Taken up in March 1955 by the USAF as standard C-131B 53-7793, this Convair was later used at Griffiss AFB, NY as a radar test-bed and after being contracted out to Calspan of Buffalo, NY in Dec 1966, was redesignated as an NC-131B. It was re-engined with Allison turboprops at Burbank and made its first flight as NC-131H Total In-Flight Simulator in July 1970. During a long career, the unique TIFS simulated the flight characteristics of many aircraft in development, including the X-40, Tacit Blue, Space Shuttle, B-2, YF-23, C-17, SST, MD-12X and Indonesia's N-250. Ferried to NMUSAF in Nov 2008

Constructed as a C-131B and taken on strength with the US Air Force with serial 53-7793 in 1955 it was used as a radar testbed. In 1966, the aircraft was transferred to Calspan, Buffalo (NY) and redesignated NC-131B. From December 1968 to 1970 it was converted to an NC-131H, its engines changed from piston radials to Allison 501-D-13 turbo-props, made its first flight as a Total Flight-In Simulator (TIFS) in 1970. After various projects it was handed over to Calspan as N793VS on 23 December 2003. To the USAF Museum in Wright-Patterson on 7 November 2008.