# Delta Airlines Convair 880 Jet Aircraft 1960's Promotional Film 78564

INTRODUCTION TO A CHAMPION showcases Delta Airlines' new aircraft, the Convair 880. Although the aircraft was successful for Delta, it proved a commercial failure and only 65 were built between 1959 and 1962. The Convair 880 was a narrow-body jet airliner produced by the Convair division of General Dynamics. It was designed to compete with the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 by being smaller and faster, a niche that failed to create demand. When it was first introduced some aviation circles claimed that at 615 mph (990 km/h) it was the fastest jet transport in the world. After the aircraft failed to sell enough units, General Dynamics eventually withdrew from the airliner market after considering the 880 project a failure. The Convair 990 was a stretched and faster variant of the 880. The design entered service with Delta Air Lines in May 1960, slightly modified as the 880-22m, having newer version 805-3B engines. 880s were flown by Cathay Pacific, Delta, Japan, Northeast, Swissair, TWA and VIASA. As they left commercial service, many 880s were bought by American Jet Industries for various uses. One example was converted to freighter use in 1974, and flew until 1982 with various companies. Another was used to train FAA flight examiners until it was destroyed by a minor explosion in the cargo hold in 1995. Most of the remaining examples were scrapped by 2000. Delta Air Lines operated 17 Convair 880s between early 1960 and early 1974. This film contains terrific footage of the…

- Kind: Film
- Genres: Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/78564DeltaAirlinesIntroductionToAChampion)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/78564DeltaAirlinesIntroductionToAChampion?play=1)