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weight and performance calculations for the Convair CV990A Coronado
***** PRELIMINARY FILE ****
CV990A EC-BZR July1972 on Manchester airport, 6 months before its crash at Tenerife
Convair CV990A Coronado
role : jet airliner
importance : **
first flight : 24 January 1961 operational : April 1962 (American Airlines)
country : United States of America
design :
production : 37 aircraft built between 1961 and 1963
general information :
After the 880, Convair began developing a larger model, initially referred to as the Model 600. It was equipped with by-pass engines from GE. It would have a range of 7380 km with max. payload and could accommodate 96 to 121 passengers. The speed would be even higher than that of the 880 and should be around 1021 km/h! The by-pass motor of the type CJ805-23 had the fan at the rear (Aft-fan motor). Whitcomb bodies were placed on the wing rear to reduce resistance according to the Area rule.
Convair sold 25 units to American Airlines, which only had to pay US$ 100 million for it. AA paid US$ 22.8 million in the form of 25 surplus DC-7s, representing a market value of only US$ 10 million. Swissair converted its order for 5 880's to 7 990's.
However, the 990 did not achieve the promised performance and AA and Swissair received a discount. The delivery was delayed, the 1st aircraft would be delivered to the Swissair as early as March 1961. There were problems with flutter and the flight characteristics at low speed. For example, Krueger flaps had to be fitted between the fuselage and the inner engine to improve the operation of the elevator. However, this provided significant resistance making the promised maximum speed could not be achieved.
In addition, fuel consumption was 500 kg/hour higher than planned. Convair suffered a loss of 96.5 million usd. The problems were solved with the 990A, but in the meantime the first 707s with turbofan had appeared on the market and the strong sales point of the 990, the fan engine was no longer unique. AA and Swissair entered service with the 990 in March 1962.
All 30 already built CV990's were converted to CV990A, so what really was in service was the CV990A and so in total only 37 CV990(A)'s were built.
On May 8, 1961, a 990 flew M0.97 at 22500ft.
The 990's from Swissair and VARIG differed slightly from the standard 990, they had CJ805-23B engines, could carry more fuel and were slightly heavier.
Frosty SAS SE-DAZ
After the 990's were taken out of service by the large airlines they were used by charter companies for years. The Spanish Spantax was the last major user of the Coronado, which took the last of 14 out of service in March 1987. They were all demolished on Palma except one that has been preserved.
NASA has used a total of 3 pieces for atmospheric, meteorological, astrological and solar
Experiments. One was used to test the landing gear of the Space Shuttle, this lasted until 1995.
Two 990's are stored in the Mojave Desert.
Construction similar to that of the 880M, but hull extended by 3.05m. Aspect ratio 6.2, cord : 6.34m
primary users : Swissair, American Airlines, SAS, Garuda, VARIG, Spantax
Accommodation:
flight crew : 4 cabin crew : 4
flight crew consist of pilot, co-pilot, navigator and flight engineer
passengers : seating for 121 in two class : 9 business class and 112 economy class seats ( 32 -in pitch)
high density seating for 149 passengers
engine : 4 General Electric CJ805-23B turbofan engines of 71.39 [KN](16048.8 [lbf])
Lebanese Int'l Airways had 2 Coronados, but these were destroyed on the ground by Israeli commandos in 1968 during a retaliation raid against Lebanon for an Arab terrorist attack on a Boeing aircraft in Athens, 8 Israeli Air Force Super Frelon helicopters landed at Beirut International Airport at night. Commandos set fire to, and destroyed 14 Lebanese aircraft.
dimensions :
wingspan : 36.58 [m], length : 42.5 [m], height : 12.04 [m]
wing area : 209.0 [m^2]
weights :
empty weight : 54840 [kg]
operating empty weight : 59170 [kg] max. structural payload : 13400 [kg]
Zero Fuel weight (ZFW) : 72570 [kg] max. landing weight (MLW) : 91625 [kg]
max.take-off weight : 114760 [kg] weight fuel : 47520 [kg] (59400 [liter])
performance :
Max. operating Mach number (Mmo) : 0.89 [Mach] (1005 [km/hr]) at 6400 [m]
normal cruise speed : 897 [km/hr] (Mach 0.84 ) at 10670 [m] (35 [%] power)
service ceiling : 12500 [m]
range with max fuel : 6494 [km] and allowance for 752.1 [km] diversion and 30 [min] hold
description :
low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable landing gear with nose wheel
tapered multi-cellular wing with flush-riveted stressed skin
with Fowler flaps airfoil : NACA
sweep angle 3/4 chord: 39.0 [°]
engines attached with pylons to the wing, main landing gear attached to the wings, fuel tanks in the wings and fuselage
construction : all-metal aluminium-alloy stressed-skin construction with pressurized fuselage
fuselage shape : 0
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
measured wing chord : 5.71 [m] at 50% wingspan
mean wing chord : 5.71 [m]
calculated average wing chord tapered wing with rounded tips: 5.70 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.40 []
seize (span*length*height) : 18718 [m^3]
EC-BZO Spantax CV990A interior, 2+3 seating
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 28.6 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption (econ. cruise speed) : 5783.5 [kg/hr] (7229.4 [litre/hr]) at 35 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 0.16 [km/kg] at 10670 [m] height, sfc : 57.1 [kg/KN/h]
total fuel capacity : 59400 [litre] (47520 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 6768.0 [kg] = 23.70 [kg/KN]
weight 282.3 litre oil tank : 24.00 [kg]
oil tank filled with 1.8 litre oil : 1.6 [kg]
oil in engine 47.7 litre oil : 42.8 [kg]
fuel in engine 35.1 litre fuel : 25.70 [kg]
weight fuel lines 59.4 [kg]
weight engine cowling 856.7 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 7778 [kg](6.8 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage aluminium frame : 16790 [kg]
floor loading : 152 [kg/m2]
typical cabin layout for 121 passengers : economy : pitch : 81 [cm] ( 3+2 ) seating in 24.6 rows
pax density (normal seating) : 0.73 [m2/pax]
high density seating passengers : 149 at 5 -abreast seating in 29.8 rows, pitch 81 [cm]
weight 3 toilets : 44.5 [kg]
weight 6 hand fire extinguisher : 18 [kg]
weight 2 galleys : 122.6 [kg]
weight overhead stowage for hand luggage : 42.3 [kg]
weight 2 closets : 24.2 [kg]
weight 51 windows : 46.2 [kg]
weight 2 overwing emergency exits : 76.2 [kg]
weight lifejackets : 54.5 [kg]
weight oxygen masks & oxygen generators : 78.7 [kg]
Cabin length : 30.10m max.width : 3.25m height : 2.15m volume : 173.1 m3
weight emergency flare installation : 10 [kg]
weight 4 emergency evacuation slides : 52.8 [kg]
weight 4 entrance/exit doors : 355.8 [kg]
weight 2 freight doors (belly) : 127.1 [kg]
weight ladies" powder room : 16 [kg]
weight men’s dressing room : 12 [kg]
weight diplomatic mail locker : 2 [kg]
cabin volume (usable), excluding flight deck : 223.24 [m3]
passenger cabin max.width : 3.25 [m] cabin length : 30.10 [m] cabin height : 2.06 [m]
floor area : 88.1 [m2]
pressure difference :0.46 [kg/cm2]
weight rear pressure bulkhead : 205.0 [kg]
weight air pressurization system : 50.4 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 330.3 [m2] duraluminium 4.15 [mm]) : 3610.1 [kg]
weight floor beams : 335.3 [kg]
weight cabin furbishing : 677.4 [kg]
weight cabin floor : 1002.4 [kg]
fuselage (sound proof) isolation : 239.0 [kg]
weight radio transceiver equipment : 7.0 [kg]
weight dual cloud-collision radar : 25.0 [kg]
weight radio direction finding (RDF) equipment : 5.0 [kg]
weight Sperry Integrated Flight System : 11.0 [kg]
weight artificial horizon : 1.1 [kg]
weight instruments. : 38.0 [kg]
weight APU / engine starter: 35.7 [kg]
weight lighting : 30.2 [kg]
weight electricity generator : 30.2 [kg]
weight controls : 16.9 [kg]
weight seats : 645.0 [kg]
weight 29700 [litre] main central fuel tanks empty : 1663.2 [kg]
weight air conditioning : 182 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 26345 [kg](23.0 [%])
***************************************************************
total weight aluminium ribs (1026 ribs) : 4092 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 143 [kg]
weight fuel tanks empty for total 29700 [litre] fuel : 1663 [kg]
weight wing covering (painted aluminium 3.41 [mm]) : 3851 [kg]
total weight aluminium spars (multi-cellular wing structure) : 5223 [kg]
weight wings : 13167 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 63.00 [kg]
weight rubber de-icing boots : 40.2 [kg]
weight fin & rudder (15.5 [m2]) : 980.8 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (23.5 [m2]): 1482.9 [kg]
weight flight control hydraulic servo actuators: 65.4 [kg]
weight fowler flaps (12.5 [m2]) : 400.7 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 17943 [kg] (15.6 [%])
*******************************************************************
wielen naar verhouding erg licht
wheel pressure : 12623.6 [kg]
weight 8 Dunlop main wheels (1130 [mm] by 226 [mm]) : 1220.5 [kg]
weight 2 Dunlop nose wheels : 152.6 [kg]
weight hydraulic wheel-brakes : 72.6 [kg]
weight pneumatic-hydraulic shock absorbers : 96.8 [kg]
weight wheel hydraulic operated retraction system : 1122.7 [kg]
weight undercarriage struts with axle 2892.1 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 5557.1 [kg] (4.8 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 57624 [kg](50.2 [%])
weight oil for 8.7 hours flying : 248.1 [kg]
weight catering : 306.6 [kg]
weight water : 245.3 [kg]
weight crew : 648 [kg]
weight crew lugage,nav.chards,flight doc.,miscell.items : 99 [kg]
operational weight empty : 59170 [kg] (51.6 [%])
********************************************************************
weight 121 passengers : 9317 [kg]
weight luggage : 1936 [kg]
weight cargo : 2147 [kg]
zero fuel weight (ZFW): 72570 [kg](63.2 [%])
Garuda PK-GJA refuels on Hong Kong, February 1965
On May 28, 1968, this aircraft a CV-990-30A-5 crashed 37km north of Bombay int'l airport. It performed a flight from Bombay (BOM) to Karachi (KHI) with 14 crew members and 15 passengers. The airplane crashed almost perpendicularly down 4.5 minutes after takeoff. All occupants were killed and someone on the ground also died. c/n 30-10-3 4x GE CJ805-23B engines. Location : +-2km 19°25'33.31"N 72°51'57.41"E
weight fuel for landing (3.3 hours flying) : 19055 [kg]
max. landing weight (MLW): 91625 [kg](79.8 [%])
max. fuel weight : 106690 [kg] (93.0 [%])
payload with max fuel : 87 passengers+luggage 8070 [kg]
published maximum take-off weight : 114760 [kg] (100.0 [%])
calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 402 [kg/KN]
power loading (operational without useful load) : 361 [kg/kN]
power loading (Take-off) 1 PUF: 536 [kg/KN]
max. total take-off power : 285.6 [KN]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 8.4 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.0 [g] ultimate load : 4.5 [g] load factor : 1.2 [g]
design flight time : 5.07 [hours]
design cycles : 3449 sorties, design hours : 17479 [hours]
operational wing loading : 4836 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 230 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.86 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle, clean) : 14.25 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 0.58 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° : 0.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.20 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.30 [ ]
On February 21, 1970, a bomb exploded in the rear of Swissair's CV990-30A-6 HB-ICD. The crew tried to return to the airport but lost control after which the aircraft crashed near Würenlingen, Switzerland. All 9 crew members and 38 passengers are killed. c/n : 30-10-15 first flight: 1962 4xCJ805-23B engines. Flight 330 from Zurich (ZRH) to Tel-Aviv(TLV). Location : +-1km 47°32'00.71"N 8°15'59.10"E
max. lift coefficient full flaps : 1.57 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0026 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0249 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0223 [ ]
lift/drag ratio at max. speed : 7.93 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW loaded : 108977 [kg]): 288 [km/u]
stalling speed at sea-level with full flaps (normal landing weight): 240 [km/u]
V : 489.33 te laag, Cl > Clmax berekening PR nodig klopt niet meer cl : 1.34 line 216
flying weight (fw) : 101045.5
landing speed at sea-level (normal landing weight : 91349 [kg]): 276 [km/hr]
max. rate of climb speed : 675 [km/hr] at sea-level
max. endurance speed : 489 [km/u] min. fuel/hr : 3912 [kg/hr] at height : 4267 [m]
max. range speed : 915 [km/u] min. fuel consumption : 4.937 [kg/km] at cruise height : 10363 [m]
cruising speed : 897 [km/hr] at 10670 [m] (power:25 [%])
max. operational speed (Mmo) : 1005.00 [km/hr] (Mach 0.89 ) at 6400 [m] (power:44.5 [%])
airflow : 538.2 [kg/s]
speed of thrust jet : 1574 [km/hr]
climbing speed at sea-level (loaded) : 1892 [m/min]
climbing speed at 1000 [m] with 1 engine out (PUF / MTOW) : 1687 [m/min]
climbing speed at 1000 [m] with 2 engines out (2xPUF / MTOW) : 1629 [m/min]
On December 3, 1972, Spantax CV990-30A-5 EC-BZR takes off from Tenerife airport (TFN) in the Canary Islands in very dense fog with 148 passengers and 7 crew members. It reaches a height of 90 meters but then the crew loses control and the aircraft crashes 325m past the runway, 15m to the left killing all occupants. The destination was Munich (MUC). c/n 30-10-25 first flight : 1962 4xCJ805-23B engine location : +-50m 28°29'19.71"N 16°21'40.74"W Given the number of passengers, the aircraft was heavily loaded, according wikipedia max high density seating is 149 passengers. Max.payload = 13400 kg, restricted by MZFW.
13400 kg / 148 pax = 90 kg/pax > allowing every passenger 13 kg luggage, so weight could have been within the prescribed limits.
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off speed : 355.2 [km/u]
high wheel pressure, can only take off from paved runways
take-off distance at sea-level concrete runway : 1912 [m]
take-off distance at sea-level over 15 [m] height : 2001 [m]
landing run : 1473 [m]
landing run from 15 [m] : 2449 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 13.02 [ ]
max. theoretical ceiling : 17600 [m] with flying weight :108977 [kg] line 3359
climb to 1000m with max payload : 0.57 [min]
climb to 2000m with max payload : 1.12 [min]
climb to 3000m with max payload : 1.63 [min]
climb to 5000 [m] with max payload : 2.56 [min]
minimum flying speed at 12500 [m] : 671 [km/hr]
theoretical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 60 min. fuel:108977 [kg] ) : 17600 [m]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
published range : 6494 [km] with 13400 [kg] useful load and 319 [kg] fuel reserve 88.1 [%] fuel
On April 12, 1973, NASA's CV990-30A-5 N711NA collides with a US NAVY P-3C 157332 during the approach to Moffet field NAS (NUQ). The P-3C was practicing touch-and-go's from Mountain View-Moffet Field NAS. The CV990A was testing survey equipment over Monterey Bay and returned and approached RW32R. 7 miles before the airport, the crew was instructed by ATC to land on RW32L. This brought them on the same course as the landing P-3C. The CV990A approached faster and hit the P-3C from above, after which both aircraft crashed out of control on the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course, 500m south of the airfield. All 11 occupants of the CV990A are killed, of the 6 occupants of the P-3C 5 are killed. 1 is seriously injured. c/n 30-10-1 first flight:1961 4xCJ805-23B engines. Location : +-25m 37°24'01.84"N 122°02'23.97"W
range : 6544 [km] with 13400.0 [kg] max. useful load (88.8 [%] fuel)
range : 6877 [km] with 121.0 passengers with each 16 [kg] luggage and 93.3 [%] fuel
range max. fuel : 7370 [km] with 8070.0 [kg] useful load and 100.0 [%] fuel
Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) : 832059 [paskm]
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks total 69487.5 [litre] fuel : 11259 [km]
useful load with range 500km : 52366 [kg]
useful load with range 500km : 121 passengers
production (theor.max load): 46972 [tonkm/hour]
production (useful load): 12020 [tonkm/hour]
production (passengers): 108537 [paskm/hour]
combi aircraft mail/freight/passengers
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.124 [kg]
fuel cost per paskm : 0.054 [eur]
crew cost per paskm : 0.010 [eur]
time between engine failure : 481 [hr]
can continue fly on 3 engines, low risk for emergency landing for PUF
writing off per paskm : 0.025 [eur]
insurance per paskm : 0.0008 [eur]
maintenance cost per paskm : 0.025 [eur]
direct operating cost per paskm : 0.114 [eur]
direct operating cost per tonkm (max. load): 0.264 [eur]
direct operating cost per tonkm (normal useful load): 1.034 [eur]
Literature :
Jane’s commercial transport aircraft page 91
Verkehrsflugzeuge page 53
Jane’s all the world aircraft 1964-1965 page 223
Verkeersvliegtuigen Moussault page 87,155,156
Air International dec’98 page 380
Convair 990 Coronado - Wikipedia
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
content please mail to below mail address
The CV990 had Whitcomb bodies (carrots) on the wing trailing edge to “area rule” the aircraft and reduce drag at high subsonic speeds.
(c) B van der Zalm 27 June 2022 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4