CAMS 53

The CAMS 53 was a transport flying boat built in France in the late 1920s. Building on the experience gained from the unsuccessful CAMS 51, Maurice Hurel designed an aircraft of similar size and capacity for Aéropostale. The company bought four aircraft straight away for use on its Marseilles-Algiers route, and Air Orient purchased another two. More CAMS 53s were soon ordered by these operators as well as Air Union, and the aircraft were used to link Marseilles with Ajaccio and Beirut. When the various French airlines were absorbed into Air France in 1933, some 25 CAMS 53s were still in operation and continued in use until 1935.

CAMS 53 3-view drawing from Aero Digest September 1928

53
Role	Transport flying boat
Manufacturer	CAMS
Designer	Maurice Hurel
First flight	1928
Primary users	Aéropostale Air Orient, Air Union
Number built	ca. 30

Variants

• 53 - original production version (seven built)
• 53/1 - strengthened hull and increased fuel capacity (12 built, plus all seven original 53s converted)
• 53/2 - modified hull shape (six built, one converted from 53 via 53-1)
• 53/3 - (redesignated to 56) - version with Gnome et Rhône 9A (licence-built Bristol Jupiter) engines (four built)
• 53/4
• 53/5
• 53R - (originally designated 57) - version with Renault 12Jb liquid-cooled engines (one built)

Operators

 France

• Aéropostale
• Air Orient
• Air Union

Specifications (53/1)

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Capacity: four passengers
• Length: 14.82 m (48 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 20.40 m (66 ft 11 in)
• Height: 5.52 m (18 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 115.0 m² (1,237 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 4,700 kg (10,362 lb)
• Gross weight: 6,900 kg (15,212 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 12Lbrx , 433 kW (580 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 212 km/h (132 mph, 115 kn)
• Range: 950 km (590 mi, 510 nmi)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 226.
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 891 Sheets 02–03.