Flight, December 1922

THE PARIS AERO SHOW 1922

CHANTIERS AERO-MARITIMES DE LA SEINE

   THIS firm, of which Mr. D. Lawrence Santoni is managing director, is showing a small dual-control school machine of the flying-boat type. The C.A.M.S. 30E is very similar to the Savoia flying boats, the designer, M. Conflenti having been with Mr. Santoni on the well-known Italian firm. It had not been intended to exhibit this machine, and the decision to do so was only made quite recently. Consequently, Mr. Santoni pointed out, the machine was not so nicely finished as it might have been. Nevertheless, unless one is very critical, there is not much to find fault with in C.A.M.S. 30E, and the design is delightfully clean.
   The boat hull is of three-ply construction, with flat sides and the hollow cambered step peculiar to all boats of Conflenti's design. A wide cockpit in front of the wings gives ample space for pupil and instructor to sit side by side, and there are two sets of controls, wheels for elevator and ailerons, and foot bars for the rudder.
   The wings do not present any unusual features. They are of fairly thick section, and have but one pair of struts on each side. The engine cowling is exceptionally neat, as will be seen from the accompanying photograph, and should provide as good streamlining of the engine as it is possible to get. This has been made possible by fitting two very small radiators of an unfamiliar type. At first sight these radiators appear to be Lamblins of special type, but we are informed that they were made by Botali and Clement.
   The main characteristics of the C.A.M.S. 30E are as follows: Length o.a., 9,99 ms. (32 ft. 10 ins.); span, 13 ms. (42 ft. 7 ins.); area, 43 sq.ms. (460 sq.ft.); weight empty, 1,080 kgs. (2,380 lbs.); fuel for three hours, 125 kgs. (275 lbs.); useful load, 170 kgs. (370 lbs.); total loaded weight, 1,375 kgs. (3 010 lbs.); landing speed, 60 kms. (30 miles) per hour; maximum speed, 145 kms. (90 miles) per hour.
   In addition to the school machine C.A.M.S. produce several other types <...>
   The C.A.M.S. 31 is an hydravion de chasse, with 300 Hispano engine. It is a smaller machine than the 30E, and has a maximum speed of about 120 m.p.h.
   A large commercial flying-boat is now under Construction at the works at St. Denis. This is a twin-engined machine, with two Hispano engines of 275 h.p. each, placed not on the wings but one behind the other above the hull. Thus should one engine fail there is no turning moment, and it is stated that with but one engine running the machine still has a speed of about 80 m.p.h. at 3,000 ft. With both engines running the speed is estimated to be about 110 m.p.h. at sea level. With fuel for 300 miles the paying load of this machine will be 2,150 lbs., or just under 4 lbs./h.p., which is not bad for a twin-engined flying boat.

Flight, July 1923

LES CHANTIERS AERO-MARITIMES DE LA SEINE
One of the Progressive New French Firms

   IN the early days of British aviation the name Lawrence Santoni was well known in this country in connection with various British aircraft undertakings, notably the British Deperdussin Company of Highgate, of which Mr. Santoni was at that time the business head, the late Commander Porte being in charge of the technical side. Incidentally, it may be recalled, Mr. Frederick Koolhoven, who later became famous in connection with Armstrong-Whitworth, and afterwards B.A.T. aircraft, was works manager of the British Deperdussin works. Early in the War, Mr. Santoni went to Italy, and there established the company which produced the famous Savoia flying boats. His chief designer was M. Raphael Conflenti, who, among other machines, designed the Savoia flying boat on which Signor Janello put up such a splendid performance in the Schneider Cup Race at Bournemouth in 1919.
   During the years following the War, the economic situation in Italy was not such as to allow of any extensive aviation programme being carried out, and although he carried on as long as he could, Mr. Santoni ultimately decided to try his luck in France. In 1920 he established the Chantiers Aero-Maritimes de la Seine, with works at St. Denis. The first year was devoted to technical organisation, the planning of types and so forth. In 1921 the industrial organisation was put in hand, and the construction of experimental types commenced. At the present time four different main types have been evolved, and have passed the experimental stage. It should be mentioned in this connection that M. Conflenti is still chief designer, and that to his genius all the C.A.M.S. types are due.
   The C.A.M.S. works at St. Denis occupy an area of 8,000 sq. m. near the Seine, and the work of testing is carried out at Le Pecq, near St. Germain. The acceptance tests are, however, carried out over the Mediterranean, at the St. Raphael air station.
   At the last Paris Aero Show a very neat little school machine, the C.A.M.S., 30 E, was exhibited, and was fully described in FLIGHT at the time. It is a single-engined two-seater flying boat, in which the occupants sit side by side. The machine thus lends itself to school work, for which it was mainly designed, but can also be used as a two-seater touring machine. The C.A.M.S. 30 E has a wing area of 43 sq. m. (463 sq. ft.) and weighs 2,150 lbs. empty. The total loaded weight is 2,720 lbs., and the engine fitted is a low-compression Hispano-Suiza of 150 h.p.
   Somewhat similar in general design, i.e., as regards the square-sided boat with concave step, is the C.A.M.S. 31, which is a single-seater fighter with 300 h.p. Hispano engine. This machine is chiefly remarkable for its manoeuvrability. It can be looped, spun, rolled, etc., like a small land machine, and has an excellent performance. The wing area is 33 sq. m. (555 sq. ft.), and the total loaded weight, 3,100 lbs. The maximum speed at sea level is 200 km. (124 m.p.h.), and the stalling speed 85. km. (55 m.p.h.). The climb is extremely good, an altitude of 2,000 m. (6,600 ft.) being reached in 8 minutes. The climb to 5,000 m. (16,400 ft.) occupies 33 minutes. It may be mentioned that the C.A.M.S. 31 has just passed its acceptance tests. A variation of this machine can be used as a mail carrier where great speeds rather than heavy loads are desired.
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