{"id":31503547,"date":"2026-11-06T17:00:57","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T16:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/convair-880-fast-jetliner-howard-hughes-twa-general-dynamics-loss\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T17:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T16:02:28","slug":"convair-880-fast-jetliner-howard-hughes-twa-general-dynamics-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/convair-880-fast-jetliner-howard-hughes-twa-general-dynamics-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Convair 880: The Fast Jetliner That Cost Convair a Fortune"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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The Convair 880 was named for its speed, and when it entered service some in aviation circles claimed that at 615 mph (990 km\/h) it was the fastest jet transport in the world.<\/p>\r\n<p>Speed did not sell. Only 65 Convair 880s were built between 1959 and 1962, the programme was knotted up in Howard Hughes' battle for control of TWA, and together with its stretched cousin it handed General Dynamics one of the largest corporate losses in American history to that point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:8px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px;line-height:1.7\"><li><strong>Type:<\/strong> Four-engined narrow-body jet airliner<\/li><li><strong>Maker:<\/strong> Convair division of General Dynamics, San Diego<\/li><li><strong>First flight:<\/strong> 27 January 1959 (no prototype built)<\/li><li><strong>Entered service:<\/strong> May 1960 with Delta Air Lines<\/li><li><strong>Engines:<\/strong> 4 x General Electric CJ805-3 turbojets (civil J79)<\/li><li><strong>Built:<\/strong> 65 (1959-1962)<\/li><li><strong>Loss:<\/strong> About $185 million on the 880 (estimates vary); $425 million on the 880 and 990 combined per the US Centennial of Flight Commission<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Smaller, Faster, Later<\/h2>\r\n<p>The Convair 880 was born in a market that Boeing and Douglas had already carved up. Convair began work on a medium-range jet in April 1956, aiming to compete with the 707 and DC-8 by being smaller but quicker, a niche that turned out not to exist in any numbers.<\/p>\r\n<p>The name changed several times on the way. The design started as the Skylark, became the Golden Arrow, then the Convair 600, and finally the 880. Both numbers referred to its top speed: 600 mph, or 880 feet per second.<\/p>\r\n<p>The speed came from fighter technology. The 880 used General Electric CJ805-3 turbojets, a civilian version of the J79 that powered the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-104-starfighter\/\">Lockheed F-104 Starfighter<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-4-phantom-ii\/\">McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II<\/a> and Convair's own <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/b-58-hustler\/\">B-58 Hustler<\/a>. GE removed the military afterburner to create the commercial variant, its first jet airliner engine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NEKN8sFjHdk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Delta's 1960 promotional film for its new Convair 880.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Howard Hughes Problem<\/h2>\r\n<p>Convair's launch customer came with complications attached. Convair engineers worked out the 880's specification with Howard Hughes, who controlled Trans World Airlines, and Hughes ordered 30 in mid-1956, according to both GE and the US Centennial of Flight Commission. Delta soon ordered 10.<\/p>\r\n<p>Hughes then made the order complicated. To avoid outside financing, GE recounts, he bought the aircraft through his own Hughes Tool Company and planned to lease them to TWA. The Centennial of Flight Commission says Hughes also had Convair sign a one-year exclusive contract that effectively blocked sales to other airlines, even though he did not yet have the money to pay for the planes.<\/p>\r\n<p>By the time the 880 began flight testing in 1959, TWA's board members had sued Hughes, claiming he delayed deliveries to avoid paying for them, and stories circulated of Hughes' field inspectors slowing progress in San Diego. The TWA aircraft were finally delivered in December 1960, after Hughes found the financing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;The 880 was racked with problems from the start, as much to do with Hughes' meddling as anything else&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>US Centennial of Flight Commission<\/strong> &mdash; 'Convair' history essay<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>The delay was a gift to Boeing. While the 880 was stuck, Boeing launched the 720, a minimal modification of the 707 that could be sold for significantly less, and United Airlines ordered it.<\/p>\r\n<p>Hughes' own grip on the airline did not survive the saga. By the time the 880 entered service in 1960, GE notes, he had been forced to give up control of TWA, which he had run for more than 25 years. By then the 707 and DC-8 had proved themselves with key airlines, and sales of the Convair jet stalled with a handful of customers.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Airlines Said No<\/h2>\r\n<p>The Convair 880's first example flew on 27 January 1959; there was no prototype. After production started, the Federal Aviation Administration demanded extra instrumentation, and rather than rip apart the cabin over the wing, Convair added a raceway hump on top of the fuselage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/convair-880-fast-jetliner-howard-hughes-twa-general-dynamics-img1.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photo of a Delta Air Lines Convair 880 in flight above clouds\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A Delta Air Lines Convair 880 in flight on 22 January 1960, months before Delta put the type into service. Note the slim, five-abreast fuselage. Photo: Convair \/ San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, via Wikimedia Commons, no known copyright restrictions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>Delta put the type into service in May 1960. Beyond Delta and TWA, the 880 was flown by Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Swissair and VIASA. It was never a big list.<\/p>\r\n<p>The 880's problems were basic economics. Its five-abreast seating made it unattractive to airlines, and its GE engines burned more fuel for the thrust they made than the Pratt and Whitney JT3Cs on Boeing's jets. GE's own history of the programme acknowledges durability problems with the CJ805 too, including fan-blade cracking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kVxwU2qa788\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">An overview of how the 880 and its 990 development fared.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Convair tried to improve the breed with the 880-M, which added leading-edge slats, Krueger flaps, a power-boosted rudder, more thrust, more fuel and stronger landing gear. A more radical development, the stretched 990 Coronado, ran in parallel from 1961. That aircraft has its own story, told in Afterburner's <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/convair-990-coronado-fastest-jetliner\/\">Convair 990 Coronado feature<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Flying Edsel<\/h2>\r\n<p>The bill was enormous. General Dynamics lost around $185 million on the 880 over its lifetime, according to Wikipedia, which notes that some sources estimate much higher. The Centennial of Flight Commission puts Convair's losses on the 880 and 990 together at $425 million, the largest loss by a company in United States history up to that time, ahead of Ford's ill-fated Edsel car.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;The 880\/990 series came to be known as \"The Flying Edsel.\"&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>US Centennial of Flight Commission<\/strong> &mdash; 'Convair' history essay<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>Production of the 880 ended in 1962 after 65 aircraft, and the 990 followed a year later after 37. Convair never built another jetliner.<\/p>\r\n<p>GE drew a different lesson. Brian Rowe, who ran CJ805 product support and later led GE Aviation from 1979 to 1992, argued that standing behind a troubled engine had taught the company how much customers valued support, a lesson it carried into later engine programmes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;GE demonstrated to the worldwide commercial aviation community that it was prepared to back its products and its promises&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Brian Rowe<\/strong> &mdash; Former head of CJ805 product support and GE Aviation chief 1979-1992, as quoted by GE Aerospace<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Second Lives<\/h2>\r\n<p>Retired 880s went on to stranger careers. Many were bought by American Jet Industries; one became a freighter in 1974 and flew until 1982, and another trained FAA flight examiners. A former TWA aircraft, N807AJ, sat at Mojave for 11 years, flew one last time in 1991 to Atlantic City, and served the FAA as a fire trainer until it was dismantled in late 2007.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-naval-aviation\/\">United States Naval Aviation<\/a> acquired one 880-M in 1980, after the FAA had used it for 18 years. Unofficially designated UC-880, it was modified as an in-flight tanker and worked at the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, on Tomahawk cruise missile testing and refuelling trials until it was damaged in a cargo-hold explosive decompression test in 1995.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/convair-880-fast-jetliner-howard-hughes-twa-general-dynamics-img2.jpg\" alt=\"Nose of Elvis Presley's Convair 880 Lisa Marie in blue and white at Graceland\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Elvis Presley's Convair 880 Lisa Marie on display at Graceland, Memphis, in April 2013. Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomasmachnitzki.com) \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>The most famous survivor belongs to a singer. Elvis Presley bought former Delta 880 N8809E in 1975 and named it Lisa Marie after his daughter. It is displayed at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, and was bought back by Elvis Presley Enterprises after it was offered for sale in January 2015.<\/p>\r\n<p>Other pieces survive too, including a cockpit at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta and forward fuselages at museums in New Jersey and Oregon. For an airliner built to win a race, it is a curious legacy: the 880 is best remembered as the jet that showed speed alone could not buy a market.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rcXZ2eqlSWA\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">A visitor's walk-through of Elvis Presley's Convair 880 at Graceland.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The 880's fighter heritage lives on in a different way. The J79 family that gave it its speed also powered the F-104 Starfighter, a type that can still be flown today in the back seat from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\r\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Convair 880), GE Aerospace, US Centennial of Flight Commission, San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Why was the Convair 880 called the 880?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Convair 880 was named for its speed. After passing through the names Skylark, Golden Arrow and Convair 600, the design became the 880, with both numbers referring to its top speed of 600 mph, or 880 feet per second. Some in aviation circles claimed it was the fastest jet transport in the world.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many Convair 880s were built?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Convair built only 65 Convair 880s between 1959 and 1962. The type flew with Delta Air Lines, TWA, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Swissair and VIASA. Its stretched development, the Convair 990 Coronado, added another 37 aircraft before production ended a year later.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did the Convair 880 fail?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Convair 880 failed because its five-abreast cabin made it unattractive to airlines, its GE engines used more fuel than Boeing's Pratt and Whitney JT3Cs, and Boeing's cheaper 720 took its market. Howard Hughes' exclusive TWA deal and delayed deliveries also blocked early sales to other airlines.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What engines did the Convair 880 use?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Convair 880 used four General Electric CJ805-3 turbojets, a civilian version of the J79 fighter engine with the military afterburner removed. The J79 powered the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the Convair B-58 Hustler. The CJ805 was GE's first jet airliner engine.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Where is Elvis Presley's Convair 880?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Elvis Presley's Convair 880, named Lisa Marie after his daughter, is displayed at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley bought the former Delta aircraft N8809E in 1975. After it was put up for sale in January 2015, Elvis Presley Enterprises bought it back and it stays part of the Presley museum collection.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can I fly in an F-104 Starfighter?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. MiGFlug offers <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/flights-prices\/f104-starfighter-flight\/\">F-104 Starfighter flight training<\/a> from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for $35,000. The three-day programme covers the fundamentals of flying the J79-powered Starfighter in ground sessions and ends with a 35 to 50 minute back-seat training flight, weather permitting.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why was the Convair 880 called the 880?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Convair 880 was named for its speed. After passing through the names Skylark, Golden Arrow and Convair 600, the design became the 880, with both numbers referring to its top speed of 600 mph, or 880 feet per second. Some in aviation circles claimed it was the fastest jet transport in the world.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many Convair 880s were built?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Convair built only 65 Convair 880s between 1959 and 1962. The type flew with Delta Air Lines, TWA, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Swissair and VIASA. Its stretched development, the Convair 990 Coronado, added another 37 aircraft before production ended a year later.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did the Convair 880 fail?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Convair 880 failed because its five-abreast cabin made it unattractive to airlines, its GE engines used more fuel than Boeing's Pratt and Whitney JT3Cs, and Boeing's cheaper 720 took its market. Howard Hughes' exclusive TWA deal and delayed deliveries also blocked early sales to other airlines.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What engines did the Convair 880 use?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Convair 880 used four General Electric CJ805-3 turbojets, a civilian version of the J79 fighter engine with the military afterburner removed. The J79 powered the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the Convair B-58 Hustler. The CJ805 was GE's first jet airliner engine.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where is Elvis Presley's Convair 880?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Elvis Presley's Convair 880, named Lisa Marie after his daughter, is displayed at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley bought the former Delta aircraft N8809E in 1975. After it was put up for sale in January 2015, Elvis Presley Enterprises bought it back and it stays part of the Presley museum collection.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I fly in an F-104 Starfighter?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. MiGFlug offers F-104 Starfighter flight training from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for $35,000. The three-day programme covers the fundamentals of flying the J79-powered Starfighter in ground sessions and ends with a 35 to 50 minute back-seat training flight, weather permitting.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/convair-990-coronado-fastest-jetliner\/\">The Fastest Jetliner Ever Built - and a Sales Flop<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/pan-am-707-clipper-america-first-jet-service-new-york-paris-1958\/\">Pan Am 707 Clipper America: The First US Jet Service<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/howard-hughes-xf-11-crash-1946\/\">The Flight That Broke Howard Hughes<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/boeing-727-trijet-best-selling-jetliner\/\">The Trijet That Taught the World to Fly<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Built to be faster than the 707 and DC-8, the Convair 880 sold just 65 copies, was tangled up in Howard Hughes&#8217; TWA saga and became &#8216;the Flying Edsel&#8217;.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":31503458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,666],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31503547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-history-and-legends"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Convair 880: The Jetliner That Cost a Fortune | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Convair 880 was built to outrun the 707 and DC-8. 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