C-131D "Samaritan"
Published September 27, 2007
Convair C-131D "Samaritan"
S/N 55-0300
Crew: Four
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-103W radials; 2,500hp each with water/alcohol injection
Wingspan: 105 ft 4 in
Length: 79 ft 2 in
Height: 28 ft 1 in
Weight: 52,414 lbs loaded
Speed: 314 mph max; 227 mph cruise
Range: 2,200 miles
Service Ceiling: 32,000 ft
Armament: None
Cost: $635,000 (approximate)
This C-131D-CO, S/N 55-0300, was manufactured by Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft (the Convair Division of General Dynamics Corporation) in San Diego, California, and delivered to the USAF on March 17, 1955. (This airframe was based upon the Convair Model 340-79.) It was immediately sent to the 2750th Air Base Wing, Air Materiel Command, at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
The aircraft remained at Wright-Patterson until June 1975, when it was transferred to Air National Guard Headquarters at Andrews AFB in Washington, D.C. In March 1977 the aircraft was assigned to the 124th Tactical Reconnaissance Group of the Idaho Air National Guard at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho.
The aircraft was dropped from the USAF inventory in June 1989 and retired to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It was picked up by the USAF Museum System the following month and assigned to Hill Aerospace Museum in August 1989 for static display.