CAMS 31

The CAMS 31 was a 1920s French single-seat fighter biplane flying-boat designed and built by Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (CAMS).

CAMS 31
Role	Single-seat fighter flying-boat
National origin	France
Manufacturer	CAMS
First flight	1922
Number built	2

Design and development

The CAMS 31 was a wooden-built two-bay equal span biplane with stabilising floats under each wing and an open cockpit forward of the lower-wing for the pilot. Powered by a Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline piston engine driving a pusher propeller, the engine was strut mounted between the wings. The CAMS 31 was armed with two fixed hull-mounted Vickers machine-guns in the bow.

The CAMS 31 prototype, later designated the CAMS 31 Type 22, first flew in 1922. A second prototype, the CAMS 31 Type 23, flew in 1923 with a reduced-span wing and wider chord but still had the same wing area as the Type 22. Testing proved the flying-boats handled well but were just not suitable as fighters and no more were built.

A mail carrying postal variant was designated CAMS 31P

Variants

CAMS 31 Type 22

Original wing

CAMS 31 Type 23

Reduced span extended chord wing of same area

CAMS 31M

Proposed production fighter, not proceeded with.

CAMS 31P

Postal variant

Specifications (CAMS 31 Type 22)

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.80 m (28 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
• Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 33.00 m² (355.2 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,045 kg (2,304 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,505 kg (3,318 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline piston engine, 220 kW (300 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn) at sea level
• Range: 400 km (250 mi, 220 nmi)

Armament

• Guns: 2 × fixed bow-mounted Vickers machine guns

See also

Related lists

• List of flying boats and floatplanes

References

Bibliography

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.