
A fleet of restored propliners serve Rob Barion's business, Barev, and its subsidiaries, WHIN-TV, Centoh Intermodal, and Barev Electronics. Three serve as the personal transport planes to Rob Barion himself; a 1954 Lockheed L-1049E-55 Super Constellation, and now a 1951 Convair CV-240, and a 1939 built DC-3A, which are christened "Explorer" and "The International". The latter two have come into service as the L-1049 goes out of service for repairs following an engine fire, and his other Convair, a Navy C-131F, going in for an extensive refurbishment.
The Convair CV-240 family was a post war airliner, designed as a modern DC-3 replacement. Built on the recommendation of American Airlines, searching for a replacement to its DC-3 fleet, Convair flew the Model 110 prototype in 1946. Unpressurized, with gull wings, tricycle gear, and thirty seats, AA judged it too small and Convair went back to redesign it into the CV-240 (the 240 designating twin engine, forty passengers) in 1947. Losing the gull wings, and having a thinner fuselage than the 110, the 240 began a long series of production that lasted in the civilian market from 1947 to 1954. The design was evolved by stretching the fuselage fore and aft of the wing, and extending the wing itself to create the Convair 340 in 1951. This followed by the ultimate "Super 240", the 440 "Metropolitan", which sported sound deadening, thrust augmented exhausts, tighter cowlings for streamlining, and better soundproofing. Many CV-340's and a few -240's were retrofitted with some of the 440's features. Even later on, as piston engines were phased out, the Convairliner made the transition to turboprop power by the installation of Allison 501 or Rolls Royce Dart turboprops, creating the CV-580 and CV-600/640 family. Though attrition has reduced their number, significant numbers of piston and turboprop powered Convairliners continue to cross the skies, hauling cargo into the 21st century.
This aircraft: "Explorer" is a CV-240, manufactured in April of 1950. Having flown for American Airlines, it was retired from service in 1961 and flown by Texas based Central Airlines. Not converted to a CV-600 turboprop, the plane was sold off to a private business, which had it converted into an executive CV-300; a 240 that sported the exhaust and cowlings of the later 440 Metropolitan. It served the headquarters of a Kansas baking firm until retired in 1975 and flown to Florida to a Miami based cargo organization, which converted it into a freighter. It remained in Florida for over two decades, trading hands quite regularly, but continuing its mission to haul cargo throughout the Caribbean. It was eventually purchased, flown out to Arizona, where it was parked and parted out, leaving it as a derelict hulk for the next twenty years.
Obtaining the aircraft in early 2018, Rob Barion originally intended to refurbish the plane to fly for Centoh Intermodal, Barev's freight airline. He originally intended it to augment his fleet of twelve DC-3's, which fly the feeder routes between the larger hubs flown by DC-6's and C-121C's. Having decided to focus on the CV-340's, the 240 was placed in desert storage.
Following a particularly damaging engine fire on his Super Constellation, and his other Convairliner going out of service, Rob decided to give the 240 a new life as a company transport, sporting a private quarter and an office for Rob. Christened "Explorer" it's due to enter service for Barev sometime in 2019.
The venerable Douglas DC-3 has defied the test of time for over eighty years. First flown in December 1935, the DC-3 came about as a request from American Airlines, which wanted more capacity over its then brand new DC-2's that were entering service. An evolved DC-2, the DC-3, and its "Douglas Sleeper Transport" (DST) derivative, sported a wider, longer fuselage, improved handling, and the option of either the R-1820 Cyclone-9, or R-1830 Twin-Wasp radial power plant. It could safely takeoff and fly on one engine, and with the introduction of fully feathering propellers, greatly increased passenger safety in air travel. By the outbreak of WWII, over 400 were flying in the US and Europe. When war erupted, the assembly lines were turned over to produce the C-47 Skytrain, and C-53 Skytrooper. Civil DC-3's were commondeered into wartime service under the designations of C-48/49/50/51/68/84. Navy Skytrains were designated R4D. After the war, thousands of surplus C-47's were sold on the civilian market all over the world, forming the backbone of many airlines. Despite efforts to develop a suitable replacement for the DC-3, the Skytrain continued to dominate in many trunk routes well into the 1960's. The marriage of economy, load carrying capacity, and docile handling, created a plane that was ageless, and even to this day, over 2,000 DC-3's continue to crisscross the skies.
This aircraft: "The International" was built as a DC-3A, for United Airlines, in October 1939. Entering service with United in February 1940 as "Mainliner North Platte", it served with the airline until the Second World War, where it was commandeered into the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as a C-49E. Converted into a cargo plane, the C-49 was flown to Europe where it spent the entire war hauling cargo across Britain and later mainland Europe. It survived the war, and was flown back to the US, where it was converted back into a DC-3A and returned to United Airlines. United modified it with a "Viewmaster" large window in the rear fuselage. United flew the plane until it retired its DC-3 fleet in 1953. From there, the DC-3 was sold to Pittsburgh based Allegheny Airlines, where it flew as a local service airline throughout the rest of the 1950's and into the early 1960's. It was sold from Allegheny to Opa Locka based Freightmaster Cargo, who used the DC-3A for a few years as a cargo plane out of Miami. It flew throughout the Caribbean until sold to a Libyan Oil Expedition group in the mid 60's, where it flew as an oil surveying aircraft out of Tripoli. It later flew in Chad, and then Rhodesia, where it remained until 1980, when it was purchased and flown to South Africa as a bush plane.
The South Africans used the aircraft, based at Waterkloof until it was flown back to Europe in 1990. It briefly stayed in Italy, before making its way to France as a skydiving platform. In 1995, it was flown to Great Britain and flown as a cargo plane through England's gray skies, before finally retired one more time and brought to the US in 2000.
After its final role, the aircraft became a derelict hulk in New Mexico, where it sat until purchased by Rob Barion in 2017. Hauling it to his base at Davis-Monthan, Rob originally intended for the aircraft to join his Centoh Intermodal fleet. Restoring the aircraft took time due to its significant deterioration, and after a long consideration, Rob made the decision that it would live on as his personal transport, which he elected to have it undergo a more extensive restoration.
Because of its long history, flying on three continents, and the 95,800 hours put on its airframe, Rob christened the plane "The International". Being the smallest of his transports, it sports a private quarter and office for himself while en route to his various business locations in Ohio and Virginia.
The Convair CV-240 family was a post war airliner, designed as a modern DC-3 replacement. Built on the recommendation of American Airlines, searching for a replacement to its DC-3 fleet, Convair flew the Model 110 prototype in 1946. Unpressurized, with gull wings, tricycle gear, and thirty seats, AA judged it too small and Convair went back to redesign it into the CV-240 (the 240 designating twin engine, forty passengers) in 1947. Losing the gull wings, and having a thinner fuselage than the 110, the 240 began a long series of production that lasted in the civilian market from 1947 to 1954. The design was evolved by stretching the fuselage fore and aft of the wing, and extending the wing itself to create the Convair 340 in 1951. This followed by the ultimate "Super 240", the 440 "Metropolitan", which sported sound deadening, thrust augmented exhausts, tighter cowlings for streamlining, and better soundproofing. Many CV-340's and a few -240's were retrofitted with some of the 440's features. Even later on, as piston engines were phased out, the Convairliner made the transition to turboprop power by the installation of Allison 501 or Rolls Royce Dart turboprops, creating the CV-580 and CV-600/640 family. Though attrition has reduced their number, significant numbers of piston and turboprop powered Convairliners continue to cross the skies, hauling cargo into the 21st century.
This aircraft: "Explorer" is a CV-240, manufactured in April of 1950. Having flown for American Airlines, it was retired from service in 1961 and flown by Texas based Central Airlines. Not converted to a CV-600 turboprop, the plane was sold off to a private business, which had it converted into an executive CV-300; a 240 that sported the exhaust and cowlings of the later 440 Metropolitan. It served the headquarters of a Kansas baking firm until retired in 1975 and flown to Florida to a Miami based cargo organization, which converted it into a freighter. It remained in Florida for over two decades, trading hands quite regularly, but continuing its mission to haul cargo throughout the Caribbean. It was eventually purchased, flown out to Arizona, where it was parked and parted out, leaving it as a derelict hulk for the next twenty years.
Obtaining the aircraft in early 2018, Rob Barion originally intended to refurbish the plane to fly for Centoh Intermodal, Barev's freight airline. He originally intended it to augment his fleet of twelve DC-3's, which fly the feeder routes between the larger hubs flown by DC-6's and C-121C's. Having decided to focus on the CV-340's, the 240 was placed in desert storage.
Following a particularly damaging engine fire on his Super Constellation, and his other Convairliner going out of service, Rob decided to give the 240 a new life as a company transport, sporting a private quarter and an office for Rob. Christened "Explorer" it's due to enter service for Barev sometime in 2019.
The venerable Douglas DC-3 has defied the test of time for over eighty years. First flown in December 1935, the DC-3 came about as a request from American Airlines, which wanted more capacity over its then brand new DC-2's that were entering service. An evolved DC-2, the DC-3, and its "Douglas Sleeper Transport" (DST) derivative, sported a wider, longer fuselage, improved handling, and the option of either the R-1820 Cyclone-9, or R-1830 Twin-Wasp radial power plant. It could safely takeoff and fly on one engine, and with the introduction of fully feathering propellers, greatly increased passenger safety in air travel. By the outbreak of WWII, over 400 were flying in the US and Europe. When war erupted, the assembly lines were turned over to produce the C-47 Skytrain, and C-53 Skytrooper. Civil DC-3's were commondeered into wartime service under the designations of C-48/49/50/51/68/84. Navy Skytrains were designated R4D. After the war, thousands of surplus C-47's were sold on the civilian market all over the world, forming the backbone of many airlines. Despite efforts to develop a suitable replacement for the DC-3, the Skytrain continued to dominate in many trunk routes well into the 1960's. The marriage of economy, load carrying capacity, and docile handling, created a plane that was ageless, and even to this day, over 2,000 DC-3's continue to crisscross the skies.
This aircraft: "The International" was built as a DC-3A, for United Airlines, in October 1939. Entering service with United in February 1940 as "Mainliner North Platte", it served with the airline until the Second World War, where it was commandeered into the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as a C-49E. Converted into a cargo plane, the C-49 was flown to Europe where it spent the entire war hauling cargo across Britain and later mainland Europe. It survived the war, and was flown back to the US, where it was converted back into a DC-3A and returned to United Airlines. United modified it with a "Viewmaster" large window in the rear fuselage. United flew the plane until it retired its DC-3 fleet in 1953. From there, the DC-3 was sold to Pittsburgh based Allegheny Airlines, where it flew as a local service airline throughout the rest of the 1950's and into the early 1960's. It was sold from Allegheny to Opa Locka based Freightmaster Cargo, who used the DC-3A for a few years as a cargo plane out of Miami. It flew throughout the Caribbean until sold to a Libyan Oil Expedition group in the mid 60's, where it flew as an oil surveying aircraft out of Tripoli. It later flew in Chad, and then Rhodesia, where it remained until 1980, when it was purchased and flown to South Africa as a bush plane.
The South Africans used the aircraft, based at Waterkloof until it was flown back to Europe in 1990. It briefly stayed in Italy, before making its way to France as a skydiving platform. In 1995, it was flown to Great Britain and flown as a cargo plane through England's gray skies, before finally retired one more time and brought to the US in 2000.
After its final role, the aircraft became a derelict hulk in New Mexico, where it sat until purchased by Rob Barion in 2017. Hauling it to his base at Davis-Monthan, Rob originally intended for the aircraft to join his Centoh Intermodal fleet. Restoring the aircraft took time due to its significant deterioration, and after a long consideration, Rob made the decision that it would live on as his personal transport, which he elected to have it undergo a more extensive restoration.
Because of its long history, flying on three continents, and the 95,800 hours put on its airframe, Rob christened the plane "The International". Being the smallest of his transports, it sports a private quarter and office for himself while en route to his various business locations in Ohio and Virginia.
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