While Convair (based in San Diego like the Classic Airliner Page) was quite successful with its piston powered CV-240/340/440 series of twins, it recognized as early as 1950 that turboprop engines offered some clear advantages over the "round engines". Instead of building a new plane, Convair decided that those very Convair-Liners could be re-engined instead. An experimental installation of Allison T56 engines into a CV-240 in 1950 was quite successful, but the first commercial conversion did not take place until 1954, and then with British Napier Elands. Allegheny and the RCAF purchased the 20 Eland conversions, called the CV-540, but when the Eland program was cancelled in 1962, another engine was needed. Pacific Airmotive, in cooperation with Convair, developed a conversion utilizing Allison 501-D13 turboprops (an improved T56), the first one flying on January 19, 1960. The first delivery of the CV-580 was made in May, and several airlines signed up for 130 conversions, including Frontier, North Central, and Allegheny. A little later, Convair began a conversion program using Rolls-Royce Dart RDa. 10 Mk 542 engines, originally called the CV-240D/340D/440D. Central Airlines was the first customer for the CV-240D, later called the CV-600, and the first one flew on May 20, 1965. A total of 39 CV-600's were produced, while there were 28 CV-640's (the new name for the CV-340D and CV-440D).
The advantages of turbine power included less maintenance, lighter weight, and better performance. For example, the conversion of a CV-340 to CV-580 increased the cruising speed from 284 mph to 342 mph, and the range from 2,000 to 2800 miles! Although the Eland conversions were generally removed due to the discontinuance of the engine program, the other conversions have fared quite well, and many are still in service around the world. They are a relatively inexpensive way to get a turbine powered airplane that has good lifting ability, both for passengers and freight. However, many are now being stored and scrapped as their useful lives run out.
Here are exerpts from a real CV-580 flight manual by Matt Zagoren! (3MB PDF file).
Paint Kit available!
Indicates
I painted the plane.
Indicates
someone else painted my or Greg Pepper's plane - thanks!
FS2004/FS2002 Sierra Pacific Airlines CV-580.
I've painted up Greg Pepper's new CV-580 into the bright early colors
of Sierra Pacific, a local service operator in California in the 1970's. They
could be seen from San Jose to LAX, connecting these large cities with smaller
points in the Golden State, including Lake Tahoe. This complete plane/panel/sound
package is exclusive to this site - no uploads to other sites, please.
Last updated on 3/27/05. FS5 Version.
Last updated on 11/29/97.
FS2002 Sierra Pacific Airlines
CV-580. Greg Pepper has created a CV-580 in GMAX, and Jim Campisi
has painted it into Sierra Pacific's later colors. It also includes flight dynamics
by FSAviator, panel by Alan Jennings (HJG), Greg Pepper, and myself, and sounds
too! Thanks! This complete plane/panel/sound package
is exclusive to this site - no uploads to other sites, please. Last
modified on 6/30/03. FS2000
Version by Dee Waldron. This is for the Professional version only.
Thanks, Dee! Last updated on 9/16/01.
FS2002 Frontier Airlines CV-580. While Frontier didn't fly
into California itself, United leased a Frontier 580 for several years for the
San Francisco-Sacramento-Reno-Elko-Ely-Salt Lake City run, after they had sold
their propliners in 1968. Thus they were a relatively common sight around Northern
California for a while. Aircraft and paint by Greg Pepper, improvements by Tom
Gibson. Last uploaded on 11/12/04.