The story of the Convair is the beginning of the story of how KF Furniture House came to be. KF Aerospace (KF) and Convair have a long and intertwined history with remarkable stories worth telling.
Let’s start with the Convair.
The CV-240 was introduced in 1948 as a replacement for the DC-3. Carrying up to 40 passengers on regional routes, this pressurized cabin, twin piston engine aircraft with tricycle landing gear was one of the first commercial passenger airliners. It became the first aircraft to be used in a US presidential campaign.
In 1951 the CV-340 made it’s first flight. This stretched and re-winged version of the CV-240 allowed for 44 passengers with additional power and payload capacity.
Increased demand for passenger service saw the CV-440 introduced in 1955. The more powerful, refined and soundproofed version of the CV-340 was able to carry up to 52 passengers.
Variants of the model 240 thru 440 airplanes served with the military of several countries as different versions of R4Y, C-131, and T-29.
Conversion to turbine power began in the early 1950’s. A civilian CV-240 was fitted with Allison 501-A4 turbine engines and 2 military CV-340’s were fitted with military version T-38 turbine engines.
In the early 1960’s, Pacific Aeromotive teamed with Allison engines to convert CV-340’s and CV-440’s with upgraded Allison 501-D13 turboprop engines and modified control surfaces (horizontal and vertical stabilizers). The converted aircraft were unofficially known as CV-580’s. They were used for passengers (50-56) with some converted into cargo aircraft, and test flight aircraft (NRCC – scientific and defence related, Honeywell – aviation safety systems testing). 170 model 580 conversions were completed in total.
In 1988, designs for a stretched CV-580 were started by another company, but Convair elected to work with Kelowna Flightcraft (now KF Aerospace) to complete it. The fuselage was cut fore and aft of the wings and an (approximately) 7’ section was added into both sections giving the fuselage a 14-16’ extension. More powerful engines were added to produce up to 4300 HP. This conversion, for cargo only, was introduced into service in 1993.
The Convair CV-240, CV-340 and CV-440 aircraft have been used for many purposes with both Civil and Military operators. In their years of service, they have carried passengers (including President JFK), cargo, safety systems and fire retardant.
KF Aerospace has used Convair aircraft for all the above, which is where the KF story takes off.
KF acquired its first Convair aircraft in 1979 (C-GKFY), marking the beginning of a profound and enduring relationship with one of aviation’s most iconic machines.
In 1981 Barry started flying Convairs for PCL. They flew freight nightly across Canada. Eventually, they were moved to regional routes and continued to fly until 2026.
1984 saw the startup of Intercity Air. This regional passenger airline flew passengers between Kelowna, Penticton, Kamloops, Vancouver, and Spokane on a CV-580 (C-FICA) with room for 50 passengers.
In 1988, KF converted the CV-580 aircraft into a CV-5800, nicknamed “The Stretch”. The extended fuselage and larger cargo door allowed more freight to be loaded with ease, increasing more paid revenue per flight. 6 conversions to CV-5800 were completed between 1991 and 2009. There are still five CV-5800 aircraft flying regularly today.
Between 1992 and 2007, KF used their fleet of passenger CV-580’s to fly charters to fishing lodges from YVR from May to September. They flew avid fishermen to the Queen Charlotte Lodge, Peregrine Lodge, Sewells, Oak Bay Marine Group and Langara Lodge, operating 4-5 aircraft, 7 days a week, 2 flights a day.
KF was not finished with modifying Convair aircraft. In the early 2000’s KF Aerospace worked with Conair to convert 10 aircraft into CV-580 air tankers for aerial fire fighting. A further 5 aircraft were converted to CV-580A air tankers with more powerful engines for the Saskatchewan Government. The conversion allowed for 8000 L (approximately 2100 US Gallons) of fire retardant to be carried and dropped from the belly doors of the aircraft.
In the same time period (2001), KF secured the Convair Type Certificate, enabling the company to deliver world‑class engineering, technical expertise, and comprehensive parts support to operators around the globe. KF also holds the STC’s (Supplemental Type Certificate) for the Convair for cargo door & interior, stretch, combi conversion.
Over the decades, this stewardship grew into an extraordinary collection of Convair components. From the smallest fasteners to full landing gear assemblies, tailpipes, and wings, the warehouse became a treasury of aviation heritage.
It became time, in 2025, for KF to start retiring the Convair fleet. This posed a few questions for the Executive team. What becomes of a warehouse full of parts? And can we do something more to preserve the history of an aircraft that has served KF faithfully for 46 remarkable years?
Guided by the innovative spirit that defines KF’s leadership, a new venture that honored the Convair, rather than retiring its story emerged. KF Furniture House was created with the aspiration of turning retired aircraft components into aviation inspired furniture.
See our Combustion Liner collection and Tailpipe Assembly collection which are made from Convair parts.
