3 4 0 / 4 4 0 ▁series ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁( US AF ) ▁for ▁medical ▁ev acu ation ▁and ▁VI P ▁transport ▁and ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁C - 1 3 1 ▁Sam ar itan . ▁The ▁first ▁model ▁Sam ar itan , ▁the ▁C - 1 3 1 A , ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁CV - 2 4 0 ▁model , ▁and ▁was ▁delivered ▁to ▁the ▁US AF ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁earlier ▁tra iner ▁model , ▁designated ▁the ▁T - 2 9 , ▁was ▁also ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Con v air ▁ 2 4 0 ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁instruct ▁US AF ▁navig ators ▁for ▁all ▁US AF ▁aircraft ▁and ▁those ▁US N ▁Naval ▁Fl ight ▁Offic ers ▁( N FO s ) ▁selected ▁to ▁fly ▁land - based ▁naval ▁aircraft . ▁First ▁deliver ies ▁to ▁the ▁US AF ▁were ▁made ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁followed ▁by ▁large ▁production ▁quantities ▁until ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁The ▁US AF ▁and ▁the ▁US N ▁operated ▁T - 2 9 s ▁in ▁separate ▁units ▁at ▁separate ▁locations ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁the ▁US AF ▁T - 2 9 s ▁with ▁the ▁ 3 2 3 d ▁F lying ▁Training ▁Wing ▁( 3 2 3 ▁F TW ) ▁at ▁M ather ▁A FB , ▁California ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 3 7 - der