USA 1980s - CONVAIRLINERS 

A selection of my photos taken on USA trips during the 1980s: Convair 240/340/440s and miltary T-29 and C-131 series

Cochise Airlines Convair CV440 N136CA landing at Tucson, Arizona in November 1981 on a passenger service

Back to the beginning.  N240BN is the prototype CV240 which first flew at San Diego in March 1947. After a career as a
corporate executive aircraft, it is seen retired at Opa Locka, Florida in October 1981 waiting for the scrap man.

CV240 N300MG at Mojave California in September 1981 was a corporate transport for Coastal Constructions Co

CV240 N7761 at Tallahassie, Florida in October 1981 while impounded by a creditor who has removed the nosewheel.
This former Garuda airliner had a long US corporate career into the 1990s. The windscreen wire cutter is unusual

Once Trans-Australia Airlines' VH-TAS, Convair 240 N396CG was a freighter at Pontiac, Michigan in August 1989

Another former Australian: CV440 N912AL served with RAAF as A96-353 for ten years before sold to USA in 1968.
Photo taken at Fort Lauderdale-Executive Airport, Florida in August 1989

Renown Aviation freighter Convair 340 upgraded to 440 standard N3HH starts up at Fort Lauderdale-Executive August 1989

CV440 N202RA at Fort Lauderdale Executive in August 1989 was another Renown Aviation night freighter

Convair 340 N845TA at Miami-Opa Locka, Florida in October 1981 parked at Atlas Aviation's used airliner ramp.
It had been acquired the previous year from Aero B Venezuala, and was later on-sold to Bolivia

CV440 N440AD at Renton, Washington in September 1981 as a freighter with Aero Dyne Corp

CV340 N89CF of Combs Freightair at home base Denver, Colorado in September 1981

Basler Airlines CV440 N29KE at Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 1989, when the Basler Flight Service area was invaded by
EAA Airventure campers. Basler flew Convairs, DC-3s and Beech 18s on night freight contracts

American Inter-Island CV440 N44828 departs St Thomas, US Virgin Islands in October 1981 transferring passengers from
American Airlines widebody jets from the US mainland to the shorter runways of the islands, particularly St Croix

CV440 N44826 follows in the departure shuttle from St Thomas USVI

Three American Inter-Island CV440s at St Thomas USVI in October 1981 as seen from a departing Prinair Heron

Ex-corporate CV340 N14478 stored damaged at San Juan, Puerto Rico in October 1981. It had made an emergency landing
gear-up here in August 1979 while on a drug run, when the three occupants ran from the aircraft and were not located

End of the road: CV440 XA-DOF is stripped of parts before being scrapped at Tucson, Arizona, November 1981.
The Convair's last operator was Aerolineas California Pacifico, Guerrero Negro, Mexico.

Also in the Hamilton Aviation storage compound at Tucson in November 1981 were these two former FAA Convairs,
N45786 and N45878. Both were T-29Cs transferred to the FAA from the US Navy in 1963 for navaid calibration checking.

 
C-131B 53-7792 at Tucson, Arizona  in November 1981. It was by then one of the last military Convairs still operational, 
based here with the Arizona Air National Guard.

Many USAF and US Navy Convairs were sold as surplus to civil owners from Davis Monthan AFB during the 1970s.
This November 1981 view shows rows of others at Davis Monthan after the MASDC parts reclaimation process

Typical military surplus Convair, flown out of Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona with hand-painted N number.
Warbird dealer Asher Ward's T-29B N80150 at Mojave, California in September 1981 was ex USAF 51-5164.
 

Another of a group of surplus Convairs at Mojave in September 1981 was C-131B N3792V ex USAF 53-7791.

C-131B N92012 ex USAF 53-7805 at Mojave September 1981 at warbird restorer Wally McDonell's hangar, with one of his
F4U Corsair rebuilds for museums. Several Convairs were among his trades for the work done on the Corsairs.

N4448Q was former USAF T-29D 52-1180 sold surplus in 1980, but was still in USAF paintwork with hand-sprayed civil
registration when seen at Miami-Opa Locka, Florida in August 1989

Former USAF T-29B 51-5118 after civil conversion by Hamilton Aviation at Tucson as N99380 for Zonic Cargo Airlines.
        It was parked outside Hamilton's hangar at Tucson Airport in November 1981.     
            

Military surplus Convairs could still be acquired as late as 1989 from the civil contractor yards along the boundary fence
of Davis Monthan AFB. ET-29C 521119 had the storage protective film removed in a yard August 1989.

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