ALFRED DAMEN COLLECTION
No. 3855. Convair 440-12 Metropolitan (OO-SCP c/n 367) SABENA
Photographed at Zaventem Airport, Brussels, Belgium, 1965

Convair 440-12 Metropolitan

01/22/2007. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This aircraft was delivered to the Belgian airline SABENA on October 11, 1956 and was sold in the USA to Frontier Airlines in September 1967 and registered N73164. In June 1968, it was converted to a Model 580 by replacing the original reciprocating engines with two Allison turboprop engines. It remained in service with Frontier until August 1985 and then sold. After passing through two other companies, it was withdrawn from use and stored at Marana, Arizona. It was removed from storage and sold to two other USA companies and then sold to the Bolivian airline TAM in September 1991 and registered TAM-74. It was again withdrawn from use and placed in storage at La Paz, Bolivia, in June 1996."

12/31/2004. Remarks by Alfred Damen: "The first Convair 440 flew on October 6, 1955. The type was basically similar to the 340 but featured redesigned engine nacelles and other refinements. The addition of radar lengthened the nose by 2ft 4ins. Eventually the type carried 52 passengers in a high density layout. Production of the 440 reached 171 for airlines plus another 22 for other customers."


Created December 31, 2004