convair440

CV-440-12, s/n 336. Delivered to Sabena 17 July 1956 and registered OO-SCL. WFU and went to Frontier Airlines 10 December 1967 as N73160. Converted to CV-580 1968. Last went to Aspen Airways 9 December 1988. Written off 20 January 1989. Received substantial damage in a forced landing near Buena Vista, CO due to engine failure. The aircraft landed on a dirt road, hit a fence and a log pile caused the nose gear to collapse.

This Convair 440 was purchased by Napier and the P&W R-2800 engines were replaced with Napier Eland Turboprops in England making the Convair 540 which was produced in Canada as the Canadair CL-66 Cosmopolitan....later most of the Eland engines were replaced with Allison turboprops as in the Convair 580 conversion

CV-440-12, s/n 336. Delivered to Sabena 17 July 1956 and registered OO-SCL. WFU and went to Frontier Airlines 10 December 1967 as N73160. Converted to CV-580 1968. Last went to Aspen Airways 9 December 1988. Written off 20 January 1989. Received substantial damage in a forced landing near Buena Vista, CO due to engine failure. The aircraft landed on a dirt road, hit a fence and a log pile caused the nose gear to collapse.

Nothing much to add to Gary's eminent text above except that Convair's official date of manufacture was 18 June 1956 (no first flight date unfortunately) which indicates this is a test flight between 18 June and 17 July. Stig