CONVAIR C-131 / R4Y Samaritan

CONVAIR C-131 / R4Y The Story of the Samaritan

CONVAIR introduced its CV-240 airliner to American Airlines in 1947, and by 1954 production of the aircraft eventually reached 1,181. Over time, the company was able to sell a modified transport line of this product to the U.S. military, dubbing it the C-131 Samaritan. The new mode of transport was introduced in 1950 and managed a healthy production of 512 units before being phased out in 1990. It subsequently served in the United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy (USN) and United States Coast Guard (USCG).

And an example sent to the Paraguayan Air Force. The CV-340 is another related CONVAIR airliner model that influenced some later Samaritan variants. They have an elongated fuselage, wider wings and more powerful radial engines.

The C-131 was a very traditional aircraft at the time, with two forward nacelles along gently swept low main wing attachments. The fuselage is tubular with a forwardly offset cockpit behind the short nose assembly. The fuselage then tapers towards the tail, where a large vertical stabilizer is mounted.

A horizontal plane with a low setting completes the tail. Windows dot the sides of the cabin. The plane sits on a wheeled tricycle, a departure from the "trailer" designs of the past few years. The main legs, which are fixed under the engine nacelles, use two wheels, as do the front legs, which are fixed under the cockpit floor. This configuration gave the Samaritan its unique stance and allowed for the proper spacing of the large rotating propeller blades on each engine.

A typical four-person crew might have about 48 people. Power is provided by 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-99 "Double Wasp" radial artillery engines, each rated at 2,500 hp, driven by a three-bladed propeller assembly. This gives a top speed of 295 mph and a cruising speed of nearly 255 mph.

Range is specified at 450 miles, service is capped at 24,500 feet, and climb rate is 1,400 feet per second.

The C-131 was first delivered to the USAF in 1954, replacing a similar T-29 "Flying Classroom" training platform that had been in service since 1949. Flight classrooms have been used to train navigators, bombardiers and radar operators on the intricacies of their aircraft in active aerial environments.

On the other hand, the C-131 is used by the US Air Force as a medical evacuation platform, suitable for transporting hospital beds and medical personnel. With proper seat conversion, it can also function as general passenger transportation.

Four C-131s (temporary) in the VIP transport role, designated VC-131H. Other C-131 airframes are used to evaluate role/transition plans for fixed-wing attack helicopter testing, photo reconnaissance, electronics training, and more.

Significant variants of the entire C-131 lineage, including C-131A, C-131B, C-131D, C-131F, T-29A, T-29C, and T-29D. The C-131A model is a personnel carrier based on the CONVAIR CV-240 with a capacity of 39 seats and a total of 26 units built.

The C-131B followed, adding elements of the successor CV-340, with a total of 36 built, of which 48 were built. The C-131D is a military version of the CV-340 with 44 seats, of which 33 were produced. C-131F is the new designation for USN R4Y-1 (C-131A).

The T-29A was the first trainer to feature an uncompressed cabin and a workstation for 14 students - about 46 airframes were produced. The T-29C follows the T-29B's pressurized nacelle and is powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-29W radial engines producing 2,500 hp.

Made 119 servings of this type. The T-29D is a Bombardier training platform based on the T-29C with a six-person workstation. 93 were produced.

Both the US Air Force and US Navy used C-131 and T-29 variants (the original US Navy C-131 was referred to as "R4Y"). Eventually, the former USN unit entered the USCG inventory when 22 of these models were transferred as HC-131As for search and rescue (SAR).

These are drawn according to the usual USCG red and white scheme. During the USAF operation, the C-131 was eventually abandoned in favor of the more modern jet McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale (essentially a modified DC-9 aircraft).

Despite their age, some C-131s and T29s are preserved in indoor and outdoor museums across the United States.

Specification

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