Convair was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer created by the 1943 merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. The name abbreviated Consolidated-Vultee and later became the formal divisional name under General Dynamics. Its work included airliners, military aircraft, missiles and launch vehicles.[1][2]
Consolidated-Vultee origins
Consolidated had been founded by Reuben H. Fleet in 1923 and moved its manufacturing base to San Diego in the 1930s. Its flying-boat and bomber production supplied major wartime programmes, including the PBY Catalina and B-24 Liberator. The March 1943 merger with Vultee combined these activities with another established airframe business. Wartime factory expansion also required new recruitment and training practices. Company photographs and publications document women entering manufacturing jobs and changes to equipment intended to make heavy production work more manageable.[1][3]
Commercial and military aircraft
Convair's post-war commercial range included the 240, 340 and 440 twin-engined transports. The Model 240 was developed as a modern replacement for the DC-3, and subsequent versions extended the family. The manufacturer also entered the jet-airliner market with the 880. Military programmes included delta-wing interceptors, while experimental aircraft investigated unconventional operating methods: the Sea Dart operated from water and the Pogo explored vertical take-off and landing. These projects gave Convair a portfolio spanning routine airline transport and specialised research aircraft.[4][2]
General Dynamics and aerospace work
General Dynamics acquired a majority interest in 1954 and incorporated Convair as a division. Atlas missile and launch-vehicle development became another major element of the operation. San Diego's low-speed wind tunnel, opened in 1947, supported numerous aircraft and missile programmes over subsequent decades, extending the engineering infrastructure beyond individual production lines. General Dynamics began divesting aircraft and spacecraft businesses in the 1990s. Museum collections preserve Convair photographs, technical illustrations, employee publications and personal papers documenting the company's changing industrial role.[1][4]