Avia 51

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

Development
The Avia 51 was a three-engined high-wing cantilever monoplane designed for the Czech national airlines CLS. It was built with a duraluminium monocoque fuselage and a fixed tailwheel landing gear. Powered by three Avia Rk.12 radial engine, two fitted into the leading edges of the wing and one nose-mounted. 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.

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. 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.

Operators

 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * Spanish Republican Air Force