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 Paraguayan Air Force
Number built	512[1]
Developed from	Convair CV-240

The Convair C-131 Samaritan was an American twin-engined military transport produced from 1954 to 1956 by Convair. It was the military version of the Convair CV-240 family of airliners.^[2]

Design and development

The design began life in a production requirement by American Airlines for a pressurized airliner to replace the classic Douglas DC-3. Convair's original design had two engines and 40 seats, and thus it was designated the CV-240. The first CV-240 flew on March 16, 1947, and production aircraft were first delivered to American on February 28, 1948. Seventy-five were delivered to American, with another fifty going to Western Airlines, Continental Airlines, Pan American Airways, KLM, Sabena, Swissair and Trans Australia Airlines.

Operational history

A C-131B used by the New Mexico Air National Guard.

The CV-240/340/440 series was used by the United States Air Force (USAF) for medical evacuation and VIP transport and was designated as C-131 Samaritan. The first model Samaritan, the C-131A, was derived from the CV-240 model, and was delivered to the USAF in 1954.

The earlier trainer model, designated the T-29, was also based on the Convair 240 and was used to instruct USAF navigators for all USAF aircraft and those USN Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) selected to fly land-based naval aircraft. First deliveries to the USAF were made in 1950 followed by large production quantities until early 1955. The USAF and the USN operated T-29s in separate units at separate locations until 1976. In 1974, the USAF T-29s with the 323d Flying Training Wing (323 FTW) at Mather AFB, California began to be replaced by the Boeing 737-derived T-43. In 1975, the Navy retired all of its T-29s assigned to Training Squadron Twenty-Nine (VT-29) at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, deactivated VT-29, and merged their advanced navigator training program for land-based NFOs with the Air Force's program at Mather AFB.

A planned bomber training version of the T-29 (designated T-32) was never built. The CV-340 model was used for most C-131Ds.

In addition to T-29 variants, the United States Navy used the Samaritan, initially designated as the R4Y until 1962, at which point the naval aircraft were also redesignated as C-131s.

Nearly all of the C-131s left the active USAF inventory in the late 1970s, but the U.S. Coast Guard operated the aircraft until 1983, while the Air National Guard and U.S. Navy units operated additional C-131 airframes, primarily as Operational Support Aircraft (OSA) for Air National Guard flying wings and as naval air station "station aircraft" until 1990. The C-131 was primarily replaced by the C-9 Nightingale in regular USAF service, with the Air National Guard replacing their OSA with C-130 Hercules aircraft and the Navy with C-12 Hurons.

Mercury astronaut training in 1959

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.^[3][4][5]

A Samaritan was the first aircraft used as a flying gunship testbed in mid-1963, in a program known as "Project Tailchaser".^[6] A C-131B (AF Ser. No. 53-7820) was given a gunsight for the side window, but instead of guns it had cameras in the cargo area. Eventually the C-131 was ferried to Eglin AFB in Florida and a General Electric SUU-11A/A 7.62 mm Gatling-style Minigun was installed. Live ammunition was used and both over-water and overland tests were successful.

Accidents and incidents

On 20 March 1956 a T-29B was destroyed near Dobbins AFB, Georgia, while en route from Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas, to Idlewild Airport in New York, killing 2, Capt Cecil Bryant and 1/Lt. Donald Carillo. It was the first fatal accident involving Harlingen personnel since the base was re-activated.^[7]

On 17 December 1960, a C-131D Samaritan crashed at Munich in what is the largest loss of life in an accident in the Bavarian capital. Shortly after takeoff one engine failed and the pilot tried to get back to Riem in heavy fog over Munich. Due to the limited visibility the aircraft struck the tip of St. Paul's church close to the Theresienwiese, and crashed onto a streetcar, killing all 20 people on board the plane, and 32 on the tram.^[8]

On 4 May 1970, a T-29 en route from Hamilton AFB, Novato, California, to Fairchild AFB, Washington, crashed on take-off in remote Sonoma County, killing 13 of 14 aboard.^[9]

On 30 April 1983, a C-131 assigned to NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba crashed at NAS Jacksonville with the loss of 13 lives.

Variants

A U.S. Coast Guard HC-131A.

Convair T-29A navigational trainer of the U.S. Air Force with four astrodomes above the fuselage

The NC-131H Total-In-Flight Simulator at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

C-131A

Transport for United States Air Force based on Convair 240, capable of carrying 39 passengers on rearward facing seats or 20 stretchers and 7 seats. 26 built.^[10]

HC-131A

Surplus C-131As transferred to the United States Coast Guard, 22 transferred.

MC-131A

Temporary designation used before 1962 when a C-131A was used for medivac duties with 27 stretchers.

VC-131A

Temporary designation used before 1962 when a C-131A was used as a staff transport.

C-131B

A hybrid Model 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 Model 340s flown with Alison 501D-13 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 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 as an airways aid checking duties.

VC-131G

C-131G used as a staff transport.

C-131H

Other models converted to Model 580 turboprop standards.

NC-131H

One conversion with an extended nose incorporating a separate cockpit as a Total In-Flight Simulator. This aircraft was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio on November 7, 2008^[11]

R4Y-1

United States Navy version of the Model 340 with 44 passenger seats, redesignated C-131F in 1962, 36 built.

R4Y-1Z

United States Navy staff transports, redesignated VC-131F in 1962, one built and conversions from R4Y-1.

R4Y-2

Two C-131Es transferred to the United States Navy, redesignated C-131G in 1962, an additional 13 cancelled.

R4Y-2Q

Projected radar countermeasures version of the R4Y-2, five cancelled

R4Y-2S

Projected United States Navy Anti-Submarine Warfare trainer version, 14 on order cancelled.

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, unpressurised cabin for 14 students, 46 built.

VT-29A

T-29As converted for staff transport.

T-29B

Pressurised 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 2500hp 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 for 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

 Paraguay

• Paraguayan Air Force operated one former USAF Convair C-131D^[12]

 United States

• 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

Convair C-131D of the U.S. Air Force Museum at Dayton, Ohio.

HC-131A

• 52-5794 – On display at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum in Pueblo, Colorado.^[13][14]
• 52-5800 – On display at the Edward H. White II Memorial Museum, Brooks AFB, Texas.

C-131A

• 55-4757 – On display at the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[15]

C-131B

• 53-7811 – Last registered to Tatonduk Outfitters Limited in Fairbanks, Alaska. This aircraft was previously on display at the Kelly Field Heritage Museum, Lackland AFB, Texas.^[16]
• 53-7821 – On display at the Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Florida.^[17]

C-131D

• 54-2806 – On display at the Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum, Travis AFB, California.^[18]
• 54-2808 – On display at the March Field Air Museum, March ARB (former March AFB), Riverside, California.^[19]
• 54-2810 – Stored at Burlington Air National Guard Base in Burlington, Vermont.^[20]
• 54-2822 – On display at the Aerospace Museum of California, former McClellan AFB, California.^[21]
• 55-0292 – On display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.^[22]
• 55-0293 – On display at the Selfridge Military Air Museum, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan.^[23][24]
• 55-0294 – On display at The Leonardo Museum, Salt Lake City, UT.^[25]
• 55-0295 – On display at the Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover AFB, Delaware.^[26]
• 55-0300 – On display at the Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah.^[27]
• 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.^[28][29]

C-131F

• 140996 – In active service as N351FL. Flying nightly from Phoenix Sky Harbor International to California and back, as of January 2017.^[30]
• 141013 – On display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.^[31]
• 141015 – On display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, Florida.^[32]
• 141017 – On display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.^[33]
• 141025 – In storage at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.^[34]

NC-131H

• 53-7793 – On display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.^[35][36]

T-29A

• 49-1934 – On display at Sheppard AFB, Texas.^[37]
• 50-0190 – On display at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.^[38]

T-29B

• 51-7906 – On display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.^[39]

T-29C

• 53-3489 – On display at the 12th Flying Training Wing area, Randolph AFB, Texas.^[40] (previously displayed at former Mather AFB, California; disassembled and relocated following BRAC closure of Mather AFB)

Specifications (C-131B)

Data from United States Military Aircraft since 1909^[41]

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 ft² (85.5 m²)
• Empty weight: 29,248 lb (13,294 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 47,000 lb (21,363 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99 "Double Wasp" 18 cylinder air cooled radial engines, 2,500 hp (1,865 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 293 mph (255 knots, 472 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 254 mph (221 knots, 409 km/h)
• Range: 450 mi (391 nmi, 725 km)
• Service ceiling: 24,500 ft (7,470 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,410 ft/min (7.2 m/s)

See also

Related development

• Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan
• Convair CV-240 family
• Military transport aircraft

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Airspeed Ambassador
• Vickers VC.1 Viking

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Convair C-131 Samaritan.

• 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