, Everett Washington (CV-580 N580HW)
Raytheon, Tucson Arizona (CV-580 N580HH)
University of Washington, (CV-580 N3UW)
Accidents and incidents
Specifications (CV-240)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
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Best, Martin S. "The Development of Commercial Aviation in China: Part 8B: Central Air Transport Corporation - Fleet Lists". Air Britain Archive, Autumn 2009. pp. 103–118.
Best, Martin S. "The Development of Commercial Aviation in China: Part 14: Civil Aviation Administration of China". Air Britain Archive, Winter 2011. pp. 153–171.
Best, Martin S. "The Development of Commercial Aviation in China: Part 14: Civil Aviation Administration of China". Air Britain Archive, Winter 2011. pp. 153–171.
Best, Martin S. "The Development of Commercial Aviation in China: Part 14B: Civil Aviation Administration of China". Air Britain Archive, Spring 2012. pp. 15–28.
Bridgman, Leonard (ed.) Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1955–56. New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
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Frawley, Gerald. "Convair CV-540, 580, 600, 640 & CV5800". The International Directory of Civil Aircraft 1997/98. Fyshwick ACT, Aerospace Publications, 199, p. 86 .
Gradidge, Jennifer. The Convairliners Story. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., First edition, 1997, .
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Lambert, Mark. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1993–94. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. .
Siegrist, Martin. "Bolivian Air Power — Seventy Years On". Air International, Vol. 33, No. 4, October 1987. pp. 170–176, 194. .
Veronico, Nicholas A. & Larkins, William T. Convair Twins: Piston Convair-Liners: Prop-Jet Turbo Liners. Airliner Tech Series, Volume 12. North Branch, Minnesota: Speciality Press Publishers, 2005. .
Wegg, John. General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1990. .
Wragg, David W. World's Air Fleets. London: Ian Allan, 2nd edition, 1969. .
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External links
Convair CV-240, National Air and Space Museum
C-131 Samaritan factsheet, National Museum of the United States Air Force
C-131D Samaritan, March Field Air Museum
C-131 Samaritan, The Aviation Zone
Gunships, The Aviation Zone
BBC News Article about Convair CV-440
Aero News Network Article about Convair CV-440
Canadian Research Facilities Navigator: NRC Flight Research Laboratory Convair-580 aircraft
CV-240
1940s United States airliners
1950s United States airliners
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1947
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