Consolidated-Vultee Transition (Convair)

How Two Aviation Pioneers Merged to Shape the Future of American Aerospace

By the early 1940s, Consolidated Aircraft had become one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world. At the same time, another major aviation company—Vultee Aircraft—was rapidly expanding through innovative designs, military contracts, and mass-production techniques.

In 1943, under guidance from the War Department and driven by the need for unprecedented wartime efficiency, the two companies were merged into a single new aerospace entity:

Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Corporation — better known as Convair.

This transition marked the beginning of a new era in American aviation, one that would influence military aircraft, commercial aviation, missile systems, and early space exploration.

Why the Merger Happened

The combination of Consolidated and Vultee was strategic, motivated by:

• the need for greater wartime production capacity

• the overlapping designs and manufacturing capabilities of both companies

• the demand for streamlined federal contracting

• the desire to coordinate bomber, trainer, and experimental aircraft programs

• the War Department’s pressure to maximize output while reducing administrative overhead

The merger allowed the newly formed Convair to produce aircraft at a scale unmatched by most other American manufacturers.

A New Industrial Giant Emerges

Following the merger:

• Consolidated’s San Diego and Fort Worth plants continued producing B-24 Liberators

• Vultee’s Nashville and Downey plants contributed trainers and attack aircraft

• engineering teams combined their research and design expertise

• management unified production schedules and standard practices

• new federal contracts expanded the company’s scope

Convair rapidly grew into one of the most important aerospace firms of the 20th century.

Expanding Beyond Aircraft

Convair’s vision stretched well beyond traditional aircraft manufacturing. After World War II, the company became a pioneer in advanced aerospace technologies:

• long-range bombers

• commercial airliners

• early jet fighters

• strategic missile systems

• the Atlas rocket program, foundational to NASA’s crewed space missions

What began as a simplification of wartime manufacturing eventually helped shape the jet age and the space age.

Continuity from the Fleet Legacy

Although the newly formed Convair became a distinct entity, much of its identity and engineering philosophy originated with Consolidated:

• a relentless focus on structural integrity

• modular manufacturing

• aerodynamic efficiency

• mass-production capability

• safety-driven engineering

The culture established under Reuben H. Fleet’s leadership carried forward into Convair’s jet and missile programs, influencing designs that flew decades after his retirement.

Convair’s Role in Postwar Aerospace

By the 1950s and 1960s, Convair was developing:

• the F-102 Delta Dagger

• the F-106 Delta Dart

• the B-36 Peacemaker

• the B-58 Hustler (the first supersonic bomber)

• the 880 and 990 commercial jets

• the Atlas and Centaur rocket families

These programs made Convair a central pillar of America’s Cold War air and space strategy.

A Legacy That Still Echoes Today

Convair eventually became part of General Dynamics and later Lockheed Martin, but the engineering legacy of Consolidated and Vultee remains visible in:

• modern aerospace manufacturing

• missile and launch-vehicle heritage

• San Diego’s identity as a global aerospace hub

• the continued preservation of B-24 Liberators and PBY Catalinas

• the museums and archives that trace their lineage back to the Fleet era

The transition from Consolidated to Convair was not merely a merger—it was the evolution of an industrial dynasty that helped define the technological landscape of the 20th century.