Convair CV-240 family explained

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.[1]

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.[2] The 240 first flew on March 16, 1947.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[3] 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.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]
    Convair CV-240
  • Initial production version, with seats for 40 passengers in a pressurised fuselage. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney 2400hp R-2800 engines.[9] 176 built (excluding military derivatives).[10]
    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.[11]
    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.[12]
    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.[13]
  • 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.[13] Finnair operated the type from 1956 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.[14] Cost of the conversions was around £175,000 per aircraft and took 60 days.[7] 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.[14] 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.[16]
    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.[14] In 2012, a total of seven Convair CV-640 aircraft remained in airline service, with Rhoades Aviation (one) and C&M Airways (six).[16]
  • Convair CV-5800A 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)[17] 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.[18] 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.[19] [20]
    Allison Turbine ATF 580S Turbo Flagship
  • Stretched Convairliner conversion.[21]

    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

    Asia

    Oceania

    Europe

    United States and Canada

    Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America

    Military operators

    :
    Colombia: CV-580
  • Germany:
  • Italy
    Paraguay:
    Mexico

    Other operators

    Accidents and incidents

    See main article: List of accidents and incidents involving the Convair CV-240 family.

    References

    Bibliography

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Gradidge 1997, p. 10.
    2. Wegg 1990, pp. 187–188.
    3. Wegg 1990, p. 188.
    4. Wegg 1990, pp. 188–189.
    5. Wegg 1990, p. 192.
    6. Gradidge 1997, pp. 10–11.
    7. Flight November 18, 1960, p. 794.
    8. Wegg 1990, p. 183.
    9. Wegg 1990, pp. 188, 199.
    10. Wegg 1990, p. 189.
    11. Wegg 1990, p. 194.
    12. http://www.prop-liners.com/cvhistory.htm "Convair-Liner History."
    13. Gradidge 1997, p. 13
    14. Frawley 1997, p. 86.
    15. Flight November 18, 1960, p. 793.
    16. Flight International, October 3–9, 2006.
    17. http://aerofavourites.nl/cvrlin04.htm aerofavourites, Convair CV-240 - CV-640
    18. Gradidge 1997, p. 39.
    19. Klee, Ulrich & Bucher, Frank et al. jp airline-fleets international 2013/14. Sutton, UK, 2013, pp. 321 and 583.
    20. http://www.ruudleeuw.com/convair_tec.htm Ruud Leeuw, ConvairLiners background information
    21. Book: Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987–88 . 1987 . Jane's Information Group . London . 978-0-7106-0850-5 . John W.R. Taylor . registration .
    22. Archive 1992 No. 3, pp. 64–65
    23. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 491.
    24. Wragg 1969, p. 7.
    25. Best Air-Britain Archive Summer 2009, p. 83
    26. Best Air-Britain Archive Autumn 2009, p. 104
    27. Bridgman 1955, p. 21
    28. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 58
    29. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 59–60
    30. Bridgman 1955, p. 26
    31. Web site: SINGAPORE PROPLINERS 1975. 10 February 2021. goodall.com.au.
    32. Bridgman 1955, p. 27
    33. Web site: SOUTH EAST ASIA 1960s-1970s – INDONESIA & DUTCH NEW GUINEA. 10 February 2021. goodall.com.au.
    34. Web site: SINGAPORE and BALI 1980. 10 February 2021. goodall.com.au.
    35. Bridgman 1955, p. 14
    36. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 57–558
    37. Bridgman 1955, p. 15
    38. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 493.
    39. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 492.
    40. Lambert 1993, p. [37].
    41. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 489.
    42. Hagby 1998, p. 34.
    43. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 497.
    44. Wragg 1969, pp. 34–35.
    45. Bridgman 1955, p. 25
    46. Jońca, Adam (1986) Samoloty linii lotniczych 1957–1981, WKiŁ, Warsaw,, p.2
    47. Bridgman 1955, p. 20
    48. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 55
    49. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 495.
    50. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 44–45
    51. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 45
    52. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 45–46, 80
    53. [1977 Convair CV-240 crash]
    54. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 46
    55. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 47
    56. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 47–48
    57. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 48
    58. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 48–49
    59. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 49–50
    60. Lambert 1993, p. [27].
    61. Flight April 8, 1960, p. 490.
    62. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 52–53
    63. Tony Eastwood, John Roach: Piston Engine Airliner Production List. The Aviation Hobby Shop, West Drayton, 2007.
    64. Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 53–54
    65. Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 53
    66. Book: Wilson. Stewart. Military Aircraft of Australia. 1994. Aerospace Publications. Weston Creek, Australia. 978-1-875671-08-3. 216.
    67. Siegrist 1987, p. 175.
    68. Web site: Italian Air Force Aircraft Types. www.aeroflight.co.uk.
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