Editing Convair (section)

{{Short description|1943–1996 American aerospace manufacturer}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Consolidated Vultee<br/>Convair
| logo = CONVAIR_logo.png
| logo_caption = 
| logo_alt = 
| type = 
| industry = [[Aerospace]]
| fate = Operations permanently shut down
| predecessor = {{Unbulleted list|[[Consolidated Aircraft]]|[[Vultee Aircraft]]}}
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded = {{Start date and age|1943}}
| founder = <!-- or: | founders = -->
| defunct = {{End date and age|1996}}
| hq_location_city = [[San Diego]], [[California]]
| hq_location_country = [[United States|U.S.]]
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people = 
| products = 
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent = {{Unbulleted list|[[Aviation Corporation]]<br/>(1943–1947)|[[Atlas Corporation]]<br/>(1947–1954)|[[General Dynamics]]<br/>(1954–1996)}}
| subsid = [[Consairway]]
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}
[[File:F-106B Delta Dart.jpg|thumb|right|[[Convair F-106 Delta Dart]]]]
[[File:DN-SC-92-10045.jpg|thumb|right|[[Convair 880]]]]
[[File:RIM-2 Terrier missiles on USS Providence (CLG-6), 2 May 1962 (NH 98548).jpg|thumb|right|[[RIM-2 Terrier]] antiaircraft missile on board [[USS Providence (CLG-6)|USS ''Providence'']]]]
[[File:Launch of Friendship 7 - GPN-2000-000686.jpg|thumb|right|Atlas rocket launching [[Friendship 7]], the first U.S. crewed orbital space flight]]
[[File:Atlas Centaur 27 with Pioneer 10 on launch pad.jpg|thumb|right|[[Atlas-Centaur]] with [[Pioneer 10]] on launch pad]]

'''Convair''', previously '''Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation''', was an American aircraft-manufacturing company that later expanded into [[rocket]]s and [[spacecraft]]. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of [[Consolidated Aircraft]] and [[Vultee Aircraft]]. In 1953, it was purchased by [[General Dynamics]], and operated as their '''Convair Division''' for most of its corporate history.

Convair is best known for its military aircraft; it produced aircraft such as 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. It also manufactured the first [[Atlas (rocket family)|Atlas]] rockets, including the rockets that were used for the crewed orbital flights of [[Project Mercury]]. The company's subsequent [[Atlas-Centaur]] design continued this success and derivatives of the design remain in use as of 2025.

The company also entered the [[Jet airliner|jet airliner business]] with its [[Convair 880]] and [[Convair 990]] designs. These were smaller than contemporary aircraft like the [[Boeing 707]] and [[Douglas DC-8]], but somewhat faster than both. This combination of features failed to find a profitable niche and the company exited the airliner design business. However, the manufacturing capability built up for these projects proved very profitable and the company became a major subcontractor for airliner fuselages. The jets made their first flights on January 27, 1959 and January 24, 1961 respectively. 65 and 37 examples of the Convair 880 and Convair 990 were produced respectively.

In 1994, most of the company's divisions were sold by General Dynamics to [[McDonnell Douglas Corporation|McDonnell Douglas]] and [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]], with the remaining components deactivated in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saturn Launch Vehicle Toroidal Tank Development Program |url=https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44101.0 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=forum.nasaspaceflight.com}}</ref>