Convair CV-240 family

CV-240 family
A Scandinavian Airlines System Convair CV-440 in flight. The CV-440 is a low-wing airliner with twin radial engines
General information
TypeAirliner
ManufacturerConvair
StatusIn limited service
Primary usersAmerican Airlines (historical)
Zantop International Airlines (historical), Air Chathams (historical)
Number built1,076 (Convair)

10 (Canadair)

1,086 (total)
History
Manufactured1947–1954
Introduction date
February 29, 1948 with American Airlines
First flightMarch 16, 1947
VariantsConvair C-131 Samaritan
Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan

The Convair CV-240 is an airliner designed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Convair. The 240 portion of its designation referred to the aircraft's twin engines and its capacity to carry up to 40 passengers.

It originated as the Model 110 during the mid-1940s in response to a American Airlines requirement for an airliner to replace its ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. After being passed over for lacking cabin pressurization and insufficient size, Convair refined the aircraft into the Model 240. Performing its maiden flight on March 16, 1947, the type entered service with American, its launch customer, on February 29, 1948, becoming the first pressurized twin-engined airliner to enter service. The CV-240 family saw service with multiple airlines around the world as a commercial airliner, for which nearly a dozen civil-oriented variants were produced.

Further development of the type took place across that late 1940s and into the 1950s, leading to the Model 340 and Model 440 Metropolitan amongst others. Several models, such as the Convair C-131 Samaritan and the Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan, were produced for military purposes, including medical evacuation, VIP transportation, and training. One atypical use of the type was as a airborne laboratory for the National Research Council of Canada. While the majority of aircraft were powered by piston engines, several later-built models were furnished with turboprop powerplants instead, conversion programmes for existing aircraft were also operated. While the CV-240 had been largely displaced and retired by the end of the Cold War, various forms of the "Convairliners" have continued to fly into the twenty-first century.

Design and development

The Convair CV-240 with a requirement by American Airlines for an airliner to replace its Douglas DC-3s. Convair's original design, the unpressurized Model 110, was a twin-engined low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction that could accommodate up to 30 seats. It was powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines and provisioned with a tricycle landing gear as well as a ventral airstair for passenger boarding. The prototype Model 110, registration NX90653, made its maiden flight on July 8, 1946. By this time, American Airlines had changed the requirements to include pressurization, it had also deemed the Model 110 to be too small. Subsequently, before the prototype was ultimately broken up in 1947, Convair flew the prototype for a time in support of the development of a revised design - the Model 240.

A 1949-built Convair 240 of Swissair at Manchester, England, in March 1950

To fulfil the expressed requirements for a pressurized airliner, Convair proceeded to develop the Model 240. This design revision featured a lengthened yet thinner fuselage than the Model 110, which could accommodate up to 40 passengers in a four-abreast arrangement of ten rows. The Model 240 first flew on March 16, 1947. Convair was able to secure American as the airliner's launch customer; the company placed an initial order for 100 Model 240s, although this was later reduced to 75 aircraft.

The Convair CV-240 is an all-metal airliner with a circular cross-section fuselage and a low-mounted monoplane wing. This wing featured a multi-spar structure and hydraulically-actuated Fowler flaps. Both the rudder and trailing edges of the elevator were composed of fiberglass. The aircraft's Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp engines, which could produce up to 2,400 horsepower (1,800 kW), were installed within a four-panel clamshell cowling which provided ample access for servicing and maintenance. The aircraft also featured an exhaust-augmented cooling system that was capable of providing additional thrust. The cockpit is compatible with two-pilot operation.

The Model 240 was soon followed by the Model 340; changes included a lengthened fuselage, longer-span wings, more powerful engines, and greater payload capacity. The Model 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, which was fitted with more streamlined cowlings, new engine exhausts, and improved soundproofing for the cabin. 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. Convair ran conversion programmes for existing CV-340s and CV-440s to use turboprops, resulting in the CV-580.

Operational history

Two Convair 580s of the Aspen, Colorado-based Aspen Airways at Stapleton International Airport in Denver, US in 1986

Convair delivered the first production Convairliner to American Airlines 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; it has been leasing the type out to cargo operators into the 2010s. The second hand price for a Convair 240 in 1960 was around £40,000.

Variants

Data from: General Dynamics Aircraft and their predecessors

Civil variants

Convair 340 of KLM landing at Manchester Airport in 1954
Convair 440 Metropolitan of Lufthansa at Copenhagen Airport in 1968
Convair 580 operated by the Australian arm of New Zealand airline Pionair. This example was converted from a CV-340
Convair 640F freighter of Kitty Hawk Aircargo converted with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines
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 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) 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.
Convair 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.
Convair CV-440 Metropolitan
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 1956 until 1980.[citation needed]
On March 13, 1957, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley purchased a Convair 440 Metropolitan for $734,908.96 to travel the team during the 1957 season, and this plane was used as the team moved to Los Angeles for the 1958 season.
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 the Royal Canadian Air Force (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.[citation needed]
Convair CV-580
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.[citation needed]
Convair CV-580 Airtanker
Firefighting airtanker conversions with retardant tanks and dropping systems.[citation needed]
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 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
KF Cargo 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

KLM Convair CV-240
A Convair 580 freighter operated by the IFL Group with this aircraft being developed by Kelowna Flightcraft (now KF Aerospace) in Canada
A Nolinor Convair 580 landing at Vancouver International Airport
An Air Chathams Convair 580 at Tuuta Airport, Chatham Islands, New Zealand, in September 2003
Two North Central CV-580 at O'Hare Airport, Chicago, in 1973

Africa

Asia

Oceania

Europe

A Karair Convair Metropolitan (OH-VKN) after a mishap in landing in 1963, at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport

United States and Canada

Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America

Military operators

CV-440 operated by Luftwaffe
 Australia
Bolivia
 Canada
Colombia
CV-580
Germany
Italy
Mexico
Paraguay
Sri Lanka

Other operators

National Research Council of Canada Convair-580
 Canada
 China
  • CAAC - One CATC CV-240 defected to the People's Republic in November 1949. This may have been used as a VIP aircraft.
 United States

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (CV-240)

3-view line drawing of the Convair 240
3-view line drawing of the Convair 240

Data from General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Wegg 1990, pp. 187–188.
  2. ↑ Wegg 1990, pp. 222–226.
  3. ↑ Wegg 1990, p. 226.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Wegg 1990, pp. 187–199.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 van der Linden, R. (September 8, 2001). "Convair 240". National Air and Space Museum. National Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on January 5, 2006. Retrieved October 30, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Evolution and Legacy of the Convair CV-240 Family". aviationacademyict.com. Retrieved October 31, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Wegg 1990, p. 183.
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  9. 1 2 Wegg 1990, p. 188.
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  11. ↑ Wegg 1990, p. 192.
  12. ↑ Gradidge 1997, pp. 10–11.
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  15. 1 2 Wegg 1990, pp. 188, 199.
  16. ↑ Wegg 1990, p. 189.
  17. ↑ Wegg 1990, p. 194.
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  23. 1 2 Flight International, October 3–9, 2006.
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  47. 1 2 Flight April 8, 1960, p. 497.
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  49. 1 2 3 4 Flight April 8, 1960, p. 489.
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  52. 1 2 Bridgman 1955, p. 25.
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  54. 1 2 Bridgman 1955, p. 20.
  55. 1 2 3 Veronico & Larkins 2005, p. 55.
  56. 1 2 3 Gradidge 1997, p. 67.
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  74. ↑ Wilson 1994, p. 216.
  75. ↑ Siegrist 1987, p. 175.
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Further reading