The Convair 240 was an airliner produced by Consolidated Vultee from 1947 to 1956. 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 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, and Trans-Australia Airlines.

The CV-240 was used by the United States Air Force for medical evacuation and VIP transport and was designated as C-131 Samaritan, the Strategic Air Command had them in service until 1975.

The U.S. Navy used the Samaritan as the R4Y. The C-131 was eventually replaced by the C-9 Nightingale. It was also designated as the T-29 and used by the Air Force and the Navy as a navigator trainer. The T-29 was evenually replaced by the T-43. A planned bomber training version of the T-29 (designated T-32) was never built.

A CV-240 was the first private aircraft used in a United States presidential campaign. In 1960, John F. Kennedy used a CV-240 dubbed Caroline during his campaign. This aircraft is now preserved in the National Air and Space Museum.

The CV-340, built for United Airlines, was lengthened to hold an additional four seats. The wings were also enlarged for better performance at higher altitudes.

The CV-440 Metropolitan had improved soundproofing and an option of weather radar.

The Convair 580 is a conversion from a Convair 340 aircraft with the original piston engines replaced with two Allison 501 D13D/H turboprop engines.

The Convair 600 is a conversion from a Convair 240 aircraft with the original piston engines replaced with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines. The CV-600 first flew with Central Airlines on 30 November 1965. The CV-600 aircraft that flew with Air Metro Airways was configured as a forty passenger airliner. In August 2006 a total of 1 Convair 600 aircraft remains in airline service, with Rhoades Aviation.

Ten CL-66 aircraft were build by Canadair in Canada, they were a version of the Convair 440 with Napier Eland turbo-props. In canadian service they were known as the CC-109 Cosmopolitan.

The Convair 5800 is a conversion from a Convair 580 by Kelowna Flightcraft in Canada. The 5800 is a 580 stretched by 14ft 3in with the 440's original tail unit. These conversions also have a new freight door, digital avionics with EFIS and Allison 501-D22 engines.

Trivia

Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed when a 1947 Convair 240 they were aboard crashed near a forest in McComb, Mississippi on October 20th, 1977. The probable cause of the crash was fuel exhaustion and total loss of power from both engines. The pilot, co-pilot and the band's assistant road manager were killed also. Some 20 other passangers survived.