Convair Liner Promo Film - 1955

in 1946 convair designed and built an airplane to meet airline and military requirements for a short and medium-range aircraft with a high payload at a minimum operating cost this is the plane identified as the 240 it has an unequaled record for passenger safety dependability and economy of operation one of the most unique features is the built in stairway designed as an integral part of the aircraft this loading arrangement saves time for airline operators as well as passengers convair engineers develop this orange peel cowling to facilitate engine inspection at service points or terminals the 240 was designed for fast efficient servicing and maintenance the engines each packing 2400 horsepower give the airplane a 100% power reserve at all times both in take-off and in flight the 240 is an all-metal low-wing monoplane with full cattle ever wing and tail sections it is equipped with a tricycle landing gear which keeps the plane level on the ground and adds to the maneuverability while taxiing maximum gross weight for takeoff is thirty nine thousand five hundred pounds with a payload of eight thousand nine hundred pounds it takes off well under the 3,800 foot runway lengths required by the ciear with an ample 3/4 of an hour fuel reserve the 240 as a range of 830 miles and cruises at 300 miles per hour pressurized cabins maintain comfortable flight conditions regardless of altitude or rate of climb or descent of the airplane the combination of the features shown on this airplane gets safety service record and minimum operational cost make the 240 the outstanding short and medium-haul airplane of its day with the success of the 240 established it was only natural for convair to think in terms of building a newer and larger airplane as a result the 340 conv airliner was introduced in October 1951 this is basically a new airplane with a longer fuselage a higher gross weight more powerful engines and many interior design improvements the increased wing area power and fuel capacity enables airline companies to employ the 340 not only for short range schedules but also for medium range hauls which were previously serviced by for engine equipment the design of the 340 allows maintenance and service crews to perform their jobs simultaneously this means economical operation and time saved between hauls this is the only commercial airliner designed with fuel tanks outside and away from the engine the cells this is another important safety feature hot food is easily loaded aboard for hungry passengers who will die in a loft with servicing and maintenance quickly inaccurately accomplished the ship is ready to go on the next leg of its flight for passenger convenience the hydraulic loading door is on the forward left side as the most functional location at airline training schools pilots are taught to take off and fly the conv airliner on a single-engine after a short run the plane takes off easily and clears the theoretical 50-foot obstacle at the required point with no difficulty other airline companies who use conv airliners know that this airplane has one of the highest safety records of any airplane flying today it flies and climbs easily on one engine because of its performance and proven reliability the convair 340 airliner was purchased by 21 domestic and foreign airline companies as well as 11 private industrial firms the United States Air Force and the Navy ordered modified versions for military training and transport duty bringing the total number of convair airplanes in operation throughout the world to over 1,000 larger tires carrying lower air pressure are an improvement giving the airplane better handling characteristics on unimproved runways on ice or in snow heavier gear and softer tires reduce maintenance dual tires on the gear ensure against blowout failure beginning with this convair 240 billions of passenger miles were flown by these airplanes establishing an unequal safety record with more than three million hours of flight over almost 675 million miles of air travel with the introduction of the 340 the reliability and safety records of the convair liner continued to grow from these aircraft came the Metropolitan 440 a new airplane with all the good qualities of its predecessors and a number of major improvements the many features that have given convair transports one of the best operating records of any commercial aircraft have been retained in the metropolitan 440 the home of the 440 liner is in San Diego California all the vast resources of this plant are combined to make this twin-engine airliner one of the most efficient and practical of any airplane flying today the construction is based on proven design with many new features the huge wings were subjected to tests equivalent to 50 years of airline service first the interior of the passenger cabin is covered with sound damping foil next thick acoustical blankets are added to reduce noise and vibration to a minimum these airplanes are manufactured under the watchful eyes of skilled craftsmen on this modern production line in this new versatile model operators are offered their choice of the standard 44 passenger version or the newly designed expanded seating capacity model which will accommodate 52 passengers and a crew of four the maximum usable fuel capacity is 10,000 380 pounds and at average speeds of 289 miles per hour the maximum range is about 1210 miles with the payload of 12,000 880 pounds the 440s roll off the assembly line on schedule and with the colors and striping of the airline company that will use them now they will receive all ground tests and be made ready for first flight after each airplane is checked out and flight tests are completed airline representatives take over and fly the airplane to its home base the cockpit is in modern styling with wide range of visibility and windows that will remain free of fog frost or ice the instrument panels and all controls are positioned to facilitate every operation in flying the airplane the placement is truly functional and acclaimed by pilots both commercial and military the world over electronic equipment in the 440 includes new and improved medium high and very high frequency radio communication sets instrument landing equipment and inter communication facilities airline and military operators will notice a new look in metropolitans nacelle the exceptionally clean lines are further streamlined with an increased taper at the forward end and a rectangular exhaust port at the aft end deflecting the noise down and away from the plane the new silencer developed after extensive engineering reduces exhaust sound levels to a quiet whisper in the passenger cabin the greatest aid in all weather flying available for these airliners is the weather mapping radar installation this enables pilots to avoid or minimize the discomfort and delay resulting from severe turbulence the seeing nose makes tornados storm centers or other bad weather visible to the pilot as far as 150 miles ahead by being able to route an airplane through an area of least turbulence passengers are assured of a smooth flight without the disturbance of lightning strikes hail or buffeting thus the airborne radar coupled with all the other improvements in the 440 brings a new era to air travel assuring passengers the utmost in comfort and safety because of the excellent performance of the condor united states military services selected it for a variety this is room training navigators is serious business these are the men who will be responsible for guiding air force planes to destinations the world around the versatility of the airplane permits training operations and training equipment installations comparable to tactical airplanes the airplanes are designed for overall continuous and realistic training for flight and crew personnel comfort adequate room for instruction and teaching and learning aids have been considered in the development of these airplanes the application to various training uses results in greater utilization and increased mobility of training command equipment the working crew of the ship consists of the pilot copilot crew chief and 14 students all modern methods of dead reckoning celestial navigation radar navigation and Lauren may be taught in this trainer the equipment used is similar to the types installed in tactical bombers transports and troop carriers in current operation including high-speed types new or improved equipment may be installed in the trainer on the production line or at modification centers as such equipment is developed and put into operational use with today's airplanes flying faster farther and higher the navigation of an aircraft is a vital operation the t29 flying classroom gives the student practical in-flight training with the help of the latest electronic aids and other equipment used for in-flight computation the final course and flight pattern is in the hands of the navigator in addition to the various types of radar navigational and computing equipment other t29 are equipped with a ground position indicator and bomb scoring camera or training navigator Bombardier z' the t29 airplanes have the same configuration as the conv airliner and are pressurized for high-altitude operation they have increased fuel capacity in the wings for sustained training missions at speeds comparable to some bombardment airplanes this makes it possible to simulate in training combat conditions the training of Bombardier plays an important role in our national defense system and requires a continuous training program by the United States Air Force after students have been through their schooling in the flying classroom they are ready for assignment in airplanes like this b-36 just prior to the actual drop the Bombardier takes over the control of the airplane for the bombing run the many hours of patience skill and training all add up to one thing a man trained to do a job and do it right the use of the convair liner provides a large reserve of aircraft which may be transferred to the logistic command for transport use in an emergency another version is the cargo or military transport designed for multiple use a large hydraulic door six by eight feet on this airplane from its easy loading of heavy equipment some transports are equipped with even larger doors depending on the job to be done the airplane has an exceedingly low replacement and repair rate and minimum spares requirements it has a sturdy floor designed for a standard 20 by 20 inch cargo tie-down grid pattern the entire fuselage is pressurized to four and 1600's pounds per square inch airplane accessibility permits rapid and easy servicing ground handling time and personnel are reduced by convenient loading and handling features another of the modified versions is the c-130 one be a flying electronic testbed to turbo generator pods slung from the underside of the plane are its distinguishing feature one turbo generator develops alternating current and the other direct current with an output of 600 amps the current is used to activate various pieces of electrical equipment to carry out practical experiments under flight conditions some foreign countries are also using military versions of the convair liner the ability of the airplane to take off with a short run and from small airfields with a rapid rate of climb is a big advantage this is the r4y produced for the United States Navy it can readily be adapted to serve as a passenger or cargo transport and as a trainer or evacuation airplane it is backed by the enviable safety service and operations records of conv airliners and training airplanes the flying Samaritan or hospital version is the c-130 1a working together with helicopter rescue crews trained to carry out their jobs with speed and efficiency it provides an important link in the rescue of sick or wounded personnel rapid evacuation pays off in live saved the c-130 1a has proved to be an ideal airplane for this work especially where short takeoffs and landings are necessary to get in and out of tight places the airplane has a pressurized cabin and carries a crew of five pilot copilot radio operator and two medical attendants this allows room for twelve litter and 18 ambulatory cases military planes evolved from the basic design of an established transport like the convair liner have the advantage of confirmed aerodynamic design established structural integrity demonstrated equipment reliability and proven service with maintenance simplicity conv airliners are widely acclaimed by the men who fly them millions of passenger miles have been flown by domestic airline companies as well as many international users around the clock around the world 24 hours a day conv airliners are in the sky they are flying all types of missions for the United States military services and allied air commands they play an important role in the defense of our country carrying supplies performing training missions and transporting military personnel to far-flung air bases smooth safe and dependable whatever their task wherever they fly you

Channel: Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture

Views: 172,394

Keywords: Convair (Business Operation), CV-240, CV-340, CV-440, Convair CV-240 Family (Aircraft Model), Metropolitan, B-36, Convair B-36 (Aircraft Model), San Diego (City/Town/Village), Tradewind, R3Y, Boeing, Douglas, Landing

Id: tnqDYa3Lhog

Length: 17min 35sec (1055 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 24 2014