Private company

Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine

French manufacturer of flying boats

Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (CAMS) was a French manufacturer of flying boats, founded in Saint-Ouen in November 1920 by Lawrence Santoni.2 It ceased to exist in 1937.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1920Founded1
  • Industryaerospace industry1
  • HeadquartersSaint-Ouen-sur-Seine1

Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (CAMS) was a French manufacturer of flying boats, founded in Saint-Ouen in November 1920 by Lawrence Santoni.2

The story

Initially the company built Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia (SIAI) designs under licence, but in 1922 it lured Raffaele Conflenti away from SIAI to become head designer, after which it generated its own aircraft designs. CAMS' most noteworthy products were flying boat designs that saw widespread long-term use in the French Navy.

The company was nationalized in 1936, following which it was merged with Chantiers aéronavals Étienne Romano, Lioré et Olivier, Potez and SPCA in order to form the Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Sud-Est (SNCASE) on 1 February 1937.

From Wikipedia’s article on Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

  • flying boat

Listed on Wikidata.1

CAMS 30E (1923) - single-engine, two-seat biplane flying boat used for training

CAMS 30T (1924) - single-engine, four-seat biplane flying boat derived from the CAMS 30. It was used in 1924 to set a speed record for passenger-carrying flying boats

CAMS 31 (1922) - prototype flying boat

CAMS 33B (1923) - two-engine, four-seat push-pull biplane reconnaissance flying boat

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CAMS 33T (1923) - two-engine, nine-seat push-pull biplane personnel transport flying boat

CAMS 34 (1920s) - projected transport derivative of CAMS 30

CAMS 35 (1920s) - projected military derivative of CAMS 30

CAMS 36 (1922) - single seat racer

CAMS 37 (1926) - single-engine, two-seat biplane trainer/utility flying boat

CAMS 38 (1923) - single seat racer

CAMS 41 (1924) - flying boat bomber study

CAMS 42 (1924) - flying boat bomber study, also called CAMS 41bis

CAMS 43 - two-engine military flying boat, developed from the CAMS 41 project

CAMS 44 (1925) - heavy flying boat torpedo bomber project

CAMS 45 (1925) - flying boat racer project

CAMS 46E (1926) - basic flying boat trainer

CAMS 46ET (1926) - intermediate flying boat trainer for Aeronavale

CAMS 50 (1927) - two-engine, three-seat transport flying boat prototype

CAMS 51 (1926) - two-engine, six-seat push-pull biplane transport flying boat

CAMS 52 (1929) - two-engine, floatplane torpedo bomber prototype

CAMS 53 (I) (1928) - projected reconnaissance/torpedo bomber version of CAMS 50

CAMS 53 (1929) - two-engine, six-seat push-pull biplane transport flying boat version of CAMS 50

CAMS 54 (1928) - long range push-pull biplane flying boat

CAMS 55 (1929) - two-engine biplane reconnaissance flying boat, derived from the CAMS 51

CAMS 56 (1928) - as CAMS 53 but powered by Gnome and Rhone 9A engines, formerly designated CAMS 53-3

CAMS 57 (1929) - as CAMS 53 but powered by Renault 12Jb engines, formerly designated CAMS 53R

CAMS 58 (1930) - two-engine, seven-seat flying boat airliner

CAMS 59 - three-engine monoplane torpedo bomber floatplane project derived from the CAMS 52

CAMS 60 (1930) - two-seat high wing monoplane torpedo bomber project

CAMS 70 (1928) - reconnaissance flying boat project

CAMS 71 - two-engine or four-engine monoplane transatlantic/military patrol flying boat project

Potez-CAMS aircraft

CAMS 80 (1932) - single-engine reconnaissance flying boat

CAMS 90 (1931) - single-engine light utility flying boat

CAMS 91 - projected version of CAMS 90, powered by a Hispano 9Q or Gnome and Rhone Titan Major engine

Potez-CAMS 100 (1935) - six-engine transatlantic flying boat airliner project

Potez-CAMS 110 (1934) - two-engine, push-pull biplane transport flying boat, only the single prototype was built

Potez-CAMS 120 (1935) - three-seat single-engine patrol flying boat

Potez-CAMS 130 (1935) - catapult launched four-engine, 35 passenger flying boat airliner project

Potez-CAMS 141 (1938) - four-engine long range reconnaissance flying boat

Potez-CAMS 142 - transatlantic flying boat airliner based on the CAMS 141

Potez-CAMS 150 (1935) - six-engine transatlantic flying boat airline project

Potez-CAMS 160 (1938) - scale model flying boat, used for hydrodynamic and aerodynamic testing of the Potez-CAMS 161

Potez-CAMS 161 (1939 or 1942) - six-engine flying boat airliner

Potez-CAMS 162 - projected military transport version of Potez-CAMS 161

Potez-CAMS 170 (1939) - single-seat seaplane fighter project

From Wikipedia’s article on Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Acquisitions

  1. Succeeded by SNCASE1

Timeline

  1. Feb 1, 1937Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1920Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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