Convair CV-990-"Promo Film"-1961-Part l/ll

RARE footage of the CV-990 prototype in action at Lindberg Field, San Diego, CA!

Also some 880 footage here as well.

This was the very same aircraft that was lost in 1973 in a mid-air collison with a Lockheed P-3 "Orion" on approach to Moffett Field, Sunnyvale, CA.

The 990 still holds the record for "Fastest subsonic airliner"; a ground speed of 675 mph at 25,000 feet was set in 1961.

That same year, a Rolls Royce powered DC-8-43 went through Mach 1 in a dive, at 44,000 feet, with a true Airpeed (TAS) of 660Mph.

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Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Convair
• 990
• CV-880
• Boeing
• 707
• Douglas
• DC-8
• 727
• 737
• AA
• American
• Airlines
• Swissair
• Classic
• Jetliners
• Airliners

[ChorltonM21]

There was a better looking early airliner - the VC10 and I'm not saying that because I'm a limey :o)

[mcdonnell220]

@ChorltonM21 I'm American, and the lovely "VC-Tenderness" is arguably the most beautiful jetliner ever built. :-)

[threeholerhauler]

@mcdonnell220

Thanks for uploading. Lovely to watch. Please excuse a small bit of criticism. In your description, you state the supersonic DC8 achieved a groundspeed (GS) of 660Mph.  It was however a True Airpeed (TAS) of 660Mph. I know it sounds minor, but it makes a huge factual difference. I once flew a C130 at a TAS of 300 Kts, with a groundspeed of 440Kts due to a tailwind.

[mcdonnell220]

@threeholerhauler Thanks! I will fix that. :-)

[shawntimothyli]

The best First-generation Jet built by Americans, innovative and speedy, nice arragement of the Küchemann Carrots that have never been seen after that.

If convair had been more adventurous with the fuselage width, it will still be making commercial aircrafts till today. Good old convair.

[VIR092]

Ah look at those beautiful anti-shock bodies on the wings! God, she was so fast...

[vexviper]

They were ahead of there tmes when they built thoes calines < spell check and covered the jet engines.

[MrRonnieG]

But, truth be known, my favorite commercial aircraft that hung around LAX from '71 until the end of the decade was the VC-10. Just something about those 4 candles in the back, two-by-two. Loud for sure (the motors seemed to "crackle" as it made it's takeoff roll) but I loved it.

[MrRonnieG]

I went to work at LAX in the Spring of 1971 (JAL) and I CAN tell you that the 880's and 990's were some of the loudest & smokiest airplanes I ever watched take off & land. Of course the 707's and DC-8's weren't alot better. I recall TWA having a bunch of the Covairs back then and you had better have your ear protection on when you were out on the ramp and/or working near 25R or 24L.

[kevgza1]

Both the 880 and the 990 were easier to fly than the 707 or the DC8. The passengers like the Convairs, but the high fuel bills and the noise from the engines killed it.

[DeserTBoB93535]

You can see a derelict 990 parked at the entrance of Mojave, CA airport. They use it as an entrance sign. Supposedly, it was airworthy as of 10 years ago. The 990, AFAIK, wa a notorious fuel hog, guzzling up to 20% more at cruise than a B707. Convair, of course, was responsible for aviation's biggest boner, the horrid B-36, probably the worst heavy bomber ever built. Convair rammed it through Congress using graft, while they helped kill Northrop's YB-49. Northrop got the last laugh on that!

[LottoWinner999]

@ChorltonM21 Sorry but Convair series outclassed all foreign airplanes and I'm not saying that because I am an American. The problem with the VC-10 was tight cramped quarters and little seat for little Europeans. Americans are taller people that need more leg and head room and the VC10 was so liitle I got off and booked another flight on Boeing 707 but I liked the Convair 880 best of all.

[loudness96]

Wunder flugzeug!!

[antimatterXXXIII]

@SuperMauricioromero The 880 and 990 were marginally faster than the 707 and DC8 but used a lot more fuel and were more expensive. However Delta and TWA did have a number of them in service.