Convair 240

1947

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Convair 240

The first post-World War II commercial transport designed by Consolidated Vultee was evolved primarily as a DC-3 replacement. The prototype first flew at San Diego on 16 March 1947 and the first licensed aircraft was delivered to American Airlines on 28 February 1948. Altogether 176 were built. Accommodation was provided for 40 passengers. The aircraft was powered by two 1,788kW Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA18 radial engines.

Military versions of the 240 were produced as the T-29A to E aircrew trainers for navigators and bombardiers; and as the C-131A Samaritan personnel or casualty evacuation transport accommodating 37 passengers or 27 stretchers.

Convair 240

Specification 
 CREW3-4
 PASSENGERS40
 ENGINE1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA18, 1765kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight18972 kg41826 lb
  Empty weight12530 kg27624 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan28.0 m92 ft 10 in
  Length22.7 m75 ft 6 in
  Height8.3 m27 ft 3 in
  Wing area75.9 m2816.98 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed538 km/h334 mph
  Cruise speed480 km/h298 mph
  Ceiling9150 m30000 ft
  Range w/max.fuel2880 km1790 miles

Comments1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80
Michael Shore, e-mail, 14.10.2010 16:11

I got to briefly crew on the Air Force model, the T-29 when in the Air Force. In later years, as a commercial pilot in Civil Air Patrol I got some stick time. What a rush.

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Roy M. Jones, e-mail, 07.10.2010 06:04

I worked for Trans-Texas Airways 63 to 71, they had 20 240's and 25 DC-3's at the time. I was ramprat, did loadcompt, etc. 8 years with TTA, love the sound of those 2800's, flew on them, set in the jumpseat a lot on flights. they then changed them to Convair 600's with the RR engines, They made the airline a lot of money, over the years. Only had one crash that I remember. Helped the company mechanic's work on them, got my A&P in 1967, to me, an good running 2800 is an beautiful sound. Have hundreds of stories about them.

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Richard Ottens, e-mail, 25.09.2010 01:09

I joined the USAF in 1973, went thru Aircraft Maintenence School on KC-97's. First duty station was Rhien Main AB, Germany, and went to work on the 5 T-29 A's & B's and 1 C131 D Model. Greatest memories are because I was the youngest troop, and tallest, in the 322nd Tactical Airlift Squadron, I would be volunteered to remove the sheetmetal "dishpan" and undo all those Zeus Fastners around the outside edge of that firewall from standing on the main landinggear wheel. Also remember being told not to watch the engine blades to closely at night with a lightall shining as the blades would hypnotize you.
All of our planes left in summer to fall of 1974 and I went to work on C-5A's and C141A's. Always loved the T-29's, and C131's---- wonderful birds....

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Charles Fiedler, e-mail, 15.09.2010 01:31

Flew the CV-580 for a commuter airline in my career. It is built like a tank and a hot rod also!!

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Bruce Sorensen, e-mail, 08.09.2010 04:30

Braniff had a predominate fleet of CV-340's but also had CV-440's. Several of the BNF Convair 340's were sold to North Central Airlines and converted to CV-580's. N3428 was one I recall offhand. Those same aircraft also wore the Northwest colors after the NWA /RC merger.

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George Dretaz, e-mail, 18.08.2010 23:51

In 1959 I was stationed at Patuxant River MD. VR-1 was the squadron. We had about 10 of the Convair 240's, they were called R-4Y's. We flew cargo and passengers up and down the East Coast and to some of the southern islands. I was certified and an "Orderly" crew member and logged many hours in the air. I hated to leave the squadron in late 1961. It was a good airplane.

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Bob Hamblin, e-mail, 21.08.2010 22:55

Flew these as a Mission Pilot at Mather AFB from April 1956 - Dec 1957 putting in over 1000 hours. On a check ride we took off fom McClellan AFB with left engine feathered. Great plane to fly!

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howard nethken, e-mail, 16.05.2010 17:54

crew chief for 4 yrs on mcas el toro c131 141019 from 74 to 78. best job in the corps. magnificent plane. any pix of it anywhere?

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John Cahoon, e-mail, 09.05.2010 21:32

I flew the JC-131B version at Patrick AFB in the 1960's in support of the missile /space programs at the Cape. There is nothing in life sweeter than the sounds and smells of those beautiful big round engines.

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Richard Henningsen, e-mail, 11.03.2010 20:42

I had the privilege of being an Instructor Navigator at both James Connally and Mather Air Force Bases from 1964 to 1970 and trained over 700 nav students aboard the T-29. It was rugged, dependable (even with one engine out and the other smoking)and pretty - even now. Great memories - I especially enjoyed pinning the wings on many of my students at their graduation.

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Dan Nall, e-mail, 05.09.2010 03:17

I flew flight Engineer on C131's in the last 60's from Pax River Md. VR-1 up and down East Coast and in / out of the Caribbean. I loved the plane. Only one bad experience with loosing a compressor. I was fortunate that some pilots gave me the chance to actually fly it!

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Jim Dodds, e-mail, 29.01.2010 05:29

I was A & P mech on them at American Airlines 1957 till they where gone.

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George Berthelson, e-mail, 28.01.2010 21:46

The first military aircraft I was every airborne in. I was in a USMC Reserve in Missoula, Montana and we flew to NAS North Island, California for our two week summer camp. At this time I was a PFC assigned the status as BARman. 21 years later the last aircraft I flew as a Marine Aviator was NAS Memphis' C-131. So the C-131 was my first and last aircraft exprience of my military career. Great bird!

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Maynard Wedul, e-mail, 06.09.2010 17:52

I was stationed at Ellington AFB from Jan 1954 till July 1957. I flew the Convair over 2800 Hours for navigation training. They were flying classrooms for training navigators. In all that time I had only one single engine landing. It was a very smooth , forgiving plane to fly. Very dependable. I went from EllingtonAFB to ElmendorfAFB in Anchorage Alaska and Flew the DEW line sites in

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John McGrail, e-mail, 07.01.2010 20:49

In the mid to late seventies, the Coast Guard acquired and reactivated retired Air Force C131s for use as a mid-range search and rescue, medivac, and recon platform while they waited for delivery of their new Falcon jets. I flew them for 4 years out of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami and logged over 2500 hours; first as a brand new new co-pilot right out of the Naval Aviation Training Command, and later as an Aircraft Commander. It was an old and sometimes cranky aircraft by then, but we flew them hard and in every kind of wx condition including developing hurricanes; always got the job done and always got us home; albeiet once in a while on only one engine. I loved the aircraft and the sound and feeling of those 2800s at full takeoff power was awesome. Great memories!

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martin waldman, e-mail, 07.01.2010 20:23

I was with the 15th AMTS at Brookley AFB Mobile AL.We had 5 C-131A's. I was there from 1957 to 1960.

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Jim Birke, e-mail, 31.12.2009 01:05

I was stationed at Harlingen AFB from '57 to '61 as a crew chief on a T29 (No. 798 if memory serves me right). During that time there were three crashes, one pancake into a cotton field, one nose wheel failure, and one cartwheel which pretty much disassembled the bird. If anyone has any information about these incidents or knows where I might find it, Would you please email it to me.

Thanks Jim Birke 3610 flight line maintenance squadron.

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Mary Wilson, e-mail, 23.11.2009 00:52

My father was with the crew that delivered the first Convair to Australia in 1948...Does anyone have any details of that trip?

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Martin Cross, e-mail, 21.09.2009 11:25

It was an aircraft of this type that was transporting southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisianna when it crashed near Gillsburg, Mississippi on October 20, 1977. A right engine magneto fault was identified as a contributing factor in the crash.

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lee, e-mail, 03.07.2009 06:53

transtexas got their convair 240s from american-they didnt have 440s-braniff had 340s-delta and eastern had 440s

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