Convair C-131 Samaritan
C-131 Samaritan R4Y / T-29 | |
---|---|
Convair C-131F Samaritan | |
Role | Military transport |
Manufacturer | Convair |
First flight | 22 September 1949 |
Introduction | 1950 |
Retired | 1990 |
Primary users | United States Air Force United States Navy United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard |
Number built | 512[1] |
Developed from | Convair CV-240
|
Variants | NC-131H TIFS
|
The Convair C-131 Samaritan is an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It is the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.[2]
This was one of the last radial engined aircraft in US service, along with
Design and development
The design began life in a production requirement by
]Operational history
The CV-240/340/440 series was used by the
The initial trainer model, designated the T-29, was also based on the Convair CV-240 and was used to instruct
A planned bomber training version of the T-29 (designated T-32) was never built.[citation needed]
From 1952, the USN and United States Marine Corps (USMC) took delivery of 36 R4Y-1 transport aircraft similar to the commercial CV-340 and USAF C-131D, configured with 44 passenger seats and powered by a pair of 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-52W engines. A single otherwise similar aircraft was acquired with a 24-seat VIP interior and designated R4Y-1Z. In 1957, the USN took delivery of two additional aircraft similar to the commercial CV-440 and designated R4Y-2. With the 1962 redesignation of USN/USMC aircraft, the three types were redesignated as the C-131F, VC-131F, and C-131G respectively.[4] A number of R4Y-1 (C-131F) aircraft were converted to R4Y-1Z (VC-131F) or R4Y-2 (C-131G) standards after delivery, and several C-131F and C-131G aircraft were ultimately sold as military surplus and converted to civil use.[5][6]
Nearly all of the C-131s left the active USAF inventory in the late 1970s, but the
In 1959, a C-131 was the first aircraft to be used as a reduced-gravity aircraft or 'vomit comet', for astronaut training as part of Project Mercury.[7][8][9]
A Samaritan was the first aircraft used as a flying
Accidents and incidents
On 17 December 1960, a USAF C-131D Samaritan
Variants
- C-131A
- Transport for USAF based on CV-240, capable of carrying 39 passengers on rearward facing seats, or 20 stretchers and 7 seats; 26 built.[13]
- HC-131A
- Surplus C-131As transferred to the USCG, 22 transferred.
- MC-131A
- C-131A used for medivac duties with 27 stretchers.
- VC-131A
- C-131A used as a staff transport.
- C-131B
- A hybrid CV-240/340 with seats for 48 passengers, 36 built.
- JC-131B
- C-131B converted for missile tracking, six conversions.
- NC-131B
- One C-131B used for permanent testing.
- VC-131B
- C-131B when used as a staff transport.
- YC-131C
- Two CV-340s modified with Alison 501D-13 turboprop engines.
- C-131D
- Military version of the Model 340 with seats for 44 passengers, 33 built.
- VC-131D
- C-131D when used as a staff transport.
- C-131E
- Electronic countermeasures (ECM) training version for Strategic Air Command(SAC), later designated TC-131E, 15 built and one conversion from C-131D, two transferred to United States Navy as R4Y-2.
- TC-131E
- C-131E redesignated.
- C-131F
- R4Y-1 redesignated.
- RC-131F
- Conversions for photo-mapping and survey, six conversions.
- VC-131F
- R4Y-1Z redesignated.
- C-131G
- R4Y-2 redesignated.
- EC-131G
- One C-131G modified as an electronics trainer.
- RC-131G
- One C-131G modified for airways checking duties.
- VC-131G
- C-131G when used as a staff transport.
- C-131H
- Conversions to CV-580 turboprop standard.
- NC-131H
- One conversion with an extended nose incorporating a separate cockpit as a Total In-Flight Simulator. This aircraft was transferred to the Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio on November 7, 2008[14]
- R4Y-1
- USN/USMC version of CV-340 with 44 passenger seats, redesignated C-131F in 1962, 36 built.[4][5]
- R4Y-1Z
- USN/USMC 24-seat VIP staff transport, redesignated VC-131F in 1962, one built and conversions from R4Y-1.[4][5]
- R4Y-2
- USN/USMC version of CV-440, redesignated C-131G in 1962, two built and conversions from R4Y-1; an additional 13 canceled, of which six were completed as CV-440 airliners.[4][5][6]
- R4Y-2Q
- Proposed ECM version of the R4Y-2, five canceled.[6]
- R4Y-2S
- Proposed anti-submarine warfare version of R4Y-2, 14 canceled.[6]
- XT-29
- Prototype military trainer version of the Model 240 for the United States Air Force, two built.
- T-29A
- Initial production version for navigator training, unpressurized cabin for 14 students, 46 built.
- VT-29A
- T-29As converted for staff transport.
- T-29B
- Pressurized version with room for 10 navigator and four radio operator students, 105 built.
- NT-29B
- One T-29B used for permanent testing.
- VT-29B
- T-29B converted for staff transport with seating for 29 or 32 passengers.
- T-29C
- T-29B with 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-29W engines, 119 built.
- AT-29C
- T-29C modified for airways checking duties, redesignated ET-29C in 1962.
- ET-29C
- AT-29C redesignated.
- VT-29C
- T-29C converted to staff transport.
- T-29D
- Bombardier training version of the T-29C with room for six students, 93 built.
- ET-29D
- Airways checking conversion of the T-29D.
- VT-29D
- Staff transport conversion of the T-29D.
- XT-29E
- Proposed turboprop version of T-29B, none built.
- YT-32
- Proposed bomber training version with transparent nose, none built.
Operators
- Paraguayan Air Force operated one former USAF Convair C-131D[15]
- United States Air Force operated T-29 and C-131 aircraft.
- United States Navy operated R4Y/C-131 and T-29 aircraft.
- United States Coast Guard operated R4Y/C-131 aircraft.
- NASA
Surviving aircraft
- HC-131A
- 52-5794 – On display at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado.[16][17]
- C-131A
- 55-4757 – On display at the Minneapolis, Minnesota.[18]
- C-131B
- 53-7811 – Last registered to Tatonduk Outfitters Limited in Lackland AFB, Texas.[19]
- 53-7819 – Airworthy with Airborne Resources Inc in Midlothian, Texas.[20][21]
- 53-7821 – On display at the
- C-131D
- 54-2806 – On display at the Travis AFB, California.[23]
- 54-2808 – On display at the March AFB), Riverside, California.[24]
- 54-2810 – Stored at Burlington Air National Guard Base in Burlington, Vermont.[25]
- 54-2822 – On display at the McClellan AFB, California.[26]
- 55-0292 – On display at the Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.[27]
- 55-0293 – On display at the Selfridge Military Air Museum, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan.[28][29]
- 55-0294 – On display at Salt Lake City, Utah.[30][failed verification]
- 55-0295 – On display at the
- 55-0300 – On display at the
- 55-0301 – Cockpit only with unknown owner in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This airframe was previously on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, but was scrapped before 2009.[33][34]
- C-131F
- 140996 – Airworthy with Gulf & Caribbean Cargo of
- 141008 – Airworthy with Conquest Air Inc of Miami Lakes, Florida.[37][38]
- 141013 – On display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.[39]
- 141015 – On display at the NAS Pensacola, Florida.[40]
- 141017 – On display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.[41]
- 141025 – In storage at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.[42]
- NC-131H
- 53-7793 – On display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.[43][44]
- T-29A
- 49-1934 – On display at
- 50-0190 – On display at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.[46]
- T-29B
- 51-7906 – On display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.[47]
- T-29C
- 53-3489 – On display at the Mather AFB, California; disassembled and relocated following BRACclosure of Mather AFB)
- 52-1175 – On display at the Linear Air Park at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.[49]
Specifications (C-131B)
Data from United States Military Aircraft since 1909[50]
General characteristics
- Crew: four
- Capacity: 48 passengers
- Length: 79 ft 2 in (24.14 m)
- Wingspan: 105 ft 4 in (32.11 m)
- Height: 28 ft 2 in (8.59 m)
- Wing area: 920 sq ft (85.5 m2)
- Empty weight: 29,248 lb (13,294 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 47,000 lb (21,363 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × radial engines, 2,500 hp (1,865 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 293 mph (472 km/h, 255 kn)
- Cruise speed: 254 mph (409 km/h, 221 kn)
- Range: 450 mi (725 km, 391 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 24,500 ft (7,470 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,410 ft/min (7.2 m/s)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)
References
- Notes
- ^ "T-29 / C-131". www.uswarplanes.net. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ Gradidge 1997, p. 20–21.
- ^ CAMPUS Magazine, The Navy Education and Training Monthly, Vol. VIII, No. 8, August 1979, pp. 16-19
- ^ ISBN 0-87021-968-5.
- ^ a b c d Baugher, Joe (22 January 2021). "US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, Third Series (140053 to 145061)". joebaugher.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d Baugher, Joe (22 January 2021). "US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, Third Series (145062 to 150138)". joebaugher.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Mercury Astronauts in Weightless Flight on C-131 Aircraft". 2006-08-02. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ "Mercury Astronauts in Weightless Flight on C-131 Aircraft". NASA on the Commons. 1959. Archived from the original on 2016-11-08.
- YouTube
- ^ "Project Tailchaser". Archived 2011-12-04 at the Wayback Machine globalsecurity.org. Retrieved: 21 July 2011.
- ^ Jack S. Ballard Development and Employment of Fixed-Wing Gunships 1962–1972 Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine. Office of Air Force History. 1982
- Aviation Safety Network
- ^ Wegg 1990, p. 190.
- ^ "Old plane retired." Dayton Daily News. Retrieved: 21 July 2011.
- ^ Andrade 1982, p. 176
- ^ "Actual Aircraft on Display in Pueblo". Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair CV-240/340/440/580/600/640 / C-131 / R4Y / T-29, s/n 5794 USCG, c/n 53-14, c/r N3999P". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Convair C-131H Samaritan." Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Minnesota Air National Guard Museum. Retrieved: 30 July 2015.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair C-131B Samaritan, s/n 53-7811 USAF, c/n 340-263, c/r N2034L". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Convair C-131B Samaritan, s/n 53-7819 USAF, c/n 340-271, c/r N131CR". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "FAA Registry [N131CR]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair C-131B Samaritan, s/n 53-7821 USAF, c/n 340-273". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ Veronico, Nick. "Outdoor Exhibits – C-131D "Samaritan"". Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center. Travis Heritage Center. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "C-131D Samaritan". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair CV-240/340/440/580/600/640 / C-131 / R4Y / T-29, s/n 54-2810 USAF, c/n 340-207". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 14 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Convair VC-131D Samaritan". Aerospace Museum of California. Aerospace Museum of California. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair C-131D-CO Samaritan, s/n 55-0292 USAF, c/n 340-315, c/r N8435H". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-25.
- ^ "C-131D Samaritan". Selfridge Military Air Museum. Selfridge Military Air Museum. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair C-131D Samaritan, s/n 55-0293 USAF, c/n 440-316, c/r N8436H". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "C-131D Samaritan". The Leonardo Museum. The Leonardo Museum. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- ^ "C-131D Samaritan". Air Mobility Command Museum. AMC Museum Foundation, Inc. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "C-131D "Samaritan"". Hill Air Force Base. 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair C-131D-CO Samaritan, s/n 55-0301 USAF, c/n 440-329, c/r N8443H". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Vintage Transports, photos by Friends & Guests". RuudLeeuw.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Convair C-131F Samaritan, s/n 140996 USN, c/n 340-279, c/r N351FL". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "FAA Registry". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Convair C-131F Samaritan, s/n 141008 USN, c/n 340-291, c/r N345GS". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "FAA Registry [N345GS]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Convair C-131F Samaritan". Yanks Air Museum. 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
- ^ "C-131 Samaritan". National Naval Aviation Museum. Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Samaritan". Pima Air & Space Museum. PimaAir.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair C-131F Samaritan, s/n 141025 USN, c/n 340-308, c/r VH-EAQ". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Convair NC-131H Total In-Flight Simulator (TIFS)". National Museum of the US Air Force. 9 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair NC-131H Samaritan, s/n 53-7793 USAF, c/n 340-245, c/r N793VS". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair GT-29A Samaritan, s/n 49-1934 USAF, c/n 240-201". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "T-29A "Flying Classroom"". Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Flying Classroom". Pima Air & Space Museum. PimaAir.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier – Convair T-29C Samaritan, s/n 53-3489 USAF, c/n 240–443". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Convair T-29C Samaritan, s/n 52-1175 USAF, c/n 240-414". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Swanborough and Bowers 1969, p. 150.
- Bibliography
- Andrade, John. Militair 1982. London: Aviation Press Limited, 1982. ISBN 0 907898 01 7.
- Frawley, Gerald. "Convair CV-540, 580, 600, 640 & CV5800", The International Directory of Civil Aircraft 1997/98. Fyshwick ACT: Aerospace Publications, 1997. ISBN 1-875671-26-9.
- Gradidge, Jennifer. The Convairliners Story. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1997. ISBN 0-85130-243-2.
- Swanborough, F. G. and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft since 1909. London: Punam, 1963.
- Wegg, John. General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecessors. London: Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-833-X.
External links
- Convair 240 – National Air and Space Museum
- C-131 Samaritan factsheet – National Museum of the United States Air Force
- C-131D Samaritan – March Field Air Museum
- C-131 Samaritan – GlobalSecurity.org
- C-131 Samaritan – The Aviation Zone
- Gunships – The Aviation Zone