The Convair CV-240 is an American

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

. 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

s. 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.Gradidge 1997, p. 10. Convair 240 HB-IRV Swiss Air Lines Ringway 25

Convair 240 HB-IRV Swiss Air Lines Ringway 25

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.Wegg 1990, pp. 187–188. The 240 first flew on March 16, 1947.Wegg 1990, p. 188. 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.Wegg 1990, pp. 188–189. 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.Wegg 1990, p. 192. 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 Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started o ...

, Pan American Airways,

Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...

, KLM,

Swissair Swissair AG/ S.A. (German: Schweizerische Luftverkehr-AG; French: S.A. Suisse pour la Navigation Aérienne) was the national airline of Switzerland between its founding in 1931 and bankruptcy in 2002. It was formed from a merger between Bal ...

, Sabena, and Trans Australia Airlines.Gradidge 1997, pp. 10–11. Convair 580 N5818 Aspen Aws DEN Stapleton 20

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 The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

. 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 Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki� ...

, 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.''Flight'' November 18, 1960, p. 794.

Variants

''Data from:'' General Dynamics Aircraft and their predecessors

Civil variants

Convair 640 N866TA Kitty Hawk Willow Run 19

;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.Wegg 1990, p. 183. ;Convair CV-240 :Initial production version, with seats for 40 passengers in a pressurised fuselage. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines.Wegg 1990, pp. 188, 199. 176 built (excluding military derivatives).Wegg 1990, p. 189. ;;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.Wegg 1990, p. 194. ;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.Gradidge 1997, p. 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

and

SAS SAS or Sas may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers * ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series * Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...

. 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 Napier may refer to: People * Napier (surname), including a list of people with that name * Napier baronets, five baronetcies and lists of the title holders Given name * Napier Shaw (1854–1945), British meteorologist * Napier Waller (1893–19 ...

for

Allegheny Airlines Allegheny Airlines was a regional airline that operated out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1952 to 1979 with routes primarily located in the eastern U.S. It was the forerunner of USAir that was subsequently renamed US Airways, which itself me ...

.Frawley 1997, p. 86. 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 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is an American aircraft company and a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. Gulfstream designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and services business jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,000 ...

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 In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...

feeder service.

General Motors Air Transport The General Motors Air Transport Section (GMATS) was a corporate air service operated by General Motors to provide fast transportation for employees that needed to travel between various GM locations. Originally named the "Air Transport Section o ...

(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.'' Flight International'', October 3–9, 2006. ;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 Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch were an American professional wrestling tag team most famous for the time they spent performing for World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw brand. The team debuted on the September 5, 2005 episode of '' Raw'' and i ...

(six). ;Convair CV-5800 KFCargoConvairCV5800C-GKFSYYJAugust2018

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.Gradidge 1997, p. 39. A total of six aircraft were converted (construction numbers 276 to 279, 309, 343) and mostly used by

Contract Air Cargo A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more Party (law), parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, Service (economics), ser ...

(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 Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...

and VIP under this designation ;

Convair T-29 The Convair C-131 Samaritan is an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.Gradidge 1997, p. 20–21. Design and development The design ...

trainer :A trainer model of the C-131 was used to instruct navigators and radio operators ;

Convair R4Y Samaritan The Convair C-131 Samaritan is an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.Gradidge 1997, p. 20–21. Design and development The design ...

: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 Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

Canadair Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. In 1986, its assets were acquired by Bombardier Aerospace, the aviation division of Canadian transport conglomerate Bombardier Inc. Canadair's origins lie in the establishm ...

. 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

Convair 240, KLM PH-TEB, Kodachrome by Chalmers Butterfield

Africa

* Air Algerie – CV-640 *

Ethiopian Air Lines Ethiopian Airlines (commonly referred to as Ethiopian; am, የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ, translit=Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā āyer menged), formerly ''Ethiopian Air Lines'' (EAL), is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and is wholly owned by ...

– CV-240 * Kardair (Libya) – CV-440 *

Titan Helicopter Group Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

(South Africa) – 3 CV-580 *

Regional Air Regional Air Services is an airline based in Arusha, Tanzania. It is the Tanzanian division of Airkenya and operates domestic services and charter flights in East and Southern Africa.Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthl ...

(South Africa – 2 CV-580) *

Rovos Air Rovos Air was a charter airline headquartered in Randpark Ridge, South Africa based at Wonderboom Airport.Air Jordan – CV-240''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 491. *

Air Maldives Air Maldives was the first national airline and flag carrier of the Maldives. It was established on 1 October 1974 during the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir. After operating for about 26 years, the airline declared bankruptcy and stopped all operat ...

– CV-440 * All Nippon Airways – CV-440 * Ariana Afghan Airlines – CV-340Wragg 1969, p. 7. * (CATC), - 6 CV-240 *

Garuda Indonesia Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. A successor of KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, it is a member of SkyTeam and the second-largest airline of Indonesia after Lion Air, operat ...

– CV-240,Bridgman 1955, p. 21 CV-340 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 58 * Iran Air – CV-240 * Japan Domestic Airlines – CV-240 * Orient Airways CV-240Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 59–60 * Pakistan International Airlines – CV-240 * Philippine Airlines – CV-340Bridgman 1955, p. 26 *

Royal Air Cambodge Royal Air Cambodge ( km, អាកាសចរណ៍ភូមិន្ទ កម្ពុជា; known as 'Air Cambodge' ( km, អាកាសចរ កម្ពុជា) from 1970 to 1975) was the flag carrier airline of Cambodia, headquarter ...

– CV-440 *

Saudi Arabian Airlines Saudia ( ar, السعودية '), formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines (), is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. The airline's main operational base is at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. King Khalid Internati ...

– CV-340Bridgman 1955, p. 27 * Seulawah Air Services – CV-640 *

South East Asia Air Transport South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

– 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 Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into Adminis ...

– CV-340,Bridgman 1955, p. 14 CV-440 (some were formerly operated by Braniff International Airways)Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 57–558 * Chathams Pacific – CV-580 * Pionair – CV-580 * Real Tonga – CV-580 * Trans Australia Airlines – CV-240Bridgman 1955, p. 15

Europe

Aviaco Aviación y Comercio, S.A., doing business as Aviaco, was a Spanish airline headquartered in the ''Edificio Minister'' in Madrid."World Airline Directory." ''Flight International''. 16 May 1981. p1411 "Maudes 51, Edificio Minister, Madrid 3, Spai ...

– CV-440''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 493. * Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane – , CV-340 & CV-440''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 492. * Condor (& predecessor Deutsche Flugdienst) – & CV-440 *

Delta Air Transport Delta Air Transport (abbreviated DAT) was a Belgian regional airline headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, operating scheduled and chartered flights, mostly on short-haul routes. It served a multitude of regional European destinations on behalf o ...

– CV-440 * European Air Transport – CV-5807>Lambert 1993, p. 7 * Finnair – CV-340''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 489. & CV-440 *

Fred Olsen Air Transport A/S Fred. Olsens Flyselskap (FOF), trading internationally as Fred. Olsen Airtransport, was a Norwegian charter airline which operated between 1946 and 1997, largely operating cargo aircraft. Based at Oslo Airport, Fornebu, it was created as a s ...

– CV-340 * General Air (Germany) – CV-440 * Iberia Airlines – Convair CV-440''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 497. *

JAT Yugoslav Airlines Jat Airways (stylized as JatAirways; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jat ervejz, Јат ервејз) was the national flag carrier and largest airline of Serbia, and formerly Yugoslavia. Founded in 1927 as Aeroput, the airline ceased operatio ...

– CV-340 & CV-440 * Kar-Air CV-440Wragg 1969, pp. 34–35. * KLM – CV-240Bridgman 1955, p. 25 & CV-340 * Linjeflyg – CV-340 & CV-440 *

LOT Polish Airlines LOT Polish Airlines, legally incorporated as Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. (, ''flight''), is the flag carrier of Poland. Established in 1928, LOT was a founding member of IATA and remains one of the world's oldest airlines in operation. Wit ...

– CV-240 (5 in 1957–1966) *

– CV-340Bridgman 1955, p. 20 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 55 * Martinair – CV-640 * Mey-Air – CV-240 * Nor-Fly Charter – CV-440 & CV-580 *

Pan Adria Airways Pan Adria Airways ( sh, Aerotransportno Preduzeće JPTT / ) was a Yugoslavian charter airliner based at Zagreb. Pan Adria Airways was formed in 1961 by the Yugoslav Government as a domestic operator. It later operated night-mail flights as well ...

CV-440 *

Partnair Partnair A/S was a Norwegian charter airline which operated from 1971 to 1989. During the later 1980s it was Norway's fifth-largest airline by revenue, operating a fleet of three Convair CV-580 and six Beechcraft Super King Air. The airline wa ...

– CV-580 * – CV-240 * SABENA – CV-240 & CV-440 *

– CV-440 * SATA, SA de Transport Aérien – CV-440 & CV-640 *

Stellar Airfreighter Stellar means anything related to one or more stars (''stella''). The term may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Stellar'' (magazine), an Irish lifestyle and fashion magazine * Stellar Loussier, a character from ''Mobile Suit Gu ...

(Norway) – CV-440 *

Swiftair Swiftair S.A. is an airline headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It operates scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo flights in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Madrid–Barajas Airport. History The airline was founded ...

– CV-580 *

– CV-240 & CV-440 * Tellair – CV-440

United States and Canada

* Air Mid-America – CV-600 *

Air New England The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

– CV-580 * Air Ontario – CV-580 * Air Rajneesh – CV-440 *

Air Resorts Air Resorts was a regional airline based in San Diego and Saint Thomas. History Air Resorts was founded in 1978 by Ted Vallas as a flight training and air-taxi operator based out of Carlsbad-Palomar Airport in San Diego. By 1978 Air Resorts ha ...

– CV-440 * Air Tahoma – CV-240 & CV-580 *

- , 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 Atlantic Gulf Airlines was a regional airline founded by Tom Tepper and Kerry Broaddus in Florida that began operations in October 1983. History Service started with two British-manufactured Vickers Viscount four engine turboprop airliners. Atl ...

– CV-580 * Bar Harbor Airlines – CV-600 *

Braniff International Airways Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 un ...

– CV-340 & CV-440 *

Buffalo Airways Buffalo Airways is a family-run airline based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, established in 1970. Buffalo Airways was launched by Bob Gauchie and later sold to one of his pilots, Joe McBryan (aka "Buffalo Joe"). It operates charte ...

– CV-240 bought for its engines, not put in service * Cal Sierra Airlines – CV-580 * Canadian Pacific Airlines – CV-240''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 495. *

Caribair (Puerto Rico) Caribair was a Puerto Rican airline based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that served over a dozen destinations in the Caribbean as well as Miami. In 1970, the air carrier was serving 16 destinations on 14 Caribbean islands, plus Miami. The airline ...

– CV-340, CV-440 & CV-640 * Central Airlines – CV-240 & CV-600 * Charter Airlines – CV-580 * Cochise Airlines – CV-440 * Conair Group – CV-580 *

– CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 44–45 * 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-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 45 * Desert Air – CV-240 *

Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...

– 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 Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...

(Canada) – CV-440 * Hawaiian Airlines – CV-340, CV-440 & CV-640Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 45–46, 80 * IFL Group – CV-580 & CV-5800 *

(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 Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

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 Mohawk Airlines was a regional passenger airline operating in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, mainly in New York and Pennsylvania, from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972. At its height, it employe ...

– CV-240 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 46 * National Airlines – CV-340 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 47 * Nolinor Aviation – CV-580 * Norcanair – CV-580 & CV-640 * Nordair (Nordair Metro division) – CV-580 * North Central Airlines – CV-580 *

Northeast Airlines Northeast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts that chiefly operated in the northeastern United States, and later to Canada, Florida, the Bahamas, Los Angeles and other cities. It was acquired by and merged into Del ...

– CV-240Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 47–48 * 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-340Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 48 *

Powell Air Powell Air was a Canadian airline based in Powell River, British Columbia. It was founded by Daryl Smith, Lynn Mulhall and George Percy in 1975 after acquiring Air West's Powell River operations. Charters were operated utilizing a combination of ...

– 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 A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort' ...

– CV-580 *

Rhoades Aviation Rhodes is a locational surname, with other spellings Rhoades, Rhoads, Roads, Roades, and Rodes, deriving from the Old English ''rod'', meaning "a clearing in the woods", or from one of a number of locations from this word. Topographical features pro ...

– 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 A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a m ...

– 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 Time Air was an airline in Canada founded in 1966 by businessman Walter “Stubb” Ross from Lethbridge in Alberta. It was called Lethbridge Air Service before becoming Time Airways Ltd. which was then shortened to Time Air Ltd. In 1993 it ...

– 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-340Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 48–49 & 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 Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

– CV-600 & CV-640 * Westates Airlines – CV-580 * Western Airlines – CV-240Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 49–50 * 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 Aerocaribe was an airline based in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. It was a regional affiliate of Mexicana operating services under the Mexicana Inter banner and codeshares with its parent company. It operated almost 120 flights a day. In 2005 Mexica ...

– CV-340 & CV-4407>Lambert 1993, p. 7 * Aerolíneas Argentinas – CV-240 * Aerolineas Colonia (Uruguay) – CV-240 * Aeromexico – CV-340 *

Aeroquetzal Aeroquetzal is a defunct airline formerly based at Guatemala La Aurora International Airport. Flying only regional routes first, Aeroquetzal later became the first Guatemalan airline besides Aviateca to operate a short lived scheduled passenger ...

– CV-580 * ALM Antillean Airlines – CV-340 & CV-440 * Arawak Airlines (Trinidad and Tobago) CV-440 *

ARCO Aerolíneas Colonia ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States and ...

S.A. (Uruguay) – CV-240, CV-600 * Avensa – CV-240, CV-340,''Flight'' April 8, 1960, p. 490. CV-580 * Aviateca – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440 *

– see North America *

Chilean Airways Chilean may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Chile, a country in South America * Chilean people * Chilean Spanish * Chilean culture * Chilean cuisine * Chilean Americans See also *List of Chileans This is a list of Chileans who ar ...

– CV-580 * COPA Compañia Panameña de Aviación – CV-340 * Cruzeiro do Sul – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 52–53 * (FAMA) * LACSA – CV-340 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, pp. 53–54 * Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (LAP) – 3 CV-240 *

LAN Chile LATAM Airlines Chile (formerly LAN Airlines and LAN-Chile) is an airline based in Santiago, Chile, one of the founders of LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America's largest airline holding company. The main hub is Arturo Merino Benítez International ...

– CV-440 * Prinair – CV-580 * Real Transportes Aéreos – CV-340 & CV-440Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 53 * SAHSA – CV-580 * Transportes Aéreos Nacional – CV-440 * VARIG – CV-240, CV-340 & CV-440

Military operators

; *

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

- Two CV-440 Metropolitans (RAAF serial ''A95-313 and 353'') were in service with RAAF from 1956 to 1968. **

No. 34 Squadron RAAF No. 34 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) VIP transport squadron. It operates Boeing 737 Business Jets and Dassault Falcon 7Xs from Defence Establishment Fairbairn in Canberra. The squadron was formed in February 1942 fo ...

; : * 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 } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

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 The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the yo ...

- 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) The National Research Council Canada (NRC; french: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research and development, research & development. It is the ...

CV-580
C-FNRC) multi purpose flying laboratory, mainly used for airborne

atmospheric An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

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 The Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) (formerly ''Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS)'') is a branch of Natural Resources Canada's Earth Science Sector. It was created in 1970 with Lawrence Morley as the first Director Gene ...

, later

Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; french: Environnement et Changement climatique Canada),Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment ( ...

, retired to the

Canada Aviation and Space Museum The Canada Aviation and Space Museum (french: link=no, Musée de l'Aviation et de l'Espace du Canada) (formerly the Canada Aviation Museum and National Aeronautical Collection) is Canada's national aviation history museum. The museum is located ...

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 Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

, (C-131B N131CR) *

Environmental Research Institute of Michigan The Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) was a research institute at Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded in 1972. The institute contributed to the development of remote sensing, radar, and holography. ERIM grew out of a military and envir ...

, 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 N3UWRodriguez, Javier
"Convair 580."
''airliners.net,'' 1999. Retrieved: June 7, 2011.)

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (CV-240)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Best, Martin S. "The Development of Commercial Aviation in China: Part 8A: Central Air Transport Corporation". ''Air Britain Archive'', Summer 2009. pp. 75–92. . * 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.
"Commercial Aircraft of the World".
'' Flight'', November 18, 1960. Vol. 78, No. 2697. pp. 781–827. . * "Complete Civil Registers: 7: Ethiopia ET: Part Two". ''Archive''. 1996, No. 3. Air-Britain Historians. pp. 63–68. . * 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, . * Hagby, Kay
''Fra Nielsen & Winther til Boeing 747.''
Drammen, Norway. Hagby, 1998. . * 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 ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fir ...

'', 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. .
"World Airline Directory"
'' Flight'', April 8, 1960, Vol. 77, No. 2665. pp. 484–516. .

External links

Convair CV-240, National Air and Space Museum

C-131 Samaritan factsheet, National Museum of the United States Air Force

C-131 Samaritan, The Aviation Zone

Gunships, The Aviation Zone

BBC News Article about Convair CV-440

Aero News Network Article about Convair CV-440Canadian Research Facilities Navigator: NRC Flight Research Laboratory Convair-580 aircraft
{{ADF aircraft designations CV-240 1940s United States airliners 1950s United States airliners Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1947 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft