Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan

The CL -66 was the Turbopropvariante civil Convair 440 passenger aircraft and was used as a CC -109 Cosmopolitan standard VIP aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force and also for light transport duties.

History and construction

After completion of the production of the Convair CV-440 in San Diego Canadair purchased the rights to the design, including mounting devices, tools, and three unsold CV- 440. Due to the availability of the Napier Eland turboprop drive arose from the CV 440 CV -540, a cargo plane.

In 1958, the RCAF was looking to replace their aging Douglas C -47 by a turboprop - powered aircraft. Your first choice fell on the Vickers Viscount, but the Canadian government decided against this aircraft. Instead Canadair offered a number of CV -540 variants with the Napier Eland turboprop. The project was designated CL -66 and there were three versions developed. On 2 February 1959, the first flight of the CL- 66C, the CL- 66B was followed in January 1960,. Not a single " A" version was built. Canadair received, despite our best efforts, no orders from airlines for the CL- 66, because they were too expensive and other aircraft manufacturers had better performances. The RCAF took over ten aircraft, mainly CL- 66B. Two machines used as demonstration aircraft were sold to the Quebecair.

Since the Eland engines proved unreliable and forth from the services to be too weak, they were, in 1966, and 67 replaced by Allison 501- D36- propeller turbines at the machines used by the RCAF.

Variants

Military user

• Canada Canada

Specifications