Avia 51

Avia 51
	Avia 51 of the Spanish Republican Air Force
Role	6-passenger commercial transport
National origin	Czechoslovakia
Manufacturer	Avia
Designer	Robert Nebesář
First flight	1933
Primary user	CLS
Number built	3

The Avia 51 was a 1930s Czechoslovakian 6-passenger commercial transport designed by Robert Nebesář and built by Avia. The type was uneconomical in use and only three were built.^[1]

Development

The Avia 51 was a three-engined high-wing cantilever monoplane designed for the Czech national airlines CLS.^[1] It was built with a duraluminium monocoque fuselage and a fixed tailwheel landing gear.^[2] Powered by three Avia Rk.12 radial engine, two fitted into the leading edges of the wing and one nose-mounted.^[2] It had a two-man flightdeck and an enclosed luxury cabin for five or six passengers, it was not large enough to stand up (5 ft 1in) but did have a separate lavatory compartment, it also had three luggage and mail compartments.^[2]

Operational history

The Avia 51 entered service on the Berlin-Prague-Vienna route but with only a small passenger capacity it proved uneconomical to operate.^[1] In 1937 the aircraft were sold to the Estonian government, one appeared operating for the Spanish Republican Air Force in the Spanish Civil War and it was reported the other two were lost at sea when the freighter carrying them to Bilbao was sunk.^[1]

Operators

Spain

Spanish Republican Air Force

Specifications

Data from ^[1]^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 6
Length: 10.75 m (35 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 15.10 m (49 ft 6 in)
Height: 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 38.00 m² (409.0 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,990 kg (6,592 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,750 kg (8,267 lb)
Powerplant: 3 × Avia Rk.12 7-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 150 kW (200 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 264 km/h (164 mph, 143 kn)
Cruise speed: 230 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
Range: 780 km (480 mi, 420 nmi)
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 4.2 m/s (820 ft/min)
Lift-to-drag: 10.2
Wing loading: 94 kg/m² (19.3 lb/sq ft)

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Orbis 1985, p. 338
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The Avia 51 - The Czech high-performance passenger plane". Flight International: 54–55. 18 January 1934.

Bibliography

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[orbis-1] Orbis 1985, p. 338

[flight-2] "The Avia 51 - The Czech high-performance passenger plane". Flight International: 54–55. 18 January 1934.

[1]

[2]