Main description

The Convair PA-99 is a prototype aircraft and a successor of the XC-99, it uses the same engines as the failed YB-60. It had the shortest lifespan of any US jet airliner, only serving for 1 year before being scavenged for spare parts and to reuse its materials that was built for the aircraft.

Before development began, Convair had a combination of ideas, from having a long-range jet airliner that can carry a ton of passengers. So convair went to the drawing board and modified the XC-99 and added the exact same jet engines from the YB-60, after development was done, production on a few units started, but only 1 was made as issues, delays, and production problems was made apparent because of the big design that the PA-99 conveys through.

Tests on flights showed that the airframe was constantly vibrating from the loud 8 jet engines, and that windows were broken if the jet engines were at full throttle for a prolonged time, as the soundproof protection was slowly tearing off.

Pilots who tested the PA-99 said they absolutely hated it, due to its difficulty and inconvenience to fly.

After it entered airline service as a test run, it was very unprofitable, and thus was retired, only 1 year that the prototype was used for.

Later after rotting at a aircraft graveyard, it was scrapped and only a few artifacts such as the landing gear and nose cone remain to this very day.

In summary. The PA-99 was largely unpractical because the airframe would constantly be under major stress from the engines and a bad design choice from Convair.

The landing gear would also be under severe stress as the weight from the extra stuff added from the original design would be very overwhelming and was not designed well

This ultimately leaded on Convair cancelling the project and it was no longer progressed on.

It is the largest jet airliner at its time, later being beated 10 years after by the Boeing 747, which was a revolutionary aircraft.

Controls and manual in instructions!