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 low-wing, primarily piston-driven 240 series made some inroads as a commercial airliner, spawning nearly a dozen civil variants, and five for the military, including turboprop versions for both. 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.File:Convair 240 HB-IRV Swiss Air Lines Ringway 25.03.50.jpg|thumb|left|A 1949-built Convair 240 of Swissair at Manchester, England, in March 1950
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 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 predecessorsCivil variants
;Convair Model 110;Convair CV-240
;;Convair CV-240-21 Turboliner
;Convair CV-300
;Convair CV-540
;Convair CV-580 Airtanker
;Convair CV-600
;Convair CV-5800
;Allison Turbine ATF 580S Turbo Flagship
Military variants
;Convair C-131 Samaritan;Convair T-29 trainer
;Convair R4Y Samaritan
;Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan
;Canadair CL-66
Operators
Civil operators
Africa
- Air Algerie – CV-640
- Ethiopian Air Lines – CV-240
- Kardair – CV-440
- Titan Helicopter Group – 3 CV-580
- Regional Air
- Rovos Air
Asia
- Air Jordan – CV-240
- Air Maldives – CV-440
- All Nippon Airways – CV-440
- Ariana Afghan Airlines – CV-340
- , - 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
- Saudia – 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
- 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 – & 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 – 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
- 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 – 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, CV-640
- Air Rajneesh – CV-240
- Air Resorts – CV-440
- Air Tahoma – CV-240 & CV-580
- Allegheny Airlines -, CV-440, CV-540 & CV-580
- Alaska Airlines – CV-240
- American Airlines – CV-240
- American Eagle – See Metro Airlines
- American Inter-Island – CV-440
- 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 – 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
- Cordova Airlines – CV-240
- 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 – CV-240, CV-340, CV-440, CV-580 & CV-600
- Great Lakes Airlines – CV-440 & CV-580
- Gulf Air Transport – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-580
- Harrison Airways – CV-440
- Hawaiian Airlines – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-640
- IFL Group – CV-580 & CV-5800
- Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter – 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
- Lake Central Airlines – CV-340 & CV-580
- Laredo Air – CV-580
- Mackey Airlines – CV-440 & CV-580
- Metro Airlines – CV-580
- 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 – CV-580
- North Central Airlines – CV-580
- Northeast Airlines – CV-240
- Northwest Airlines – CV-580
- Pacific Western Airlines – CV-640
- Pan American World Airways – CV-240 & CV-340
- Powell Air – CV-440
- Quebecair – CV-540
- Renown Aviation – CV-440 & CV-580
- Republic Airlines – CV-580
- 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
- Trans-Texas Airways – CV-240 & CV-600
- Texas International Airlines – CV-600
- Time Air – CV-580 & CV-640
- Trans-Colorado Airlines – CV-580
- United Airlines – CV-340 & CV-580
- Viking International Airlines – CV-600 & CV-640
- Westates Airlines – CV-580
- Western Airlines – CV-240
- Wright Air Lines – 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 – CV-240
- Aeromexico – CV-340
- Aeroquetzal – CV-580
- ALM Antillean Airlines – CV-340 & CV-440
- Arawak Airlines CV-440
- ARCO Aerolíneas Colonia S.A. – CV-240, CV-600
- Avensa – CV-240, CV-340, CV-580
- Aviateca – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
- Caribair – see North America
- Chilean Airways – CV-580
- COPA Compañia Panameña de Aviación – CV-340
- Cruzeiro do Sul – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440
- LACSA – CV-340 & CV-440
- Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas – 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 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
; :
- Luftwaffe operated six CV-440s.
- Italian Air Force operated four CV-440 Metropolitans from 1957 until 1978
- Mexican Air Force CV-580 Nowadays used as an AEW&C Simulator on AFB #1 Santa Lucia
- Paraguayan Air Force: CV-440/C-131D
- Sri Lanka Air Force - CV-440