CAMS 37

CAMS 37
Name	CAMS 37
Type	Reconnaissance seaplane / trainer
Manufacturer	Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine
First flight	1926
Introduced	1927
Status	Retired
Primary user	Aéronavale
Produced	1926–1933

CAMS 37 The CAMS 37 was a 1920s French single-engined biplane flying boat developed by Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine for Aéronavale reconnaissance and training roles. It served with naval aviation units alongside contemporaries such as the Sopwith 2F1 Ships Camel, Supermarine Southampton, and Short S.8 Calcutta, and influenced later designs by firms like Latécoère and Bloch. Built during an era shaped by the Washington Naval Treaty and interwar aviation advances, it operated in theatres including the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic.

Design and Development

The design originated at Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine under engineers influenced by work at Société des Avions Bernard, SNCAN, and designers from the Guépard projects, resulting in a wooden hull and fabric-covered wings similar to contemporary Fairey IIID and Sikorsky S-38 types. Powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 8 or Renault 12 engine in pusher configuration, the hull drew hydrodynamic research parallels with studies at École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées and testing at the Bureau Veritas facilities. Structural elements used techniques developed by Laurent-Etienne Fage and machining methods associated with Potez suppliers, while avionics and navigation instruments reflected standards set by Société Française Radio-électrique and instrumentation from Sagem. The prototype flew in 1926 with handling characteristics compared in trials to the Fokker F.VII and Dornier Wal.

Variants

Several production and experimental variants were produced, each adapting powerplants, hulls, or roles and echoing developments at firms like Dassault, Lioré et Olivier, and Hurel-Dubois. Major variants included trainer versions for Aéronavale schools at Toulon and Brest, reconnaissance conversions for patrols over the Bay of Biscay, and liaison models fitted for colonial service in French Indochina and Morocco. Prototype conversions tested alternative engines such as the Gnome-Rhône 9A radial, while floatplane adaptations were trialled alongside examples from Levasseur and CAMEL manufacturers. Later civilized cabin variants mirrored passenger layouts seen on Latécoère 28 and small mailplanes operated by Aéropostale.

Operational History

Entered service in the late 1920s, CAMS 37 units equipped squadrons at bases including Hyères, Cherbourg, and Dakar where they flew reconnaissance, convoy escort, and training sorties during peacetime patrols associated with the League of Nations era maritime policing. Crews included aviators seconded from Escadrille 1S and technicians trained alongside personnel from Marine Nationale workshops. The type took part in notable activities such as Mediterranean exercises with units from Regia Marina observers and participated in search-and-rescue missions akin to those later conducted by Coast Guard services, operating in climates similar to those experienced by Imperial Japanese Navy seaplanes. During the early stages of the Spanish Civil War, some examples saw auxiliary use for transport and liaison by factions in Spain and in colonial policing during unrest in Syria and Algeria. By the mid-1930s the type was progressively replaced by LeO H-242 and Potez 452 types and by the outbreak of the Second World War most remaining airframes were relegated to training or auxiliary roles.

Civil and Military Operators

Operators included the French Aéronavale and naval aviation schools at Toulon Naval Base and Brest Naval Base, civil companies such as Aéropostale for light transport trials, and colonial administrations in French West Africa and French Indochina. International presence was limited but examples were evaluated or operated by entities tied to Portugal and private firms in Brazil for riverine patrols, with maintenance support occasionally provided by firms like Société Générale de Construction Industrielle and equipment suppliers such as Ansaldo.

Specifications

General characteristics: crew of two to three similar to crews on Fairey Seal and Supermarine Walrus, wooden hull, fabric-covered biplane wings, single pusher engine in nacelle. Dimensions and performance varied by engine variant; typical powerplants included Hispano-Suiza 8 V8 and Gnome-Rhône radials giving cruise speeds comparable to the Dornier Do J and service ceilings akin to the Savoia-Marchetti S.55. Armament for reconnaissance versions could include light defensive machine guns produced by MAC (arms manufacturer) and small bomb loads like those used on Lioré et Olivier LeO 20 night patrol conversions.

Surviving Aircraft and Preservation

Few airframes survived intact; examples and components have been preserved in maritime and aviation museums such as the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace and regional collections in Brest and Dakar alongside exhibits including the Latécoère 631 fragments and replicas of Potez flying boats. Restoration efforts have involved woodworkers from workshops associated with Conservatoire du Patrimoine Aéronautique and volunteers linked to Aéro-Club de France, with archival drawings held in collections like those of Service Historique de la Défense.

Category:1920s French aircraft