Convair
Defunct American aerospace manufacturer associated with the B-36 bomber, delta-wing interceptors, commercial airliners, Atlas rockets, and Centaur space vehicles.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Convair was an American aerospace manufacturer created in 1943 through the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. Originally known as Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, the business inherited Consolidated's substantial wartime aircraft operations and became one of the largest American aircraft producers during the Second World War. Its principal engineering and manufacturing base was in the San Diego area, although it also operated major facilities and laboratories elsewhere in the United States. The company entered the postwar era with expertise in large military aircraft. Its B-36 Peacemaker became one of the most distinctive strategic bombers of the early nuclear age. The aircraft combined six piston engines with four turbojets and was, for a period, the world's largest land-based piston-powered bomber. Convair later became a major practitioner of delta-wing design, producing the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors and the supersonic B-58 Hustler strategic bomber. These programs established the company as an important supplier to the United States Air Force during the Cold War. Convair also developed a significant civilian business. Its CV-240 family of twin-engine propeller airliners was adopted by airlines and other operators in the United States and abroad. In the jet age, Convair designed the Convair 880 and Convair 990 Coronado. Both aircraft emphasized speed and were smaller than the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, but limited production—approximately 65 880s and 37 990s—made the programs commercially unsuccessful. The manufacturing capabilities developed for these aircraft nevertheless supported a more durable business supplying fuselages and other large structures to major airliner manufacturers. Rockets, missiles, and space systems became increasingly important. Convair developed the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile and later adapted the Atlas as a civilian launch vehicle. Atlas launches supported Project Mercury's first American crewed orbital missions, while the Atlas-Centaur combination became a major satellite and planetary-probe launch system. Convair's Centaur upper stage was an important early application of liquid-hydrogen and liquid-oxygen propulsion and supported missions including Surveyor lunar landers and the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 probes. The company also worked on naval and land-based missiles, including the Terrier, Tartar, Redeye, and other classified or experimental systems. General Dynamics acquired Convair in 1953, after which it operated primarily as the Convair Division of that corporation. During the later twentieth century, General Dynamics progressively separated Convair's activities. Missile operations were sold to Hughes Aircraft, space operations to Martin Marietta, aircraft-structure activities to McDonnell Douglas, and major Texas facilities and associated intellectual property to Lockheed. The remaining Convair entities were deactivated in 1996. Although the corporate brand disappeared, designs and technologies originating in Convair programs continued to influence military aviation, commercial-aircraft structural manufacturing, and space launch systems.
History
Convair's roots lay in Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. Consolidated, founded in the interwar period, became a major military-aircraft producer through programs such as the B-24 Liberator and PBY Catalina. Vultee developed its own aircraft business within the American aviation industry before becoming an independent company. Their 1943 merger created Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, a large wartime contractor commonly known as Convair. By the value of its wartime production contracts, the merged company ranked among the leading American industrial concerns. Most of Convair's design and production activity was concentrated in Southern California, particularly San Diego County, with additional facilities and subcontractors supporting its programs elsewhere. After the war, the company transitioned from piston-powered aircraft to the technologies of the Jet Age and the nuclear-era defense industry. The B-36 Peacemaker was its best-known early postwar aircraft. Its unusually large airframe and mixed piston-and-jet propulsion reflected the strategic requirements of the period, when the United States sought aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons over intercontinental distances. Convair subsequently developed a family of delta-wing aircraft. The F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart were supersonic interceptors designed to defend North American airspace, while the B-58 Hustler was a highly advanced supersonic strategic bomber. These programs demanded expertise in aerodynamics, propulsion, weapons integration, and high-temperature structures. Convair's military portfolio also expanded into guided weapons, including the Navy's Terrier and Tartar surface-to-air missile systems and the Redeye man-portable missile. The company pursued both commercial aviation and space technology. Its CV-240 family became a widely used propeller airliner line. Later, the Convair 880 and 990 entered the commercial jet market, but their small production runs and weak economics prevented Convair from establishing a lasting position against larger competitors. The experience nonetheless made Convair valuable as a producer of large aircraft structures and fuselage sections for other manufacturers. Rocket development became one of Convair's most consequential activities. The Atlas program began as a military missile effort and evolved into a launch vehicle. Atlas carried Project Mercury spacecraft and later supported satellite and planetary missions. Convair's Centaur upper stage introduced practical cryogenic hydrogen-oxygen propulsion to a major launch system and was used with Atlas for lunar, interplanetary, and commercial missions. Atlas-Centaur launches included the Pioneer probes and numerous satellites, extending the influence of Convair's engineering beyond atmospheric flight. General Dynamics acquired Convair in 1953. For most of the rest of its existence, Convair was a division rather than an independent public company. General Dynamics reorganized and sold portions of the operation as the economics of complete aircraft production weakened and aerospace companies concentrated on specialized businesses. The Missile Systems Division went to Hughes in 1992, the Fort Worth operations and related rights went to Lockheed, the Space Systems Division went to Martin Marietta in 1994, and aircraft-structures activities were transferred to McDonnell Douglas. The termination of the MD-11 fuselage arrangement and the closure and demolition of San Diego facilities marked the end of Convair's local manufacturing presence. General Dynamics deactivated the remaining Convair entities in 1996. The name therefore survives primarily as a historical aerospace brand and as a legacy attached to aircraft, missiles, launch vehicles, and technologies developed under its organization.
- 1996
Convair is deactivated
[1]General Dynamics deactivated the remaining Convair legal entities.
- 1994
Space and aircraft-structure businesses divested
[1]Convair's space activities were sold to Martin Marietta, while aircraft-structure activities were transferred to McDonnell Douglas.
- 1992
Missile Systems Division sold
[1]General Dynamics sold the Missile Systems Division to Hughes Aircraft Company.
- 1962
Atlas-Centaur program begins
[1]The Atlas-Centaur launch system began operations, pairing Convair's Atlas booster with its cryogenic Centaur upper stage.
- 1961
Convair 990 makes its first flight
[1]The larger and faster Convair 990 made its first flight, but the program later achieved only limited production.
- 1959
Convair 880 makes its first flight
[1]The Convair 880 prototype flew for the first time as the company entered the commercial jet-airliner market.
- 1957
Atlas enters missile testing
[1]The Atlas program achieved its first launch activity as Convair developed the weapon into an operational intercontinental ballistic missile family.
- 1953
Acquisition by General Dynamics
[1]General Dynamics acquired Convair, which became its Convair Division.
- 1943
Consolidated Vultee is formed
[1]Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft merged to create the company that became widely known as Convair.
Products and positioning
A high-technology American defense and aerospace manufacturer serving strategic aviation, military aircraft, missiles, launch vehicles, space exploration, and commercial-aircraft structures.
Strategic bomber
B-36 Peacemaker
A very large postwar strategic bomber powered by six piston engines and four turbojets. The B-36 provided long-range nuclear deterrence capability and became Convair's defining early Cold War aircraft.
Supersonic strategic bomber
B-58 Hustler
A delta-wing, supersonic bomber designed for high-speed strategic missions. Its advanced aerodynamics and high-performance structure made it one of the most technically distinctive Convair aircraft.
Interceptor aircraft
F-102 Delta Dagger
A delta-wing supersonic interceptor developed for the United States Air Force. It formed part of the American air-defense system and was exported to selected allied operators.
Interceptor aircraft
F-106 Delta Dart
An advanced Century Series interceptor and successor to the F-102. It was optimized for high-speed, high-altitude interception and remained a principal United States air-defense fighter for many years.
Civilian airliner
CV-240 family
A family of twin-engine propeller-driven airliners produced in multiple variants. The series served airlines and other operators and gave Convair a substantial civilian-aircraft presence before the transition to commercial jets.
Jet airliner · 1959
Convair 880
A fast, relatively small commercial jet intended to compete with larger contemporary aircraft. It first flew in 1959, but limited production and unfavorable economics led Convair to leave the complete-airliner market.
Jet airliner · 1961
Convair 990 Coronado
Convair's follow-on commercial jet, designed for greater speed than many competing aircraft. The program made only a small number of aircraft and was not commercially successful, although its production experience supported later structural subcontracting.
Rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile · 1957
Atlas
A family that began as a United States Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile and evolved into a civilian launch vehicle. Atlas rockets launched Project Mercury spacecraft, satellites, and scientific probes.
Cryogenic rocket upper stage · 1962
Centaur
A liquid-hydrogen and liquid-oxygen upper stage developed to increase the performance of Atlas launch vehicles. Centaur enabled lunar and interplanetary missions and influenced later American cryogenic rocket stages.
Surface-to-air missile
RIM-2 Terrier
A naval surface-to-air missile system developed for the United States Navy. It represented Convair's expansion from aircraft into guided weapons and shipborne air defense.
Man-portable surface-to-air missile · 1960
FIM-43 Redeye
A shoulder-launched infrared-guided missile designed to provide short-range air defense. It was one of Convair's notable contributions to portable guided weapons.
Brand decisions
1994
Divest most remaining Convair activitiesM&ABackground
General Dynamics was reducing and restructuring its aerospace portfolio, while Convair's separate divisions had become more valuable to specialized buyers.
Action taken
The Space Systems Division was sold to Martin Marietta, aircraft-structure activities were transferred to McDonnell Douglas, and other facilities and rights were sold to Lockheed.
Aftermath
The divestitures eliminated most of Convair's operating base and led to the eventual deactivation of the remaining legal entities in 1996.
1962
Exit the complete commercial-jet marketStrategyBackground
The Convair 880 and 990 faced larger established competitors and did not achieve sufficient production volume or profitability.
Action taken
Convair stopped pursuing a sustained position as a complete commercial-jet-airliner manufacturer.
Aftermath
The company redirected its commercial aviation capability toward profitable subcontract work, including major fuselage sections.
1960
Shift toward missiles and space systemsStrategyBackground
Cold War procurement and the emerging space race created expanding opportunities beyond conventional aircraft.
Action taken
Convair directed substantial engineering and manufacturing capacity toward Atlas, Centaur, naval missiles, and other guided-weapon programs.
Aftermath
The resulting rocket and space technologies became among the company's most enduring technical legacies.
1953
Join General DynamicsM&ABackground
Convair was operating in a capital-intensive defense and aerospace sector that was consolidating after the Second World War.
Action taken
General Dynamics acquired the company and retained it as the Convair Division.
Aftermath
Convair continued developing aircraft, missiles, and space systems under General Dynamics rather than as an independent company.
Recent events
- 1996
Remaining Convair legal entities deactivated[1]
Other
General Dynamics deactivated the remaining legal entities of the Convair Division, completing the brand's corporate dissolution.
- 1994
Convair Space Systems Division sold to Martin Marietta[1]
M&A
General Dynamics sold the Convair Space Systems Division to Martin Marietta.
- 1994
Convair aircraft-structures operations transferred to McDonnell Douglas[1]
M&A
General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas agreed to end Convair's MD-11 fuselage contract, with manufacturing responsibility transferred to McDonnell Douglas.
- 1992
General Dynamics sells Convair Missile Systems Division to Hughes[1]
M&A
General Dynamics announced the sale of Convair's Missile Systems Division to Hughes Aircraft Company as part of the progressive breakup of the Convair organization.
- 1962
Atlas supports Project Mercury orbital flights[1]
Product launch · Other
Convair's Atlas launch vehicle carried American astronauts on the first crewed orbital flights of Project Mercury.
- 1953
General Dynamics acquires Convair[1]
M&A
General Dynamics purchased Convair, which subsequently operated as the Convair Division within the larger defense and high-technology group.
Sources1 sources
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