The Convair CV-240 family nicknamed “Convairliners” started from a post-World War II request by American Airlines for an aircraft to replace their Douglas DC-3s. The result was the Convair CV-240 the first pressurized twin engine airliner. The updated CV-340 and 440s had various upgrades including lengthening the fuselage and wings and designing more aerodynamic engine cowls for the piston powered R-2800 engines.
In the 1950s as turboprop and jet airliners became more common, many Convair CV-240, 340, and 440s were converted to turboprop engines. These converted airliners were designated CV-600, and CV-640 which both used the Rolls-Royce Dart and CV-580 which used the Allison 501. The conversion of these aircraft took about 60 days.
Over 1,000 Convairliners were built and served with over 100 different airlines and civil operators across the world. They were known for their reliability & profitability and were used for decades and airliners. In 2001 Air Chathams retired the last Convair flying a ticketed passenger service.
This aircraft was built by Convair in 1958 as a CV-440 and delivered to REAL Tranportes Aeros, Brazil. Iin 1960 it was bought by General Motors who sold it to Reamco Inc, Louisiana in 1977. In 1979 it was bought by Personal Way Aviation, Texas who named it “The Good Ship Happy House.” In 1981 it was sold to Texas Instruments who modified it into an aerial testbed for electronic equipment. In 1997 it was acquired by Raytheon when they purchased Texas Instruments. Raytheon used it to test terrain following radar, missile seekers, and other guided weapons systems. Raytheon retired the aircraft in August 2023.
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