Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would not say lemons, just the wrong idea when compared to other aircraft. The fastest non-AB airliners ever built. Mach 0.9+ cruise. One of my instructors in the late 70s flew for Northeast or Northeastern, don't remember which, in the 60s, and he flew the CV. Loved it. It was just hard to compete with 3+3, taller cabin 707s and DC-8s with the CVs' smaller, narrower 2+3 cabin. 20% less capacity and not a significant coast-to-coast advantage in time. If it could make the run, was fuel limited compared to the Boeing.
While subjective, it certainly looked better than its contemporaries.
What shortened the Convair jet's useful life was the advent of the Boeing 727. The 727 fulfilled the needs of a medium range airliner at much better economics. The extra speed of the Convair wasn't a benefit in real world operations.
Also, not enough Convair's were built, to make it practical to keep them, when they had little commonality with other fleet types.
The first oil crisis in 1973, spelled the end of what few were left in Delta's and TWA's fleet.
The Convair's were only around for a little over 10 years in major airline use. Some continued on with charter operators, and with some third world carriers, a few years longer.
With Boeing and Douglas having huge backorders, resulting in delivery delays, Convair
stepped in with the 880. Order to delivery time was much shorter, as a result, those
airlines who were late in ordering Boeing and Douglas and were facing years till
delivery, bought Convairs. Granted, while they were limited in capacity and range,
they were available.
As for performance, many Convair 880 pilots would make the following comment,
"if the military needed a four engine fighter, they'd buy the 880"! It was the
fastest four engine commercial jet available until the introduction of the 747
(speed was gained at altitude with the 747's, nearly 50,000 feet)!
I've flown on many 880's in scheduled service, the T/O, ride and slightly nose-high
landings were equal to or superior to the 707 and DC-8. Passengers loved the 880 and later
the 990's.
Sadly, there is not a single intact example of either the 880 or 990 in existence.
I wonder if this one is still around. This photo is suppose to be from 2004. I'll have to see if I can find it on Google Earth. These were really nice jets, I'm amazed they had such a short life. I guess technology just changed too quickly.
I wonder if this one is still around. This photo is suppose to be from 2004. I'll have to see if I can find it on Google Earth. These were really nice jets, I'm amazed they had such a short life. I guess technology just changed too quickly.
To say the aircraft in that picture has seen better days would be an understatement.
One of my college professors flew the 880 and said he loved it...Once he gained his commercial certificate in the 1960's flying a Piper 140, the next aircraft he flew was the convair...he said it was an "adjustment".
To say the aircraft in that picture has seen better days would be an understatement.
One of my college professors flew the 880 and said he loved it...Once he gained his commercial certificate in the 1960's flying a Piper 140, the next aircraft he flew was the convair...he said it was an "adjustment".
For a short period of time in the mid-60's, a Commercial/Instrument, 2 years of college, and under age 30, got you in. Check out some of the old Flying Magazines from Google Books from the 1966-67. era. Major airlines with paid ads, soliciting applicants. The gotcha was the psychological tests they administered back then. .
For a short period of time in the mid-60's, a Commercial/Instrument, 2 years of college, and under age 30, got you in. Check out some of the old Flying Magazines from Google Books from the 1966-67. era. Major airlines with paid ads, soliciting applicants. The gotcha was the psychological tests they administered back then. .
In the early 1960's the U S Army had 19 year old WOC's (Warrant Officer Candidates) attending flight
school! HS grads in good-perfect physical condition qualified. In the late 1960's, the large commercial
carriers were recruiting Viet Nam vets with a couple of thousand hours (mostly helicopter) who had
used their VA educational benefits to obtain fixed-wing, commercial tickets. They were the perfect
choice; veteran military aviators, several thousand hours experience and at or near 30 years old!
I knew and served with several who did exactly that!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
God bless.
Convair 880
