To get ahead in the aircraft industry one really needs to find "The Niche". Find and fulfill this adequately and the worlds airlines are likely to beat a path to your door .... or at least that's the basic theory.

Whilst Boeing & Douglas during the mid 1950's concentrated on refining their respective B707 & DC8 projects of similar performances, the Convair Division of General Dynamics focused upon speed and luxury in development of what it aimed to be a jetliner of vastly superior performance. Convair were manufacturers and producers of the popular and highly successful CV240-580 prop liner family as well as F102 Delta Dagger, F106 Delta Dart, and B58 Hustler line of high performance front-line military interceptor jets. On the strength of this respected reputation, encouragement from Howard HUGHES, along with its own dogged determination to break into the lucrative civil jet market, Convair began enticing HUGHES with "exclusive delivery rights" for the first 40 airframes produced to try and clinch the vital order from TWA with which to launch its jetliner project. Traditionally TWA's aircraft were purchased by HUGHES Toolco company then leased back to the airline. Despite internal skepticism regarding the company's ability to penetrate the market and recover its developmental costs, Convair's new jetliner design was non-the-less launched during April 1956 as "SKYLARK 600". In June 1956 the project was re-designated "MODEL 22 GOLDEN ARROW" in response to HUGHES enthusiasm to have all external surfaces of the new aircraft manufactured from specially anodized/gold colored metal. Problems associated with milling gold metal of consistent shade later forced abandonment of this unique and potentially attractive concept. Consequently the aircraft was again re-branded .... "CONVAIR 880" .... the numerical suffix referring to the aircrafts approximate speed in feet per second. It was against this background the CV880 became General Dynamics challenge to the Boeing/Douglas dominated world market for first generation civil jetliners.

The CV880 was intended to be a medium/long range high speed luxury jetliner with capacity for some 80 passengers, slightly smaller than both B707 & DC8, and capable of operating from 5000 ft runways. Despite its superior performance the aircraft represented only a conservative technological advance and closely mirrored established Boeing & Douglas jet design concepts. The aircraft was designed much stronger than competing B707's & DC8's with thinner wings and a narrower fuselage cross-section to enhance speed but which also restricted it to a less than desirable cabin configuration of 5 abreast passenger seating. Still Convair's revenue/performance projections suggested an 880 would break even with only 30% loadings .... based on exclusive first class configuration, medium haul routes, cruising speeds of around 615mph, high aircraft utilization, with turn-around times of just 25 minutes. In clean configuration the CV880 had little drag as was "VERY FAST". P&W J57 turbojet engines were Convair's original power plant of choice but later substituted for GE J79 turbojet engines under a civil GE CJ805-3 designation. These power plants had better weight to power ratio, lower fuel consumption, did not require water injection/thrust augmentation of early series P&W turbojet engines, and featured variable stators promoting rapid power adjustments. The CJ 805-3 turbojet was also GE's first civil jet engine. No developmental CV880 prototype was built. Instead Convair elected to save time using the first 3 production aircraft for the flight testing and certification program.

Launch customers were TWA for 30 and Delta Air Lines for 10 aircraft respectively. TWA's "priority agreement" with Convair awarded it right to determine Delta's delivery positions. Despite Delta and TWA commitments airline response was less than encouraging .... a situation hardly remedied by the aircrafts late development and deliveries being further delayed through production of the first 40 aircraft being monopolized by the TWA/Toolco/HUGHES agreement.

"Ship One" (N801TW) first flew from Lindbergh field San Diego on January 27th 1959. Test flying proceeded with gratifying results despite a major structural failure and the near loss of "Ship One" on March 25th 1959. This incident occurred during high speed flutter tests over the Pacific Ocean as the aircraft was being flown with 1 of 3 elevator/rudder dampers removed. Resulting violent buffet caused most of the vertical stabilizer and rudder to fail and separate from the aircraft. Finding sufficient control remained through cautious application of asymmetric power settings, the test crew elected to remain with the aircraft and accomplished a successful emergency landing at California's Edwards Air Force Base where it was repaired then returned to service within a few weeks. 3 dampers became a mandatory feature on all production CV880's as a consequence of this incident. The FAA Certificate of Airworthiness for the CV880 type was finally awarded on May 1st 1960.

Circumstances dictated that the first CV880's to enter commercial airline service were delivered to Delta Air Lines on February 9th 1960. Christened "Delta Queen" these aircraft commenced Delta's "Royal Jet" services from May 5th 1960. Initially featuring exclusive First Class accommodation for 88 passengers, from December 1961 this configuration was then revised to dual First/Economy Class seating for 88 passengers. A total of 17 CV880's were delivered to Delta and employed across the airlines US domestic network and international services to Caribbean destinations.

Northeast Airlines had never placed orders for CV880 aircraft, but through Howard HUGHES decision to release 6 of the 30 aircraft intended for TWA, became the 2nd airline to place the type into service from December 15th 1960. These aircraft were leased through a Toolco/General Dynamics leasing arrangement. Northeast's CV880's featured a dual First/Economy Class seating for up to 98 passengers. Financial difficulties later forced the airline to progressively return all 6 880's to General Dynamics between July and September of 1963. HUGHES had meanwhile acquired financial control of Northeast during 1962 and replaced all 6 original aircraft with 4 remaining Toolco owned 880's. Although HUGHES relinquished control of the airline during 1964 Toolco none-the-less honored its Convair/Northeast leasing agreement until February 1968 when the airlines CV880 fleet was withdrawn from service and replaced with B727-200 aircraft.

TWA (the airline which technically should have been first to place CV880 aircraft into commercial service) had meanwhile been frustrated by difficulties with both Howard HUGHES and inability to finance its entire 30 aircraft commitment. This incurred significant inconvenience when Convair suspended all work on the 18 TWA airframes then in production pending resolution to the airlines problems. HUGHES control of TWA was ultimately dissolved by the courts and the airline eventually able to finance all but 10 of its original 30 aircraft order, but, further delays arose through those aircraft placed in open air storage during the suspension of production having then become water damaged. This situation was then further complicated by mysterious disappearance of all records relating to precisely what modifications had been applied to which particular aircraft .... incurring major expense as all 18 stored aircraft then required rewiring. TWA finally took delivery of its first CV880's on January 1st 1961 and these entered service with the airline from January 12th 1961 configured with dual First/Economy Class accommodation for up to 85 passengers. The airline eventually took delivery of 27 880's (including Northeast's 6 original aircraft) which were operated throughout its US domestic network until June 1974 when replaced with B727-200's.

Beyond Delta and TWA acquisitions CV880 aircraft continued failing to appeal to most carriers. However its emergence sufficiently worried Boeing to redevelop the basic B707-120 airframe and produce a shorter, lighter, and technically simpler 707 version marketed as B720. Boeing then offered this new aircraft to the worlds airlines at purposely lower rates to counter perceived threat from Convair. As a result early interest in CV880 by American, Continental, Eastern, and United quickly turned in favor of B720. At one stage Convair even offered financially beleaguered Capital Airlines a reorganization plan which included financing for up to 15 CV880's but the airline (amid rumors of another HUGHES 880 leasing deal, along with interest in the British Comet) was later forced to merge with United. Once promising foreign orders were also lost when REAL Aerovias of Brasil similarly merged with VARIG, whilst Argentina's Transcontinental ceased operations altogether. Convair's already limited CV880 "niche market" was steadily eroding even at this early stage. Still the company was confident refinement of its basic 880 design would be encouraging of desirable future sales. The product of this philosophy was the modified "CV880-M" .... featuring leading edge Krueger Flaps promoting additional lift and reduced stalling speed, slightly increased engine thrust, powered rudder, increased fuel capacity promoting modest range improvements, and strengthened landing gear to contend with higher operating weights. "Ship One" was modified to CV880-M standard and first flown on October 3rd 1960 with certification being awarded on July 24th 1961. This aircraft was later restored to original CV880-22 standard then delivered to TWA with whom it served under a unique "CV880-22-1" designation.

Airline response to the marketing of CV880-M was still limited. Much of Convair's potential market had by this time been successfully infiltrated by both Boeing & Douglas. However foreign orders for 880-M's were soon forthcoming.

Taiwan's Civil Air Transport took delivery of the very first production CV880-M on June 5th 1961. This aircraft operated the airlines "Mandarin Services" between July 1961 and late 1968. 3 880-M's were delivered to VIASA Venezuela between August 1961 and April 1963. 1 of these aircraft (YV-C-VIC) was even operated under joint VIASA/KLM agreement on services through the Caribbean to New York until 1968 .... featuring a split identity comprised of VIASA livery on port with KLM livery on starboard sides of the aircraft.

Desperate for jet equipment in order to remain competitive, financially restricted Alaska Airlines acquired a single CV880-M during July 1961. This aircraft operated the airlines "Gold Nugget" services until November 1966 when it was replaced by both B727, and a CV990-A during 1967. Swissair originally contracted for 5 880-M's during 1958. Only 2 were delivered during August 1961 and operated as interim aircraft until May 1962 in advance of the airlines CV990-A deliveries. Japan Air Lines received 8 CV880-M's between October 1961 and March 1963 which operated the airlines domestic and international "Silk" services until 1970.

From January 1965 JAL also leased a 9th 880-M from General Dynamics for operation by its subsidiary Japan Domestic Airways. Concerned the Comet was too small and both B707 & DC8 to large Cathay Pacific Airways acquired a single factory fresh CV880-M on February 20th 1962 .... its first jet equipment. The airline later acquired another 8 880-M's 2nd hand which operated until 1970 when replaced with B707's.

Most foreign CV880 operators retired their fleets during the late 1960's. As the oil price shock of the early 1970's began to impact global airline economies both Delta and TWA began withdrawing their 880 fleets earlier than planned. Delta's 880 fleet was withdrawn from service before the end of 1973 whilst TWA operated its last 880 service on June 15th 1974. Redundant aircraft were stored and tendered for sale. Some were broken-up immediately. Despite being cheap to purchase but expensive to operate a number of CV880's earned a new lease of life in service with small airlines in developing nations and tour/travel clubs.

Airtrust Singapore (a division of Florida based Orient Pacific Airways) progressively operated a single 880 along with 3 880-M's from 1975 until 1979. These aircraft flew engineers between oil drilling sites throughout Middle Eastern and Asian regions. With assistance from Howard HUGHES/Toolco, LANICA of Nicaragua operated CV880's from 1972 .... replacing the airlines leased BAC 1-11's. 4 880's and 2 880-M's were operated under various leases until 1977 when the airline acquired B727's.

Bahamas World Airways briefly operated an 880 on services linking Miami and Nassau during 1976. Among tour operators of surplus CV880 aircraft were Sunfari Travel Club with an 880-M during 1972, Air Viking and Freelandia Travel Club with 880-M's each during 1973, and both Fourwinds Travel Club then Indy Air whom operated the same 880-M between 1975 and 1977.

Also between 1975 and 1977 an ex Delta 880 even became the executive transport of Elvis PRESLEY .... named for daughter "Lisa Marie". Today this particular aircraft is one of few remaining CV880's in the world having been preserved at the entertainers Gracelands home/memorial museum in the USA. A single CV880-M saw limited service with the FAA's Flight Safety Division from 1961 until its transfer to the US Navy during 1980. In military service this aircraft was re-designated "UC880 and first used as an in-flight refueler then later as a command & control platform during Harthingy and Tomahawk cruise missile testing. The aircraft was finally retired from service during 1993 .... the last CV880 to remain in active service.

During the late 1970's a small number of CV880's were even converted to freighters .... designated "CV880 AIRLIFTER". Fitted with a 133 X 84 inch forward fuselage main deck cargo doors, 9G restraining nets, strengthened floors, along with mandatory main cabin fire detection equipment, 5 880's were converted to freighters in a private venture undertaken by Miami based Monarch Aviation. American Jet Industries/Gulfstream American later acquired some 20 880's for proposed conversion, but despite receiving full Convair support, only a small number of these were ever completed before cancellation of the project during 1980. Most CV880 freighters saw sercice within Latin American regions .... the most notable operators being Latin Carga Venezuela, Inair Panama, Central American Airways, SERCA Costa Rica, and Profit Express. The last of these aircraft were withdrawn from service during the mid 1980's. Again the aircrafts limited capacity and high operating costs impaired its success as an air freighter. US noise regulations then coming into force also posed new problems too. Serious consideration was even given to re-engining CV880's but deemed commercially uneconomic with so few aircraft in existence.

Despite its late development and delayed service entry the General Dynamics CV880 basically delivered what it promised .... performance-wise. The aircraft was unequalled in speed until the advent of Concorde and established numerous in-service point to point speed records. Many of these remain unbeaten today. However throughout its career the CV880 was constantly disadvantaged by reduced capacity (5 abreast seating) and higher operating economics. As a result and born into a market already dominated by B707's & DC8's it was perhaps destined to fail. A total of only 65 CV880 airframes were ever produced and by way of further blunder most sold for much less than they cost to build. Despite accumulating huge losses on its 880 project, so determined were Convair to gain a share of the burgeoning world market for first generation civil jetliners, it believed success still lay in developing a larger and faster derivative .... the "CV990" .... but .... that's another story !

Mark Cranston
April 2006