The Convair 880 was designed to be a faster and smaller alternative to the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. The airplane was powered by four General Electric CJ-805-3 engines which was a civilian version of the outstanding military J79. With a top speed of 615 MPH, the 880 was one of the fastest commercial airliners produced. The demand for airplanes in the smaller and faster niche failed to materialize and production was ceased at only 65 aircraft. After the last withdrawal from commercial service in 1975, several airplanes flew on as freighters into the 1980s