The Descamps A2 was designed to a government programme for a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft, a category denoted by the military code A2.

[4] The deep but narrow rectangular section fuselage, constructed from duralumin tubes, tapered to a knife edge at the rear and had rounded decking.

[4] The nose differed according to engine; the early V-12 had two distinct bulges over the cylinders and a separate rectangular radiator, attached to the fuselage underside, which could be partially retracted by the pilot,[4][1] whereas the three cylinder banks of the W-12 required an additional central bulge[7] and the radiator was integrated into the nose in front of the engine.

The pilot sat in front under the trailing edge of the wing, which had a V-shaped cut-out to improve his field of view.

The tail was conventional, with the tailplane, which had swept leading edges, placed near the top of the fuselage and braced by a single strut on each side from below.

The Descamp's landing gear had mainwheels mounted under the wings at the meeting point of the inner and outer interplane struts, providing a wide track.

[8] A notable tour of six European countries was made between 18 October and 19 November 1927 by Massot and an engineer in a civil registered C.17.