Convair 440

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Thu Aug 25, 2011 7:24 am

Does anyone know if there are any of these propliners still plying their trade nowadays?

T J

WallyB · **Posted:** Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:17 am

A few including some C-131Es.
Rovos Air in S.Africa still carry passengers, the rest are freighters earning a sporadic living wherever they can find work around Florida and the Caribbean. Used to be some at Laredo Tx but I haven't been there for years so current status unknown. Similarly the fish haulers at Ensenada Mexico but I think they quit some time ago.

There's also N131CR which does some kind of semi-secret work out of McLellan.

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:49 am

There are a few in Michigan that are still being used. They're based at Willow Run (YIP) and Oakland/Pontiac (PTK). One of the 440s is used as an aerial research lab, but I have no idea what they test. The aircraft from PTK stop by Kalamazoo a lot.

jwc50 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:58 am

kalamazookid wrote:

There are a few in Michigan that are still being used. They're based at Willow Run (YIP) and Oakland/Pontiac (PTK). One of the 440s is used as an aerial research lab, but I have no idea what they test. The aircraft from PTK stop by Kalamazoo a lot.

I am not sure if the ones flying out of Willow Run are Convair 440's or if they are all Convair 580's (conversions with Allison turboprops). One of the Convair 580's at Willow Run did a few flybys during the Thunder Over Michigan air show last month.

CAPFlyer · **Posted:** Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:23 pm

Everything out of Willow Run is turboprop powered, but they all started life as a 340 or 440. There are still a couple of 440s and 240s out there flying revenue service, but most of the Convairliners still out there are the 580s, a very small number of 640s, and about a dozen Kelwona Flightcraft Convair 5800's.

vernicator · **Joined:** Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:42 am **Posts:** 350

There are pics of a couple of Convair piston-liners that go into St. Maarten on a regular basis here:

Link to photos on airliners.net

b747cf · **Posted:** Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:15 am

Here are a couple of Convairs that have been in South Florida.They are about half way down.

https://picasaweb.google.com/115457112661997713943/MiscProps

Mark Fidler

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:31 am

Thanks for the info guys. The first thing in aviation I got involved with as a volunteer while still a teen was a Convair 440. This was operated as a club flying to airshows, as well as selling rides. Unfortunately it is now just a static display, so I was curious as to the current status of these transports.

The photo of N411GA on the picasaweb album is interesting. It was operated by a Norwegian charter airline (Nor-Fly AS), which was the same company our club bought theirs from. It is supposedly sitting as a hulk in Ensenada, MEX nowadays.

The photo of L-1049 N6227C is also interesting. Is that shot in Miami, which would make the Hellcat the one owned by David Robinson at the time?
https://picasaweb.google.com/1154571126 ... 2882473010

T J

b747cf · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:06 pm

Yes T.J. that is the Hellcat at Miami Int. Corrosion corner owned by David Robinson now owned by Kermit Weeks.

Mark Fidler

robkamm · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 4:21 pm

theres one on ebay right now. looks like its in a guys backyard? no engines .

yukontrader · **Joined:** Sun Nov 06, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 1

TJ, Miami Air Lease of Opa-locka, FL still flies a Convair 440 on air cargo runs to various points in the Caribbean. Tail number N41527.

Best Regards,
Marc

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:14 am

Hey, that's cool. Hopefully I'll make it down to FL to see it one of these days. Last time I saw a 440 fly was during the Reagan administration...

T J

b747cf · **Posted:** Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:05 pm

Here is N41527 from the 1990's at Miami.

Mark Fidler

Ztex · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 5:34 pm

N131CR lives in Midlothian, TX, operated by Airborne Imaging Inc.

They put an extra piece on the nose a few years ago.

An up close look gives some clues as to operations....

Gary M · **Joined:** Sat Dec 05, 2009 10:27 pm **Posts:** 56

T J Johansen wrote:

The photo of L-1049 N6227C is also interesting. Is that shot in Miami, which would make the Hellcat the one owned by David Robinson at the time?
https://picasaweb.google.com/1154571126 ... 2882473010

T J

W-O-W! Major Deja-Vu from that photo!

I worked for an airline at MIA (1978-91) and used to love to drive around the Perimeter Road and Corrosion Corner just to see the old planes there and I used to see this exact same sight all the time! The T-6 and the F-6F...........

To the right of the photographer and down 1/4 to 1/2 mile there was a Douglas A/B-26 that was prepped with the yellow primer but then one day it was gone..... It was sitting in the weeds and you could walk all around it.....

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Convair 440

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