Flyhistorisk Museum Sola · Civil aircraft
Convair CV440-75 Metropolitan
The Convair CV440 Metropolitan is a good example of how an aircraft type can undergo continuous development. The first generation of the aircraft appeared in 1946. It was designed as a short- and medium-range airliner and was designated the CV140. Before the aircraft entered series production, airlines demanded that such aircraft be equipped with a pressurised cabin. The new pressurised version was designated the CV240. This was a period when air travel was becoming increasingly common, with expectations of faster and more comfortable journeys.
A further development followed with the CV340, introduced in 1951. This version had a longer fuselage and more powerful engines. Seating capacity increased from 40 to 50 passengers.
The museum’s aircraft is a CV440, an optimised version of the CV340. The most significant difference compared to its predecessor was the engines, which ran so quietly that the aircraft was marketed as “The Whisperliner”. The aircraft was also produced in a military version designated the C-131.
NORWEGIAN SERVICE
During 1956–57, the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) purchased twenty CV440-75 Metropolitan. Many Norwegians experienced their first flight aboard a CV440. When SAS retired the type in 1976, the company’s aircraft of this model had completed a total of 739 629 flights and covered a distance of approximately 200 million kilometres.
In Norway, the CV440 was also operated by the airlines Stellar Airfreighter and Fred. Olsen who imported one aircraft each. The type was also operated by Nor-Fly who imported two CV440 in addition to the two they purchased used from SAS.
THE MUSEUM’S AIRCRAFT
The museum’s aircraft was delivered to SAS in August 1956. In December 1975 it was sold to Nor-Fly Charter. When the aircraft was retired from operative use in the early 1980s, it was among the last remaining piston engined examples of the type. Other aircraft of this model had been modernised with turboprop engines.
In the late 1980s, a group of aviation enthusiasts at Sola purchased the aircraft from Nor-Fly Charter. At the same time, they established the foundation Stiftelsen Norsk Metropolitan Klubb. The foundation included experienced pilots and mechanics who were well acquainted with the aircraft type, and they were also able to obtain spare parts at reasonable cost. For three years, the aircraft toured airshows in Norway and Europe. Much of the operation was financed by offering sightseeing flights during the airshows. However, it did not take long before maintenance costs and new safety requirements became overwhelming, and operations ceased. The aircraft was subsequently donated to the museum.
Specifications
- Type
- Short- and medium-range passenger aircraft
- First flight
- 1955
- Length
- 24,8 m
- Wingspan
- 32,1 m
- Height
- 8,6 m
- Weight, empty and max
- 15 111 / 22 320 kg
- Engines
- 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB16
- Power
- 2500 hp
- Top speed
- 530 km/h
- Range
- 3550 km
- Crew
- 2x pilot, 2x cabin crew
- Passenger capacity
- 52–56
- Country of origin
- USA
- Museum number
- FMSG2010.25.01
- Project leader
- Ole Johan Berg
