589. Payload and Loadability Improvements With the Convair/Dart Conversion

Paper

Abstract

During the past ten years or so the Regional Airlines have experienced, a rather phenomenal and gratifying growth. This has been good for the trunk lines as well as for the traveling public in general. But this growth, like all other forms of progress, has generated its share of problems for the Regional operators. The increase in traffic has called for aircraft which provide (1) increased capacity both in passengers and cargo, (2) increased speed in order to improve their competitive position with surface travel, and (3) lower break-even load factors as capacity increases. The operators have done an admirable job of maintaining service with their DC-3’s of three decades vintage, but have been forced to obtain more modem equipment. Many of then have been replaced by Convair Liners and other aircraft which have, in turn, been replaced in trunk service by larger aircraft.
This first step improvement has been accompanied by a further increase in traffic, has improved the payload capability, provided pressurized comfort for the passengers, and improved the cruise speeds to some extent. These aircraft, however, have still not filled their needs by any means. There is still a need for considerable improvement in these factors, as well as operating costs, to permit economical operation over routes of low density traffic.