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 Marseille–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 Marseille 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.

Variants

53 - original production version 53/1 - strengthened hull and increased fuel capacity 53/2 - modified hull shape 53/3 - - version with Gnome et Rhône 9A engines 53/453/553R - - version with Renault 12Jb liquid-cooled engines

Operators