Convair 240
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| Convair 240 | |
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| A restored Convair 240 in Western Air Lines livery, at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California | |
| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Consolidated Vultee |
| Maiden flight | 16 March 1947 |
| Primary user | American Airlines |
| Produced | 1947-1956 |
The Convair 240 was an American airliner produced by Consolidated Vultee from 1947 to 1956.
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[edit] History
The design began life in a production requirement by American Airlines for a pressurized airliner to replace the classic Douglas DC-3. Convair's original design had two engines and 40 seats, and thus it was designated the CV-240. The first 240 flew on March 16, 1947, and production aircraft were first delivered to American on February 28, 1948. Seventy-five were delivered to American, with another fifty going to Western Airlines, Continental Airlines, Pan American Airways, KLM, 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 dubbed Caroline during his campaign. This aircraft is now preserved in the National Air and Space Museum.
[edit] Variants
[edit] Civil variants
The CV-340, built for United Airlines, was lengthened to hold an additional four seats. The wings were also enlarged for better performance at higher altitudes. The CV-340 replaced the DC-3 for United. They flew 52 340s for 16 years without a fatality. An example of United's 340 was N73111. They were called "Mainliners" as other aircraft were also and N73111 was also called "Mainliner Salt Lake City" (which appeared on the nose)
The CV-440 Metropolitan had improved soundproofing and an option of weather radar.
The Convair 580 is a conversion from a Convair 340 aircraft with the original piston engines replaced with two Allison 501 D13D/H turboprop engines.
The Convair 600 is a conversion from a Convair 240 aircraft with the original piston engines replaced with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines. The CV-600 first flew with Central Airlines on 30 November 1965. The CV-600 aircraft that flew with Air Metro Airways was configured as a forty passenger airliner. In August 2006 a single Convair 600 aircraft remains in airline service, with Rhoades Aviation.[1]
The Convair 640 is a conversion from either a Convair 340 or 440 with the original piston engines replaced with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines. In August 2006 a total of 9 Convair 640 aircraft remain in airline service, with Rhoades Aviation (3) and C&M Airways (6).[1]
Ten CL-66 aircraft were build by Canadair in Canada, they were a version of the Convair 440 with Napier Eland turbo-props. In Canadian service they were known as the CC-109 Cosmopolitan.
The Convair 5800 is a conversion from a Convair 580 by Kelowna Flightcraft in Canada. The 5800 is a 580 stretched by 14ft 3in with the 440's original tail unit. These conversions also have a new freight door, digital avionics with EFIS and Allison 501-D22 engines.
[edit] Military variants
The CV-240/340/440 series was used by the United States Air Force for medical evacuation and VIP transport and was designated as C-131 Samaritan. The first model Samaritan, the C-131A, was derived from the 240 model, and was delivered to the USAF in 1954. A trainer model called the T-29 was also based on the Convair 240 to instruct navigators and radio operators. The T-29 was eventually replaced by the T-43. A planned bomber training version of the T-29 (designated T-32) was never built. The 340 model was used for most C-131Ds.
The U.S. Navy used the Samaritan as the R4Y. Nearly all of the C-131s left the active inventory in the late 1970s, but Air National Guard units operated a few into the mid-1980s. The C-131 was eventually replaced by the C-9 Nightingale.
A Samaritan was the first aircraft used as a flying gunship testbed in mid-1963, in a program known as Project Tailchaser. A C-131B (#53-7820) was given a gunsight for the side window, but instead of guns it had cameras in the cargo area. Eventually the C-131 was ferried to Eglin AFB in Florida and a General Electric SUU-11A/A 7.62mm Gatling-style Minigun was installed. Live ammunition was used and both over-water and over-land tests were successful.
[edit] Accidents and incidents
Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed when a Convair 240 they were aboard crashed near a forest in McComb, Mississippi on October 20 1977. The probable cause of the crash was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines. The pilot, co-pilot and the band's assistant road manager were killed also. Some 20 other passengers survived.
[edit] Military Operators
- Australia - Convair 440
- Bolivia - Convair 440 & 580
- Colombia - Convair 580
- Canada - CC-109
- Germany - Convair 440
- Italy - Convair 440
- Paraguay - Convair C-131
- Spain - Convair 440
- Sri Lanka - Convair 440
- United States
- US Air Force - T-29 & C-131
- US Navy - R4Y/C-131
[edit] Civil Operators
- Air Fiji - Convair 580
- Linjeflyg - Convair 340 & 440
- Nolinor Aviation - Convair 580
- Air Chathams - Convair 580
- Air Tahoma - Convair 240 & 580
- LOT Polish Airlines - Convair 240
- IFL Group - Convair 580 & 5800
- Delta Air Lines - Convair 340 & 440
- Hawaiian Airlines - Convair 340
[edit] Specifications (240)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Length: 74 ft 8 in (22.8 m)
- Wingspan: 91 ft 9 in (28 m)
- Height: 26 ft 11 in (8.20 m)
- Wing area: 817 ft² (75.9 m²)
- Empty weight: 25,445 lb (11,540 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 42,500 lb (19,280 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-2800 "Double Wasp" 18 cylinder air cooled radial engines, () each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 315 mph (507 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 280 mph (451 km/h)
- Range: 1,200 mi (1930 km)
- Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,880 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,520 ft/min (463 m/min)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
- Convair 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 - GlobalSecurity.org
- C-131 Samaritan - The Aviation Zone
- Gunships - The Aviation Zone
[edit] Related content
Designation sequence
- Pre-1948 USAAC/F:
- 1922-1962 Navy :
- Post-1948 USAF:
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of military transport aircraft
See also
Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
