CAMS 54
Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine · France · first flew 1928 · transport aircraft
The CAMS 54 was a strengthened, more powerful version of the CAMS 51 flying boat, developed for transatlantic flights. It is sometimes called the 54 GR, for Grand Raid.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 14.84 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two engines in push-pull configuration on N-struts above the hull, just below the upper wing
- Single-bay, equal-span, unstaggered biplane wings of rectangular plan
- Tall, straight-edged fin with the tailplane about halfway up it
Look for a biplane flying boat with a pair of engines in tandem above the hull, between the wings. It has a deep hull, floats under the interplane struts and a single tall fin.
Specifications
- The CAMS 54 has a length of 14.84 m (49 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 20.4 m (67 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 210 km/h (130 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to carry the 4,110 litres of fuel needed for a range of 4,300 km. Its first flights were made in late March 1928 with Hispano-Suiza engines, and on 15 May it took off with a record load of 4,400 kg.
Variants
Either 500 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Mbr V-12 engines or 480 hp Gnome-Rhone 9Akx Jupiter radials could be fitted. In 1929 the aircraft was being prepared with 600 hp Hispano V-12s.
Where you'll see it
In July 1928 the aircraft, named La Frégate, began an east-west South Atlantic crossing and reached Horta in the Azores, but the rear engine failed and the flight took about 14 hours. It was later prepared for a second attempt.
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