Avia 51

The Avia 51 was a Czech twin‑engine transport aircraft developed in the late 1930s by the Avia Works in Prague. Conceived as a modern replacement for earlier mail‑and‑passenger types, its first flight took place on 12 April 1938. The low‑wing monoplane incorporated a sleek, all‑metal airframe, retractable main gear and a fully enclosed cabin that could accommodate up to nine passengers or a comparable cargo load. Power came from two Hispano‑Saunders (or Jumo?) radial engines delivering roughly 750 horsepower each, giving the type a maximum speed of about 340 km/h and a range of 1,200 km, sufficient for regional routes across Central Europe. Only a handful were built before the outbreak of World War II halted production; three examples entered service with the Czechoslovak State Airlines (ČSA) and later were impressed into the Luftwaffe for liaison duties. Although its operational life was brief, the Avia 51 demonstrated advanced aerodynamic and structural concepts for its time, influencing post‑war Czech designs such as the Avia 56 and establishing Avia’s reputation as a capable manufacturer of modern transport aircraft. Today, the few surviving examples are prized by aviation museums, serving as tangible reminders of pre‑war Central European aeronautical ambition.

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