Convair, also known as Consolidated Vultee, was an American aerospace manufacturer that produced military aircraft, rockets and spacecraft. The company was established in 1943 after the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. General Dynamics acquired the company in 1953 and operated it as the Convair Division for most of its corporate history until its operations were shut down in 1996.
Convair is renowned for its military aircraft, including the Convair B-36 Peacemaker and Convair B-58 Hustler strategic bombers, and the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and Convair F-106 Delta Dart interceptors. The company also played a significant role in the Atlas rockets project, which includes the rockets used for the crewed orbital flights of Project Mercury. The Atlas-Centaur model designed by Convair also achieved remarkable success, with derivatives of the design still in use today.
Convair also ventured into the jet airliner business with its Convair 880 and Convair 990 models. Although they were smaller than contemporary aircraft like the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, they were somewhat faster than both. However, the combination of features failed to find a profitable niche in the market and the company eventually exited the airliner design business. Nonetheless, the manufacturing capability developed for these projects proved profitable, and Convair became a significant subcontractor for airliner fuselages.
In 1994, most of the company’s divisions were sold by General Dynamics to McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed, while the remaining components were deactivated in 1996.
Convair has a rich history in the aerospace industry and has made substantial contributions towards the development of military aircraft, rockets, and spacecraft. The company’s operations took place mainly in San Diego, California, with participation from surrounding counties.