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On March 16, 1947, the Convair 240 made its maiden flight. The Convair 240 was the first postwar commercial airliner developed by Convair of San Diego. It was designed to be a pressurized, mid-range replacement for the DC-3 that was easy to service and turnover between flights. It featured a built-in, drop-down stairway for quick passenger loading, petal-style engine cowlings for rapid maintenance, and tricycle-configuration landing gear. It could carry forty passengers comfortably and had a range of up to 1,200 miles. Introduced by American Airlines in 1948, 176 were produced for numerous airlines worldwide. Image: American Airlines, Convair 240, c. 1948. SFO Museum Collection. 2008.128.006
This image was posted on March 18, 2020.