Manufacturer · United States · Founded 1943
Convair: Too Fast, Too Late
Being fastest doesn’t always win. In the early jet age, a San Diego company called Convair built airliners that could outrun the Boeing 707. They sold so poorly that the project produced one of the biggest corporate losses of its time, and Convair never built another airliner. It’s one of aviation’s great cautionary tales.
The Convairliners
Convair was formed in 1943 when two aircraft makers, Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee, merged. After the war, its first airliner was a big success. The CV-240, which entered service in the late 1940s, was a pressurised twin-engined piston airliner designed to replace the ageing DC-3. It was followed by the larger 340 and the 440 Metropolitan. Together, the “Convairliners” served airlines across America and beyond.
Many were later converted to turboprop power, as the Convair 580 and similar models, giving them a remarkably long second life. Some still fly cargo and firefighting missions today.
The arc
Convair’s airliner story
- 1943The bet
Convair formed
Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee merge, based in San Diego.
- 1947Proof
CV-240 Convairliner
A pressurised twin aimed at replacing the DC-3.
- 1950sProof
340 and 440
Bigger, more powerful Convairliners sell well.
- 1954Reset
Bought by General Dynamics
Convair becomes a division of the defence group.
- 1960The bet
Convair 880 in service
A smaller, faster rival to the 707 and DC-8.
- 1962The bet
Convair 990 Coronado
An even faster version for longer routes.
- 1963Break
Production ends
After just 65 880s and 37 990s, and huge losses.
The race for speed
In 1954 Convair became part of the defence group General Dynamics. As jets arrived, it chose a different strategy from Boeing and Douglas: instead of matching the 707 and DC-8, it would build a smaller, faster jet. The Convair 880, named for its top speed of 880 feet per second, entered service in 1960, followed by the even faster 990 Coronado, built for American Airlines.
The 990 was among the fastest subsonic airliners ever built. Its wings carried distinctive pods, called anti-shock bodies, designed to smooth the airflow at high speed.
Why speed wasn’t enough
Airlines care less about top speed than about cost per seat. The Convair jets carried fewer passengers than the 707 and DC-8, burned plenty of fuel and arrived after many airlines had already ordered Boeing or Douglas. The 990 also had early problems meeting its promised performance. Only 65 Convair 880s and 37 990s were built before production ended in 1963. General Dynamics reported a loss of around $185 million on the programme, an enormous sum for the time.
Convair left the airliner business but stayed in aerospace, including building large fuselage sections for McDonnell Douglas’s DC-10 and MD-11. The lesson it left behind, that economics beats speed, is the same one Concorde would learn a few years later.
The real numbers
Convair in figures
1943
Formed
Consolidated + Vultee
65
Convair 880s
Built 1959–1962
37
Convair 990s
Built 1961–1963
~$185m
Programme loss
One of the largest of its era
Iconic aircraft
1948
Convair CV-240/340/440
The “Convairliner” family of piston twin airliners.
1960s
Convair 580
Turboprop conversions of the Convairliner, some still flying today.
1960
Convair 880
A fast, narrow jet airliner; only 65 built.
1962
Convair 990 Coronado
Among the fastest subsonic airliners ever; only 37 built.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Convair 880 and 990 fail?
They were fast but smaller and less economical than the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, and arrived after airlines had already committed to those jets. Only 102 were built in total, and the programme cost General Dynamics a loss of around $185 million, one of the largest corporate losses of its time.
Do any Convair airliners still fly?
Yes. Turboprop-converted Convairliners such as the CV-580 still fly freight in places like New Zealand, and some are used for firefighting.
Where was Convair based?
San Diego, California.
Did Convair stop making aircraft parts?
After leaving the airliner business it continued in aerospace and defence work, including building major fuselage sections for McDonnell Douglas’s DC-10 and MD-11.
What does Convair stand for?
It is a contraction of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft, from the 1943 merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee.