Azur-FRROM Hobby Plastic Model Kit CAMS 37 E — 1:72

Manufacturer

Azur FRROM specialised in unusual aircraft subjects, particularly French and European aircraft that were poorly represented in mainstream plastic-kit ranges. The CAMS 37 E is typical of the company's limited-run approach, combining injection-moulded components with additional resin and vacuformed parts.

The kit was released in 2010. HobbyLink Japan records the country of origin as the Czech Republic while identifying the manufacturer as Azur FRROM.
Kit contents

The A086 is a detailed 1:72 scale injection-plastic kit. Documented contents include:

Injection-moulded plastic parts

Resin detail parts

Vacuformed windscreen/canopy components

Photo-etched detail parts

Fuselage and large biplane flying surfaces

Cockpit/crew positions

Engine and nacelle components

Twin-float undercarriage

Tail assembly

Struts and rigging-related components

Decals

Assembly instructions

HobbyLink Japan specifically confirms the injection moulding, resin detail parts, vacuformed windscreens and decals. Suruga-ya also records etching, resin and vacuformed parts as included accessories.
History of the full-size aircraft

The CAMS 37 was a French three-seat reconnaissance flying boat developed by Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (CAMS) during the 1920s. The design was intended primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance and naval cooperation.

The aircraft was a particularly distinctive-looking biplane flying boat. Its unusual arrangement placed the lower wing high on the fuselage, while the upper wing was carried above the hull on a substantial structure. The engine was mounted between the wings in a pusher configuration.

The CAMS 37 family first flew in 1926. Production aircraft subsequently served with the French Navy, where the type was employed for coastal patrol and reconnaissance duties. Approximately 110 aircraft of the various CAMS 37 versions were built between 1928 and 1934.
CAMS 37 E

The CAMS 37 E represented one of the operational developments of the family. It was powered by a Lorraine 12E engine producing approximately 450 hp.

The aircraft's maritime configuration allowed it to operate from water, with its hull and stabilising floats providing the necessary flotation. Its relatively large wings and substantial hull gave it the endurance required for reconnaissance and patrol operations.

The documented specifications give a maximum speed of approximately 185 km/h, a service ceiling of around 3,500 m, and a maximum range of approximately 1,200 km. The aircraft could carry up to approximately 300 kg of bombs and was equipped with multiple 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns.
Naval and wartime service

The CAMS 37 family remained in French Navy service through the 1930s. Its principal duties were maritime reconnaissance and patrol rather than air-to-air combat.

The aircraft was still in French service during the 1940 campaign, when France was defeated by Germany. Following the French armistice, surviving aircraft continued to operate under the Vichy French authorities for a period. Individual aircraft also reportedly found their way into Free French service.

The CAMS 37 therefore represents an interesting transitional generation of French naval aircraft: it was developed during the inter-war period but retained the large, open biplane flying-boat configuration characteristic of the 1920s.
Historical significance

The CAMS 37 is particularly interesting because it illustrates the importance of flying boats to French naval aviation during the inter-war period.

Before reliable long-range land-based patrol aircraft became widespread, flying boats offered several advantages for maritime operations. They could operate from sheltered stretches of water without requiring a conventional runway and could remain over the sea for extended reconnaissance missions.

By the late 1930s, however, aircraft technology had advanced rapidly. Faster, more aerodynamic monoplanes with enclosed crew positions and improved engines were beginning to replace aircraft such as the CAMS 37. The type consequently represents the end of an important stage in the development of maritime patrol aviation.