Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Two 1,865 kw (2,500 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB16 eighteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

Following the widespread success of the Convair CV-240 series, the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation of San Diego, California moved on to the development of the CV-340 series. Initially known as the Model CV-240A, the prototype N3401 first flew on 5 October 1951, Certification being obtained on 27 March 1952. This new model featured the fuselage lengthened by 1.37 m (4 ft 6 in), and the passenger cabin lengthened by 96.5 cm (38 in). Length had thus increased to 24.14 m (79 ft 2 in) and height was increased because of longer main undercarriage legs, longer engine nacelles to accommodate the new engines, extra fuel capacity of 2,389 litres (526 Imp gals), the entrance door transferred to the port side, an increase in gross weight and a change in the outer plane dihedral.

A total of 209 Model CV-340s was completed. In addition some 472 examples of the Convair series were completed for the USAF, and 39 were delivered to the US Navy and US Marines under the designations R4Y and C-131.

United Airlines ordered 55 Model CV-340-31s after cancelling an order for Martin 3-0-3s, the hot-and-high performance of the Model CV-340 being critical. Further orders came from Braniff, Continental, Delta, Northeast and National. Later Model CV-340-68s were delivered to Lufthansa.

Like its predecessor, the Model CV-340 was also ordered by the US Military, becoming known as the C-131B,  and was used in the airborne electronic equipment test role, but was also used in the transport role with provision for 48 passengers, these aircraft being fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-103W engines and having a door for parachute dropping.

The first Model C-131B flew on 1 December 1954. Some were fitted with auxiliary power units. The Model C-131D was a military personnel transport with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB16 engines; and the Model R4Y-1 was built for the US Navy as a transport for personnel, cargo, or in the hospital transport role, having the capacity to take 27 litters. It first flew in June 1955 and had Pratt &L Whitney R-2800-52W engines.

The first Model CV-340 entered service with Braniff on 1 November 1952.

Three Model CV-340s have operated in Australia. VH-BZG (c/n 33 – ex N5507K) was obtained on lease from Hawaiian Airlines. It was leased from May 1956 to July 1957 when it was returned to its owner. Whilst in service it carried Hawaiian Airlines markings with the Australian registration on the tail. In 1961 it was converted to Model CV-580 configuration as N5100.

VH-BZD (c/n 110 – ex N3430) became available due to being part of a cancelled Braniff Airways order and was delivered to Ansett Airways on 10 June 1954, later being painted in Ansett-ANA colours and being exported to the United States in March 1959 as N440W.

VH-BZE (c/n 171 – ex XB-TUQ) was delivered to Ansett Airways in February 1955, being leased to Butler Air Transport in 1957 and returning to Ansett-ANA in 1959. Soon thereafter it was exported to Zantop International Airlines Inc as N5511K and was converted to Model CV-640F configuration with the installation of Rolls Royce Dart engines.

Whilst in Australian service these Convair CV-340 aircraft operated a reduced coach-fare service between Hobart – Melbourne – Sydney – Brisbane, forcing TAA and ANA to drop fares, which precipitated the battle which culminated in Ansett taking over ANA in 1957 to form Ansett-ANA. VH-BZD operated the inaugural Melbourne – Sydney – Brisbane service on 4 October 1954 and in service the series was known as the Super Convair.

In 2016 the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) at Albion Park, NSW obtained a Convair in South Africa, the aircraft arriving on 21 August 2016 at the museum’s base. This aircraft was built as a Model CV-340-67 as N8453H and made its first flight on 18 November 1954. It became a VC-131D with the USAF serial 54-2820 in February 1955. It served with a number of units until sold in July 1992 to Romanov Smirnow as N43895. It was leased to an operator in the Caribbean as YV914C and later became CP-2237 in 1997. It was sold to Rovos Rail Tours in South Africa and became ZS-OTE in June 2001, becoming ZS-BRV in August 2001. It was placed in storage in February 2011 and on 19 June 2012 it was flown to Wonderboom Airport. Its ferry flight to Australia was from Wonderboom was via Mozambique, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Denpasar, Darwin, Mt Isa and Dubbo to Albion Park.