[Note: While I wished, today, to look up a bit about the Convair series a/c, I also thought of the pistons vs. turboprops...here are some notes plus a few more Convair pictures....]

One of the things that's interesting in aviation is the evolution of the propliner engines...from the pistons...to the turboprops. During the late 50s and early 60s, engineers and (diehard) entrepreneurs kept improving the performance of the piston-based engines while the turboprops were already on their way. The (optimized) radials often matched the performance of the turboprops...but it was clearly a losing battle...the writing was on the wall...the turboprops were unstoppable...since they proved lighter, simpler, more reliable, and less noisy...than the radial pistons...

The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellations and the L-1649 Starliners probably represented the last hurrah of those massive radial piston engines.... And, when the Vickers Viscount (powered by the RR Dart Turboprops) made the world's first scheduled turboprop airline service, in 1953, with BEA, that finally settled it all. The early operational service of the Viscount decisively showed significant performance advantage over its rivals...So, not to be left behind, Pratt & Whitney, in North America, looking past their R-2800 Wasp radials, started the PT6 series turboprop designs in 1958, which powered a flight for the first time in 1961...and the PT6 series continues to this day, having assumed a legendary status of its own...

In my previous post, I'd shown the CV-240, from the Convair series, the smallest member of the family and the first production variant...powered by the R-2800 radials. In this post, please find 3 other variants (CV-340 United, CV-440 Braniff, and CV-580 Delta). Out of these, the -580 was powered by the Allison turboprop engines. The Allison engines were good enough to attract the attention of Rolls-Royce, and in 2 B2B attempts, RR purchased Allison in 1995. The Convair 600/640 (not shown) were the Turboprop conversions of the CV-240/CV-340/CV-440, but powered by Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines, the same powerplants that had powered the (4-engined) Vickers Viscount. 

Finally, for comparison, I've shown 5 pictures of the Vickers Viscount 800, lifting off KHQM Runway 24, in the color of BEA, which was the first airline to deploy the Viscount for passenger service, with world's first turboprop powered flight. So, the last of the Convair, the 640, and the Viscount 800 were both powered by the same RR Dart engines, classic turboprops of the era...

Thanks for your interest...in these classic propeller-driven aircraft, that were popular in the period...just before the Jets arrived...!!

Edited March 20, 20224 yr by P_7878

I'm lucky enough to see CV-580's quite regularly as there are 3 of them and 1 stretched 5800 based at YVR where I work. I'm happy each and every day that I get to work them while they are still around.

Again a nice set of shots, didn' t flown this one at any time..

cheers 😉

Thanks for showcasing a great era. And let's not forget the Martin 202's and 404's. 🙂

John

Classic bird and great caps of them Sir .

Folks:

Great to hear...from you...thank you...!!

 

2 hours ago, John F said:

...And let's not forget the Martin 202's and 404's. 🙂

I was thinking, John...you might remind me about the Martins...being so much more well-conversed, in such matters...🙂...

Years ago, when I'd visited the AHM, Airline History Museum, Kansas City, MO, and taken an interior tour of the Constellation L1049H, in the TWA colors...I could not help noticing the beautiful Martin 4-0-4 right next to it...but, there was no tour of it... (maybe it was still being worked on) ...so, I just moved around and under it. Please type/search "airline history museum martin 404" to get to a few images of it.... you can also spot the L1049 in the background there...

For below images, with the a/c shown on the ground, I didn't have to upload anything today...I already had this Martin 404...in my hangar....in two colors (Pacific and Eastern - Air Lines) ...

How about that diagonal "FOUR O FOUR" marking on the tail of the Pacific...?

[BTW, your comment made me recall that I'd also purchased a book from that museum, "The Martinliners", by Gary Killion, never got to fully read it, holding it now...

On the cover, guess what Martin liveries are shown:

1. Pacific Air Lines
2. Eastern Air Lines
3. SAC (Save A Connie) - the same one seen in the KC Museum pictures...

And I cannot help quoting from the back cover from a (Glenn) Martin advertisement, along with the picture of a (bit overly) eager couple shown holding a "paper" Vacation brochure...

It says there, "...The Airlines gain you TIME...! Most major airlines are equipping with high-speed Martin 2-0-2 transport...For these "palatial" (quotes are mine...) new airliners offer easy-chair comfort...and giving you TIME, while streaking along at a 5-mile-a-minute clip...so put a zip in your trip..."

Surely, there was some truth to it...though the 2-0-2 was twin piston-engined...still, they had probably better legroom than today's airliners...Oh well...]

Anyway, nice planes...of their era...Hope someone takes them seriously enough to develop them into newer SIMs...with attention they deserve ...!

Very nice shots! 😉 

Thanks for including the Martins. (You're a fast worker!) 🙂

John