Convair 880 | International Aviation HQ

Why Have They Stopped Production of The Quadjet?

18May

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

History

Why Have They Stopped Production of The Quadjet?

During the Golden Age of Aviation, four-engine aircraft, otherwise known as quadjets, were all the rage. They scattered airfields both civil and military the world over. No one could seem to get enough of them. Quadjets like the Boeing 747, Airbus A380, de Havilland Comet and Concorde became emblematic of the aviation industry as a whole and among the most produced airliners of their day. Yet today, most aircraft manufacturers are ending production of what few quadjets remain in production. But why? Though the COVID-19 pandemic hastened many manufacturers' decision to end production of quadjets, other factors such as the extension of ETOPS regulations, their comparatively higher cost and a change in how we fly all contributed to the downfall of the mighty quadjet. Although ...

Remembering Convair: The Rise And Fall of an Aviation Giant

5May

By Alexander PaskNo Comments

History

Remembering Convair: The Rise And Fall of an Aviation Giant

Born from the ashes of WWII, Convair grew to become one of the largest aircraft manufacturers of its time. Yet, within 43 years of it being founded, the company had ceased all operations, with the world forgetting Convair ever existed. A pioneer in both military and civil aviation (even if the latter was a resounding failure) the company was able to expand into the space industry, producing rockets used during the height of the Space Age... Incredibly, a few of the rockets Convair designed are still used by NASA today! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Convair: Consolidated And Vultee In 1923, former US Army Aviator-turned industrialist, Reuben H. Fleet, chose to use his knowledge and passion for aircraft to form a brand new aircraft manu...

19Dec

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Convair 880: Too Fast Too Soon

When the Convair 880 was first introduced in May 1960, it was the fastest commercial aircraft ever built. Subsequent variants of the aircraft would hold this record until 1968, when the supersonic Tu-144 was introduced. Even today, at a time when all commercial aircraft fly subsonic (for the minute anyway!) the Convair 880 is still among the fastest airliners in history! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Convair 880 During WWII, American aircraft manufacturers Convair and Vultee were among the largest manufacturers in the country. In 1943, both companies chose to merge with one another forming Consolidated Vultee (otherwise known as Convair). For the most part, both manufacturers had only ever made military aircraft. In 1951, the company ha...

14Nov

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Convair 990 Coronado: Too Fast Too Soon

Before the BAC-Aérospatiale Concorde was the fastest airliner in our skies, there was the subsonic Convair 990 Coronado. Just as with its supersonic friend, the Coronado was a complete failure. But why was that? When it was released, the airline industry was growing tremendously. Each new day, airlines were becoming larger, and were buying more airliners. So you'd think that the airliner would sell well... In its two years of production, the airliner only sold 37 copies. In the same period, the contemporary Boeing 707 sold 192 copies, whilst the DC-8 sold 83 copies. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Coronado In the years following WWII, the vast majority of airliners were turboprops, with the largest and fastest being the likes of the Bo...