Compania Aeronáutica Uruguaya
Encyclopedia
Compañía Aeronáutica Uruguaya S.A. (CAUSA) was a private airline
company of Uruguay
,
which operated between 1938 and 1967.
Operations began on March 12, 1938 with two Junkers Ju 52
s carrying seventeen passengers and configured as floatplanes. The Junkers 52 were new well built aircraft, strong, dependable, and a good choice by CAUSA for economic reasons. At the same time the Junkers 52 was used as the main airliner by Deutsche Lufthansa
and as transports (and sometimes as bombers) by the Luftwaffe
. The Junkers airplanes acquired by CAUSA were the CX-ABA(C/N 5877) baptized "El Uruguayo" and the CX-ABB(C/N 5886) "El Argentino".
CAUSA's entry at this time put it in competition with the Argentine airline corporation Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos, which also connected the ports of the two capitals. By January 1940 a route to the holiday resort of Punta del Este
was added. In 1943 another new route was opened between Buenos Aires
and Colonia, only 35 miles across the Rio de la Plata. In Colonia, a bus service ran to CAUSA's main offices at Montevideo. These three routes were the only ones operated by the airline in its nearly 30 years of service.
At the end of World War II, CAUSA began competing with the Argentine airline A.L.F.A., precursor of the future Aerolíneas Argentinas
, and purchased two modified Short Sunderland
flying boats. Having been very successful, it was decided to buy a third flying boat. This one was delivered in 1946. The Short Sunderlands were the CX-AFA(C/N SH.5C)"General Artigas", the CX-AKF(C/N SH.6C)ex-"Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos" and the CX-AKR(C/N SH 60C)"Capitán Boiso Lanza".
7s were purchased and added to the fleet: the CX-ANA(C/N SH.59C)ex BOAC and the CX-ANI(C/N SH.58C)also a ex BOAC
airplane. The flying boats remained in service until 1963. Two of the flying boats were written-off after accidents (the Short Sandringham CX-ANA on October 22, 1955 and the Short Sunderland CX-AFA on September 11, 1956) and retired from service. By 1961, flying boats were declining as passenger's choice of preference. The service was finally suspended as of May 1962.
The airline decided to revise its strategy and purchased four Curtiss C-46 landplanes to supplement the Shorts. The airplanes acquired in 1961 were the C-46F CX-AYR c/n 22403, C-46A CX-AZS c/n 30393 ex-Real Aerovías Brasil, C-46F CX-BAH c/n 22531 and the C-46F CX-BAM c/n 22392. The C-46 service was very short and by 1964 all four airplanes were sold to ARCO Aerolíneas Colonia S.A. It was then decided to use more capable types and in 1962 a purchase contract was signed with KLM for three Lockheed Constellation
s model L-749A-79-33.
Two of the Constellations were delivered in 1962 and the third arrived in 1963. These fine looking airplanes with a beautiful shape were familiar and appreciated sights on its daily arrivals at the airports Buenos Aires Aeroparque or Montevideo Carrasco. The Constellations of CAUSA were the CX-BBM (C/N 2881) ex PH-TFG, CX-BBN (C/N 2641) ex PH-TFE and the CX-BCS (C/N 2640) ex PH-TFD. Another Lockhheed L1049H was leased in June 1966. The Constellations remained in service until the demise of the airline by May 1967. In the end, the airline announced its intention to operate a Montevideo to São Paulo
route and a Montevideo to Miami route, but these routes never materialized.
CX-ABA Junkers Ju 52/3m c/n 5877 “El Uruguayo” (The Uruguayan) (hydroplane)
CX-ABB Junkers Ju 52/3m c/n 5886 “El Argentino” (The Argentinean)(hydroplane)
1946
CX-AFA Short Sunderland c/n SH.5C “General Artigas” ex-R.A.F. w/o 11 September 1956
CX-AKF Short Sunderland c/n SH.6C ex-A.L.F.A.-Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos (South American Corporation of Air Services)
CX-AKR Short Sunderland c/n SH 60C “Capitán Boiso Lanza” (Captain Boiso Lanza) ex-R.A.F.
1950
CX-ANA Short Sandringham 7 c/n SH.59C ex- B.O.A.C. w/o 22 October 1955
CX-ANI Short Sandringham 7 c/n SH.58C ex- B.O.A.C.
1961
CX-AYR Curtiss C-46F c/n 22403
CX-AZS Curtiss C-46A c/n 30393, ex-Real Aerovías Brasil (ex-Real Brazil Airways)
CX-BAH Curtiss C-46F c/n 22531
CX-BAM Curtiss C-46F c/n 22392
1963
CX-BBM Lockheed L-749A-79-3 c/n 2661 ex KLM PH-TFG "Friesland"
CX-BBN Lockheed L-749A-79-33 c/n 2641 ex KLM PH-TFE "Utrecht"
CX-BCS Lockheed L-749A-79-33 c/n 2640 ex KLM PH-TFD "Arnhem"
1966
CX-BEM Lockheed L-1049H c/n 4818 ex N101R(leased)
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
company of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
,
which operated between 1938 and 1967.
History
Compañía Aeronáutica Uruguaya SA was founded on December 29, 1936 by the Uruguayan banker Luis J. Supervielle and Colonel Tydeo Larre Borges. The airline intended to concentrate its operations on the busy and financially lucrative Montevideo-Buenos Aires route.Operations began on March 12, 1938 with two Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
s carrying seventeen passengers and configured as floatplanes. The Junkers 52 were new well built aircraft, strong, dependable, and a good choice by CAUSA for economic reasons. At the same time the Junkers 52 was used as the main airliner by Deutsche Lufthansa
Deutsche Luft Hansa
Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G. was a German airline, serving as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and throughout the Third Reich.-1920s:Deutsche Luft Hansa was founded on 6 January 1926 in Berlin...
and as transports (and sometimes as bombers) by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. The Junkers airplanes acquired by CAUSA were the CX-ABA(C/N 5877) baptized "El Uruguayo" and the CX-ABB(C/N 5886) "El Argentino".
CAUSA's entry at this time put it in competition with the Argentine airline corporation Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos, which also connected the ports of the two capitals. By January 1940 a route to the holiday resort of Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
was added. In 1943 another new route was opened between Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and Colonia, only 35 miles across the Rio de la Plata. In Colonia, a bus service ran to CAUSA's main offices at Montevideo. These three routes were the only ones operated by the airline in its nearly 30 years of service.
At the end of World War II, CAUSA began competing with the Argentine airline A.L.F.A., precursor of the future Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas , formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and serves as the country's flag carrier. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard, located in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires...
, and purchased two modified Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
flying boats. Having been very successful, it was decided to buy a third flying boat. This one was delivered in 1946. The Short Sunderlands were the CX-AFA(C/N SH.5C)"General Artigas", the CX-AKF(C/N SH.6C)ex-"Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos" and the CX-AKR(C/N SH 60C)"Capitán Boiso Lanza".
Short Sunderland CX-AKR "Capitán Boiso Lanza" (1946)
By 1950, with the continuing success of the flying boat services, two Short SandringhamShort Sandringham
- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
7s were purchased and added to the fleet: the CX-ANA(C/N SH.59C)ex BOAC and the CX-ANI(C/N SH.58C)also a ex BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
airplane. The flying boats remained in service until 1963. Two of the flying boats were written-off after accidents (the Short Sandringham CX-ANA on October 22, 1955 and the Short Sunderland CX-AFA on September 11, 1956) and retired from service. By 1961, flying boats were declining as passenger's choice of preference. The service was finally suspended as of May 1962.
The airline decided to revise its strategy and purchased four Curtiss C-46 landplanes to supplement the Shorts. The airplanes acquired in 1961 were the C-46F CX-AYR c/n 22403, C-46A CX-AZS c/n 30393 ex-Real Aerovías Brasil, C-46F CX-BAH c/n 22531 and the C-46F CX-BAM c/n 22392. The C-46 service was very short and by 1964 all four airplanes were sold to ARCO Aerolíneas Colonia S.A. It was then decided to use more capable types and in 1962 a purchase contract was signed with KLM for three Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
s model L-749A-79-33.
Two of the Constellations were delivered in 1962 and the third arrived in 1963. These fine looking airplanes with a beautiful shape were familiar and appreciated sights on its daily arrivals at the airports Buenos Aires Aeroparque or Montevideo Carrasco. The Constellations of CAUSA were the CX-BBM (C/N 2881) ex PH-TFG, CX-BBN (C/N 2641) ex PH-TFE and the CX-BCS (C/N 2640) ex PH-TFD. Another Lockhheed L1049H was leased in June 1966. The Constellations remained in service until the demise of the airline by May 1967. In the end, the airline announced its intention to operate a Montevideo to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
route and a Montevideo to Miami route, but these routes never materialized.
Fleet
1938CX-ABA Junkers Ju 52/3m c/n 5877 “El Uruguayo” (The Uruguayan) (hydroplane)
CX-ABB Junkers Ju 52/3m c/n 5886 “El Argentino” (The Argentinean)(hydroplane)
1946
CX-AFA Short Sunderland c/n SH.5C “General Artigas” ex-R.A.F. w/o 11 September 1956
CX-AKF Short Sunderland c/n SH.6C ex-A.L.F.A.-Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos (South American Corporation of Air Services)
CX-AKR Short Sunderland c/n SH 60C “Capitán Boiso Lanza” (Captain Boiso Lanza) ex-R.A.F.
1950
CX-ANA Short Sandringham 7 c/n SH.59C ex- B.O.A.C. w/o 22 October 1955
CX-ANI Short Sandringham 7 c/n SH.58C ex- B.O.A.C.
1961
CX-AYR Curtiss C-46F c/n 22403
CX-AZS Curtiss C-46A c/n 30393, ex-Real Aerovías Brasil (ex-Real Brazil Airways)
CX-BAH Curtiss C-46F c/n 22531
CX-BAM Curtiss C-46F c/n 22392
1963
CX-BBM Lockheed L-749A-79-3 c/n 2661 ex KLM PH-TFG "Friesland"
CX-BBN Lockheed L-749A-79-33 c/n 2641 ex KLM PH-TFE "Utrecht"
CX-BCS Lockheed L-749A-79-33 c/n 2640 ex KLM PH-TFD "Arnhem"
1966
CX-BEM Lockheed L-1049H c/n 4818 ex N101R(leased)