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 | |
| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Convair |
| Status | In limited service |
| Primary users | American Airlines (historical) Zantop International Airlines (historical), Air Chathams (historical) |
| Number built | 1,076 (Convair) 10 (Canadair) |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1947–1954 |
| Introduction date | February 29, 1948 with American Airlines |
| First flight | March 16, 1947 |
| Variants | Convair C-131 Samaritan Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan |
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.