68 Year Old KF Aerospace Convair 580 Startup & Taxi With Incredible Allison Engine Sound!
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Here’s an exciting capture of a very unique aircraft flying with Kelowna Flightcraft (KF) Aerospace. It is a 68 year old turboprop aircraft that is extremely rare in other parts of the world, but these aircraft serve Kamloops Airport twice a day on weekdays.
C-GKFF was once a 46 seat passenger aircraft, but for over 20 years, she was been hauling cargo for Purolator on behalf of KF Aerospace
My apologies for the specks of water on the camera lens throughout the video, it was raining quite heavily during the time I was filming.
Aircraft: Convair CV-340/CV-580 Convairliner
Year built: 1954
Arrived from: Prince George (YXS)
Departing to: Vancouver (YVR)
Date and Time: June 9th, 2022 at 5:35pm
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#aircraft #planespotting #vintage
I’d like to thank everyone for all the views, likes and comments! This is the most positive support I’ve ever received on any social media account, and it’s greatly appreciated! - Lucas
*The CV-580's were not a production aircraft. They were Turboprop conversions performed in the mid to late 60's*
Exactly. I flew on many more of the original 440’s, then a couple of the turboprop conversions. Also Martin 202s and DC3s mostly out of Albany, NY. The 440 was an excellent aircraft, very stable and comfortable for its time. Then once I flew on a similar Ilyushin in Poland which was a pile of crap.
I worked at a pump station in the early 2000s and we would fly to work and back every two weeks in one of these. There was a gravel strip near the pump station. They retired it from passenger service because of the cost to upgrade the cockpit door. I remember on the last flight the pilot told us it was made in3-1953. I remember because I am the same age. I love those engines as I was an avionics technician on P-3s in the first half of the 1970s and know that sound well.
It always brings a smile to my face to hear the memories that are awakened with my Convair videos. Thank you very much for your comment, I really appreciate it. - Lucas
The passenger versions were an incredible aircraft. Big, roomy, comfortable, quiet……just great. They had a very stable ride. My experience was in the 70’s on Allegheny Airlines.
Me too! My CV 580 on Allegheny had the name Braniff on the wing.
It had been taken off, but looking out I could still see it.
The plane obviously belonged first to Braniff.
I liked the Metropolitan better.
@@stuartlee6622 Mine was with North Central Airlines in '72 and Aspen Airways in the 80s. It was a great comfortable aircraft.
I commuted to work at a pump station for many years in these. We landed on a gravel airstrip by the pump station.
I can vividly recall when some of these were flying with American Eagle Airlines in the late 1980s, from 1986 thru 1989-90. They were replaced by modern ATR's and SAAB 340's, which I also liked.
But I'll admit I kinda miss being able or allowed to watch these Convair 580s in full action at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Northeast Texas, back in 1986-87. They were fun to watch.
Timeless design is a joy forever!
*Wow, a 1954 Vintage Convair Twin-Engine, Turboprop Airliner. That's something you don't see every day.*
It’s a very rare aircraft, but very common in my area
This Convairliner beauty has the same unique distinctive, space-age style of Convair's most famous, and absolutely wondrous looking creation: the USAF's B-58 "Hustler" bomber. She is a joy to see and especially hear again. We're exactly the same age, and I'll bet she still flies like new. For me, grew up on AFB's & NAS's, a nostalgic set of sight and sound gone before we knew it long ago; sounds immediately recognized and distinctly familiar as the horn of the family car or your Dad's whistle to come home for dinner. With all the gloomy winter weather shown here, that pretty bird will be popping out to VFR on top visibility clear-as-a-bell blue skies 100 miles in all directions in just a few minutes - all pilots' instant never-fail cure for the winter blah blues - everytime. Cheers TRR Skipper. Happy landings.
Thanks for the comment, Jeff. I’m very lucky to still be able to experience the wonders of the Convair 580 even to this day. You are totally correct, she still looks, sounds, and flies like she’s straight outta the factory. Cheers.
- Lucas
I flew those with the old "original" Frontier Airlines, excellent short field Rocky Mountain aircraft!
The Mountain Master!
Did you know that the CC-580 is not the official designation for those aircraft that were converted?
They are either CV-340A or CV-440A with the A designating the Allison Conversion of either a CV-340 or CV-440, most of not all of Frontier’s Convairs started out as CV-340 which were bought from United Airlines.
Frontier’s Marketing Department came up with the CV-580 moniker and it stuck!
A Vintage plane? Yes! It's still in service as of today. :)
Yep it’s pretty impressive!
❤ Glorious!
As a boy I flew in the 440 and 660. I'm I can see this 580 taking off somewhere on RUclips.
I love bulbous planes with propellers.
I flew in several 580's back in the 70's and early 80's. Great airplane. The sound of the Allison turbopros is awesome!
Thanks for the comment! I was never personally able to fly on the passenger variant of the Convair 580, although I cannot express enough how grateful I am to still be able to film the Cargo variants.
Indeed! IF there's anything that sounds even better starting up and taxiing, it was the glorious Lockheed L188 Electra - only because it had two more Allisons to make that special music!
@@steveember8972 Yes. In terms of sound, those four engines were impressive, but the vibration of the entire airframe was a little scary and something you did not experience on the smaller 540.
@@alanmiller9681 Thanks, Alan. Actually, I remember flying on Electras of American, National, and Eastern, and cannot recall any excessive airframe vibration, either in climb or cruise. Wondering if your experience may have pre-dated the mods to wing and nacelle angle.
@@steveember8972 Probably did precede it. Flew on Electra’s when they were new. But flew more DC3s, Convair 440s and Martin 202s in those days.
I flew one 580 in Venezuela with Avensa.
Is this airplane recipro-engine or turbo prop engine? I guess recipro-engine..
The early models were radial engines, Pratt and Whitney 2800 52 W. I last worked on them in 1980 as a flight engineer in the Navy. Some of the 440 and 540 converted to turob prop dives.
One odf the finest commuter aircraft I flew in was a Convair 580. Later I saw them is use as Firefighting Air Tankers. Convair built some very reliable and tough airplanes. The Navy used this version until the mid '90's.
It really is quite impressive how long these airframes have lasted, especially with little extensive work besides the change over to Allison engines in the mid to late 60’s.
The last Convair to fly in NZ was about 15 months ago. I have seen and videoed them at KKC, WLG and AKL.
Anthony
Yeah that’s too bad you guys no longer have Convair flights. I’m not sure how long it’s been since we’ve had a passenger Convair flight in Canada, I do know it’s been quite a while. Lucky for us, we still have KF Aero flying in daylight cargo flights with these birds.
@@thompsonriverrailfan There is also one operating in Mexico, operates between northern airports and the USA. (XA--UPL).... How do you know how many are active worldwide?
@@SMNAviation no idea
This SOUND 💕💕💕💕💕💕
I flew on a CV 580 in 1989, Denver to Grand Junction. Two memories; one, watching the engine nacelle turn pink-red as we flew, and two, trying as hard as I could to get that damn CONVAIR logo escutcheon off the armrest, which I did not do....
Love those meat cleaver props!
Same here! They look and sound amazing
Jet props
13 1/2 feet in diameter, weighed one thousand pounds each, blades were made of steel sheets brazed together. They turned at 1,020 rpm and were limited to 4,000 horsepower loading, a power that the Allison engine could exceed at low elevation, cold day takeoff setting. Normal takeoff setting was 971 degrees C TIT (turbine inlet temperature), but pilots would stop power increase if the 4,000 limit was approached. Nominal horsepower at sea level/standard day was 3,750. Propellers were synchronized to same rpm in flight, and in cruise would go into phase synchronization mode, in which right propeller would rotate with the same rpm as left, but with its blades clocked fifteen degrees ahead of (or behind, I forget which) the left propeller. This lessened "beat" noise in cabin.
The 'old' Frontier Airlines used to fly 'em out of Denver on their runs to Aspen and Grand Junction. Early 1970's and perhaps even longer. Later, when I was at NAS Point Mugu, Aspen Airways had a contract using a 580 (former Frontier bird?) to take Navy civilian workers out to San Nicolas Island off the coast. I managed to bum rides down to San Diego and up to Las Vegas a couple of times with others at times. Takeoff was almost like a launch from a catapult.
Nice! Your short takeoff experience reminds me of when I bummed a ride on a practically empty C-141. With four jet engines, it was off the ground in a few seconds! I sure was surprised!
Definitely a Convair is New Zealand regularly flying until 2022?
Coral Gables 🌴🇺🇸 GREAT memories of school PIA caring for Sahra Mellon Scaif 580 back in 1968. 🏄
The installation of the Allison engines on the Convair doubled the horsepower of the a/c. These were the same engines used on the Lockheed Electra. ERA airlines in Alaska had an Allison powered Convair. I have flown in that airplane. It was a beast. Not only did it have tremendous power but a lot of heat for deicing.
Nice! I remember seeing many CV-580's when I was young. I still remember my last ride on a 580 1968 Frontier Airlines.
Thank you! Glad I could bring back some memories for you. I’m very lucky to still be able to see these beauties at my home airport.
It's powerplants strongly resemble the ones on the Lockheed P-3 Orion and C-130H.
That’s because they all have the same engines, the Allison 501-D13
She maybe getting on a bit but she still looks the part.🇬🇧
DHL used to run these in the late 90s here in the UK. they could be a pig to load with there thick base on the containers. seen a few wet starts of the APU where 6ft of flames shoot out.
Felicidades...a surcar el aire
Great stuff. Back in the summer of '79 i worked for ANE on MVY..we leased in N5815 and N5823 from Aspen to help handle the summer traffic, and they handled whatever we threw at 'em and were more reliable than our own aircraft.
Not much has changed since then! Still extremely reliable and effective.
Good looking airplane
Right you are!
Nice catch! Nice seeing these older airframes still in service :)
Thanks! Yes I just love that we still get these old 50s planes here, that’s exactly the reason I got soaked while filming! 😂
@@thompsonriverrailfan well it was worth it! :)
Canadair former CC-109 Cosmopolitan, perhaps?
Not this particular aircraft, no. C-GKFF was only ever a passenger and cargo hauling aircraft.
Beautiful plane!
Wow, that's Kelowna, BC. I even recognise the CV580! I was in Kelowna in Oct 2022 and picked up a B737 SF and flew her to Africa.
Hello to all the nice people I met.
This is Kamloops, B.C. Although the scenery is very similar, and Kelowna also receives these aircraft.
@@thompsonriverrailfan thanks for the correction. The mountains in the background are similar. And a 580 would land once, or twice per day. Wish I had time to visit the aviation museum at the Kelowna Airport.
Não sabia, bacana.
such power and reliability of those engines lol i want one
Haha, I would love to own one of these! And yes indeed, they are certainly very powerful and reliable. They remain a relevant power source for these birds even in 2023.
Turboprop??
Thanks for this combination of graceful design and the most distinctive, memorable music an aircraft could ever make - exceeded only by the remarkable Lockheed L188 Electra, packing as she did two more Allison powerplants. Also a most graceful form to enjoy visually.
Question for anyone knowledgeable on the topic: How did they start the first engine in the absence of a power cart?
Well Steve, I suppose that’s what an APU is for. Lol.
@@thompsonriverrailfan Thanks, Lucas, I was guessing as much, but was not aware of the CV580 (or the Electra) having APU's. As your video actually started with the No.2 engine turning, there was no ambient sound to indicate (to me) that an APU was in fact operating to provide pressurization to start the first engine.
This Convair 580 doesn’t have an APU. It has a GTC. Gas Turbine Compressor. It’s kind of like an APU but it only produces compressed air for the air starters on the engines. It won’t run the air conditioning pack and it doesn’t produce electricity.
It’s located in the RH nacelle under the right engine.
Some passenger versions of the Convair 580 had a full APU in the tail stinger.
@@calvinnickel9995 Thank you for this information, Calvin - much appreciated!
These were the “Super Sports” of turbo props!
They still are! They have been freshly overhauled over the summer and are back up and running
@@thompsonriverrailfan
The sound of those two Allison’s was always music to my ears!
@@vixen0347 same here, best prop liner sound ever
@@thompsonriverrailfan used to live in trailer park at the end of the runway in Gallup N.M.
They used to rattle the trailer on arrival and departure. LOVED IT!
RR Dart, a classic sound of the 60's and early 70's !!! I grew up with the HS-748 sound near my house day after day for many years
The aircraft engines in this particular video are the Allison 501D-13’s, not the Rolls Royce Dart’s.
@@thompsonriverrailfan Thanks for the tip, I dind't know it!! BTW I'm impressed by the propeller width
@@dffabryr no problem, I’m not too familiar with the Rolls Royce Dart engines, but I am a huge fan of these Allison 501D’s, and yes they sure do have large propellers.
@@thompsonriverrailfan Convair 600 had RR Rda-10 engines and Dowty Rotol propellers providing 2700 horsepower each.. The engines and props were very smooth, but they had some development problems and did not provide the high/hot takeoff performance to operate out of high elevation airports with a reasonable payload. Frontier Airlines acquired a small fleet of Dart Convairs when it bought out Central Airlines in 1967. When the airplane proved to be unsuitable for its mountain airports, Frontier sold them and continued to operate its large fleet of Convair 580s with considerable success.
@@thompsonriverrailfan Pacific Western Airlines, with whom you may be familiar, used to operate a small fleet of Dart-engined Convair 640s. My Dad worked for the airline, so I got to enjoy many jump-seat rides around BC. The Darts had a shriek that had to be heard to be believed. Many years later, while I was working on the ramp at YVR for Air Canada, I got a chance to do the ground handling for a couple of 640s being operated by a charter outfit. My coworkers were probably puzzled, 'cause I was grinning like an idiot the whole time!
SAHSA in Honduras had several of these from the 70's and through the 80's flying in-country milk runs and the Central American routes. An absolutely reliable workhorse of an airplane. 👍👍
Almost looks like a Canadian flag, could be one of the Canadair built aircraft? I had the brief opportunity to fly one of the Canadian military aircraft back in 1975. It seemed like a nice handling machine at the time. I remember being in one of the original re-engined Convair with the Napier Eland and I’m glad they switched to Allison power with slower turning props. Anybody sitting anywhere near the propellor arc was almost guaranteed to get airsick as the prop tips were supersonic. With the Allison’s, they didn’t need to have such fast turning propellers. Great big paddles gulping massive chunks of air and spitting it backwards did much to change the character of the aircraft.
Yes, they seem to be the Electras II motors
@@louispaxeco6931 The Alison 501-D13 props are found on the C-130 Hercules, the Lockheed Electra, and the Convair 580
@@thompsonriverrailfan Cool, I have flown on an Electra II, VARIG here in Brazil, nice experience;
No this isn’t Canadair. Those were the Cosmopolitans and they were all retired from the CAF. This was built before Canadair acquired the type design from General Dynamics.
Something does not sound right.
It probably had something to do with the rain covering up my microphone.
👍👍👌
I saw one hit a belt loader once… was a bad day.
Yikes…
@@thompsonriverrailfan it was really messed up , but did fly again. Here in Phoenix just a couple years ago a convair 600 took off, had a bad engine fire , landed safe, but it was scrapped.
It looks similar to HS 748.
Oh but it sure sounds different!
Darts vs Allison 501D's.
@@RedArrow73 the Allison’s win any day in my books