| Role | Flying boat fighter |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Saunders-Roe |
| First flight | 16 July 1947 |
| Retired | 1951 |
| Status | Experimental |
| Primary user | Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment |
| Number built | 3 |
The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 was a prototype flying boat fighter aircraft designed and built by British seaplane manufacturer Saunders-Roe. It was the first jet-propelled water-based aircraft in the world.
The first prototype, serial number TG263, has been preserved and is on display at Solent Sky aviation museum in Southampton. Both other aircraft (TG267 and TG271) were lost in accidents during the four-year flight test programme.
Specification
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
- Wingspan: 46 ft 0 in (14.02 m)
- Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m)
- Wing area: 415 sq ft (38.6 m2)
- Empty weight: 11,262 lb (5,108 kg)
- Gross weight: 16,000 lb (7,257 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 19,033 lb (8,633 kg) max. overload weight with slipper tanks
- Fuel capacity: 424 imp gal (509 US gal; 1,930 L) internal fuel,provision for two 149 imp gal (179 US gal; 680 L) slipper tanks
- Powerplant: 2 × Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl MVB.2 turbojets, 3,850 lbf (17.1 kN) thrust each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 512 mph (824 km/h, 445 kn)
- Endurance: 1 hr 48 min
- Service ceiling: 48,000 ft (15,000 m)
Armament
- Guns: 4x 20 mm Hispano Mk 5
- Rockets: 8× rockets
- Bombs: 2x 1000 lb (455 kg) bombs
Photos Rob Vogelaar
