Convair 990

1961

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Convair 990

Convair 990 Coronado

Announced on 30 July 1958, the 990 (formerly known as the Convair 600) was developed from the Model 880 to meet the specific requirements of American Airlines and was given a longer fuselage and turbofan engines. The first Coronado flew on 24 January 1961. As a result of early testing, Krueger leading-edge flaps were added between the fuselage and the inner engines to increase elevator effectiveness and the outer engine pods were moved rearward to ensure speedier subsidence of vibration induced during test flying. The first 990 delivery was made to American Airlines on 8 January 1962, passenger services beginning on 18 March. In February 1962 the company completed a speed and range/payload improvement programme for the 990 which led to the redesignation 990A. All aircraft in service were modified to 990A standard, with engine pods extended rearwards to reduce external drag; reduced droop on the wing leading-edge; full-span Krueger flaps in place of the former combination of flaps and slats; and a new fairing at the wing-fuselage juncture. By 1977 the last of the original operators had withdrawn their airliners from service.

Convair 990

Specification 
 CREW4
 PASSENGERS149
 ENGINE4 x 7280kg General Electric CJ-805-23C turbofans
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight114760 kg253004 lb
  Empty weight54840 kg120902 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan36.58 m120 ft 0 in
  Length42.43 m139 ft 2 in
  Height12.04 m40 ft 6 in
  Wing area209 m22249.66 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed990 km/h615 mph
  Cruise speed895 km/h556 mph
  Range6115 km3800 miles

Convair 990

Comments
Aerospace Student, e-mail, 18.05.2017 20:30

What is the max fuel consumption and the range fuel consumption (or just the fuel consumption rate)? Also what is the Convair 990 Coronado's lifespan?

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Capt LM Tolbert, e-mail, 16.03.2016 00:58

The 990 was far ahead of its time.I instructed on the 727 707 and the 990. the 727 cruised .78 M the 707 at.85 the 990at .91. The anti shock bodies created drag until .87M.During cruise if in trail of 727 or 707 ATC would slow the990 down and it would too much fuel.Also the flight attendents would complain about pushing the food carts uphill.

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Luiz Sergio Pinto Guedes, e-mail, 12.02.2015 00:30

The Convair-990 was the fastest jet airliner in the world, and I remember it flying with Varig Airlines here in Brasil, it was gorgeous. Congratulations to the General Dynamics, Convair Division 11-february-2015
Luiz Sergio Pinto Guedes
Av. Bartolomeu de Gusmão 46 apt 911-D, Embaré, 11045-400 Santos, SP, Brasil
telephones 55-13-32279281, 55-13-991737222
lspguedes@hotmail.com
Skype lspguedes@hotmail.com

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Daniel Sproat, e-mail, 26.09.2013 22:35

The speed is shown incorrect. The 880 was a 615 MPH airplane. But the 990 was approx 640.

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Paul E. Nichols, e-mail, 12.03.2013 06:45

I had many trips from San Francisco to Detroit with a stop over at O'Hare. This was in the mid 60's. On one trip with a tail wind we came within 30 seconds of setting a comercial speed record to O'Hare. The captain commented that if he had known that he would have pushed it a little bit. Five abreast seating was great if you took the left side where it was two seats. Unfortunaetly a high maintenance airplane wiith dirty engines.

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Daniel Sproat, e-mail, 05.03.2013 02:33

990s were more roomy than 707s: 5-abreast seating gave more room per passenger than the Boeing. They seldom flew over .82-.85 because of range considerations. They held 15,000 gallons /fuel. 707s & DC-8s held more. So range was limited. Convair needed to offer other engine manufact-urers too. But they were precise flying machines with a limited market. And they were strong!

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peter, e-mail, 04.02.2012 14:17

Used to see Spantax Coronados at Birmingham ( uk ) Elmdon airport. Totaly took them for granted along with the Boeing 720 ( Monarch ) Comet 4 ( Dan Air ) Caravelle
( Sterling ) and God knows what else wonderfull stuff . " Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone..."

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R Strauss, e-mail, 12.05.2011 03:43

This my correct email rstrauss@cfl.rr.com

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Ron Strauss, e-mail, 12.05.2011 03:42

I flew the CV 880 880M 990. All great planes. Also flew CV88o The Lisa Maria for Elvis 1975 77.

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Frank, e-mail, 01.03.2011 19:38

You don't mention that the 990 was powered by AFT FAN GE engines - unlike the Pratt & Whitney front fan engines of the day that powered the 707 and the DC-8. The aft fan of the engine was less then a desirable location and it's (the engines) performance was less then desirable - hence the poor sales and demand for the aircraft.

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B. Diekmann, e-mail, 02.12.2010 19:42

CV880 and 990 fuselage widths were less than 707 or DC-8, but not a seat width's less, so the seats were actually a little wider than the others. Less passenger capacity hurt, though. Fuselage skins were thicker than Boeing or Douglas, although exact dimensions uncertain. On a 990 test flight after overhaul at HAECO in HKG, M.91 warning bell rang freqently. Truly, a pilot's airplane.

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Tom Kalina, e-mail, 30.10.2010 02:00

The 3-view is a 990, not a DC-8 as someone else says. It's a poor-man's drawing, so don't use it for any model building. The San Diego Air Museum has tons of photos on line if you want more specifics.

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Bernie, e-mail, 27.05.2010 04:51

3 view is not a cv990.
The egine pods were moved back for flutter problems.
Vortex generators were used to reduce drag.
Later deliveries, high fuel cosumpyion, and the 5 seats across were the down fall.

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G D Mitchell, e-mail, 04.04.2010 17:03

I only once flew on a Coronado, a Swissair flight from London Heathrow to Geneva, and found it a comfortable, if somewhat cramped aircraft because of its five abreast configuration which put it at a disadvantage compared to the contemporary Boeing 707 and Douglas DC8, with 6-abrest seating. (I believe this was one of the main reasons for the commercial failure of the Convair four jet airliners).

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lugand jean-pierre, e-mail, 29.07.2008 10:33

the three view drawing in this nice article is'nt a cv990
view but a dc-8 series 50
b rgds jpl

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DENNIS SCHAFER, e-mail, 16.05.2008 07:47

WHERE ARE THE ASB'S??

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